As of 2020, approximately 1.3 million lawyers were practicing in the U.S. The legal industry is highly competitive, and every law firm is looking to surpass other firms by acquiring more clients. Getting new clients on board is not that easy as a firm needs to work on a lot of marketing tactics and spend money as well.
But even if a firm is able to acquire clients, the real law firm management challenge lies in the form of retaining the acquired clients. This is where a “Welcome Kit” or “Welcome Package” comes into the picture.
First, it is important to consider creating a welcome kit for new legal clients to initially create a warm welcome and establish a great rapport with your clients. Clients have a wide array of selection of firms and lawyers to choose from; therefore, it is important to set yourself apart from the competition, get the client relationship off to an excellent start to fuel recurring business from that client as well as referrals.
Thinking as to what exactly should be included in the welcome package? Let us dig deeper into the top 12 welcome package essentials:
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- Expresses Appreciation – Add an engagement letter on the front page of your welcome kit to expresses appreciation for the client trusting you to handle the matter then get into what the process will look like. Typically, the engagement letter welcomes the client to the firm.
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- Law Firm Information – This is perhaps the first thing that should be provided to the new client. It will not only help the client in knowing your law firm in-depth, its objectives, and business vision but will also help boost his confidence in his decision to choose your firm over others.It is recommended to have the testimonials of your satisfied and existing clients in this section since it helps create a positive impact on the reader.
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- Important Form Filling – Law firms need a lot of information from their new clients, and every client is even ready for the same but make sure it is done in an effortless and organized way. Make them fill forms in a way that all their personal and case-related details come to you easily. For instance, if they are seeking legal support in a personal injury or matrimonial case, allocate a different section where complaints can be added easily as the case progresses with time, maintaining all the complaint details in a single place.
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- Enhanced Care Assurance – As stated above, clients choose you over others, so it is your responsibility to make them feel important and cared for. All their details related to the case should be collected at the earliest so that they know they are getting personal attention, and the firm is serious in its approach towards winning the case.Apart from this, this section should include a privacy statement that assures them of the confidentiality of their data, including their rights and responsibilities. Also, introduce them to the attorneys who will be working on their case, including their profiles, past experience, educational background, and more. All this will make them feel like collaborating with a family and not just a law firm.
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- FAQs – New clients have a lot of speculations in mind, which they might not ask you in person. This can include anything from billing to information related to the case, the average time for a trial, documents, etc. Also, make sure to include a feedback form at the end of the FAQs section to know if there is some sort of information that the client is seeking but is not finding in your listed set of questions. This will help in getting the client to know that you actually care for them, but make sure to respond to the feedback form/query ASAP.
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- Concise InformationThere is no denying that new clients should be provided with maximum information, but they should not be bombarded with additional or irrelevant information. For this, you can make a separate version of the welcome package depending upon the case type. This will help in making the client go through the information related to the case easily.Also, try to make it more presentable and user-friendly by using bullet-points, bold letters for highlighting important information, and so on.
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- Transparency – Clients, especially new clients, demand transparency in almost everything related to their case, with billing being the prime factor. They want complete transparency when it comes to billing information, including how clients can make payments and additional charges that they may have to incur as the case progresses, along with clarity on any hidden costs. So, make sure you don’t surprise your clients with unexpected expenses during the case proceedings and instead provide them with all the possible answers in the welcome package to enhance transparency and trust.
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- List of Documents – It is always advisable to plan things in advance to support proceedings during the trial. So, depending upon the case type, make a list of the common tools and documents that may be required by your client for submission. However, make sure you provide them with the information that enables them to gain access to their documents anytime.
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- Setting Yourself Apart – It is vital to set yourself apart from your competitors’ welcome kits in order to have the edge over them. So, make sure you go through the welcome kit of your competitors and prepare something which not only makes you look different but also wins the heart of a prospective client who is going through multiple welcome kits before finalizing one.
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- A Handwritten Thank You Note – At the last of your welcome kit, make sure to include a handwritten thank you note for your client with his name, adding to the personalized touch. You can get these thank you notes prepared in advance that require only adding the name of the new client.This little gesture will keep your new client smiling thereafter and as they say, every end is the beginning of a new journey; such gestures build the platform for long-term relationships.
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- Verbal Follow-Up – Surely such a detailed and user-friendly welcome package is enough to make your new client happy and satisfied, but you need to follow up with verbal communication as well. You need to verbally promise everything mentioned in your welcome package so that you do not leave any stone unturned to get rid of any speculation in the client’s mind and earn his trust.
- New Client Intake Form – It serves as a one-sheet for anyone working in your office to be able to pick up a client’s file and to be able to have all that information readily on one sheet. Some of the information in the New Client Intake Form include the client’s contact information, the nature of the case, other parties involved, the attorney assigned to the case, past litigation cases and opposing law firm involved, billing information, practice areas, and more.
Conclusion
Every law firm wants to grow and scale at a fast pace, and this is only possible when it acquires clients in the first place. However, a successful law office management is all about understanding that bringing clients on board is just the beginning; consistent efforts have to be put in to ensure long-term collaboration. The first step towards this is by providing them with a detailed, convincing, and presentable welcome package. By incorporating the above-mentioned essentials in your welcome package, you will surely be able to establish their faith in your legal services.