When the Rolodex was the preferred way to store customer contact information, there was a tendency to keep it updated because it was the only tool. In many law offices, there was only one Rolodex to work with. That made it even more critical to ensure that contact info was accurate. Things are different in the electronic age.

Running a law firm with multiple, overlapping applications opens the door to conflicting contact information between those applications. Information might be up to date in one system, but completely outdated in another. This only makes contacting clients more difficult.

Communicating in the Technology Era

It is interesting to step back and look at how people communicate today as opposed to just 20 or 30 years ago. According to Salesforce, 78% of all consumers use text messaging to communicate with companies. Does your office take advantage of text messaging?

Next, 82% of all consumers are likely to use mobile apps to communicate. Some 84% are amenable to using online customer portals. The one thing all of these communication methods have in common is the need to know who your contacts are and how to find them.

Integrated, Intelligent Contact Information

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. It is supposed to make practicing law easier, which is the very reason we developed our Salesforce case management software. When technology hinders rather than helping, the root causes can usually be traced back to poor design and lack of integration.

A good way to understand this is to honestly assess whether or not your law firm makes use of overlapping software. For example, how many different software packages does your firm utilize on a regular basis? Among those many packages, how many of them contain client contact information?

The more applications in play, the more likely that your data doesn’t match. The other side of that coin is integrated, intelligent contact information populated across an application like NuLaw. Because our software brings all of your other applications together in a single environment, contact information remains consistent throughout.

Tips for Managing Contact Information

We believe a cloud-based case management application is far superior to multiple, overlapping systems. It’s better for managing contact information; it’s better for matter management; it’s better for marketing and research. But there are things a law office can do to better manage contact information above and beyond just installing new software. Here are a few tips:

• Collect Info on Contact – The best way to ensure that contact information is correct at the start of the attorney-client relationship is to get that information on first contact. Even if a client does not commit to representation, his or her contact information could prove invaluable later on.

• Centralized Storage – All client contact information should be stored in a centralized location and backed up regularly. Inputting client information should be as effortless as possible.

• Update Along the Way – Contact information is kept current when it is updated along the way. If you haven’t spoken with a client in a while, verify contact information. If a client initiates a new case, update the information again.

No law firm can operate without an adequate source of client contact information. The key is keeping that information up to date.

Sources:

• Salesforce – https://www.sales force.com/blog/2013/08/customer-service-stats.html

In an era of connectivity and online life, one of the most effective ways to get your name out there is to produce strong content for your law firm’s website. Content goes beyond automated case acquisition tools to directly approach clients where they are. Strong content is so effective as a marketing tool that it could stand alone as a law firm’s primary marketing strategy if necessary.

Why We Use Content

In the ‘good old days’ it was enough to hang a placard on the door of a law firm and pass out business cards every now and again. But that was it. That was back in the days when law was practiced locally. Practicing law changed when the internet became a thing.

As an attorney, you know how difficult it is to build a case on a single piece of evidence. You know how much work goes into discovery, speaking to witnesses, looking at past case law, and so forth. Simply put, a strong case is made by putting together as much information as you possibly can.

Guess what? Marketing in the 21^st century works exactly the same way. People are no longer likely to choose your law firm simply because they see a small ad in the newspaper. People are far too sophisticated for that these days. They want to know who you are and what you do. They want to know all about you before they even call or send an e-mail. That is why we use content.

Five Characteristics of Strong Content

The content you produce for your website can make or break your overall marketing efforts. Therefore, do not settle for just anything. Strong content will enhance your case acquisition strategy by establishing your law firm as an authority. Weak content will simply be dismissed.

There are five characteristics that define strong content:

1. Relevant – Google changed its search algorithms a few years back to begin ranking for relevance. All of the content on your website should be relevant to the law in some way, shape, or form. It should also be relevant to the modern world and the kinds of things your clients are talking about.
2. Meaningful – Your content should be meaningful to your clients. In other words, give them information they can actually use.
3. Understandable – Strong content is content that is easily understood by consumers. It is not content that speaks over them; content filled with jargon that makes no sense. You will never reach clients who don’t know what you’re talking about.
4. Well Constructed – Strong content is also content that is well constructed in its grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. Do not ever settle for poorly written content. It will give your law firm a bad reputation.
5. Concise – Modern web users don’t appreciate long-winded dissertations on anything. As such, strong content is concise. It says what it needs to say without any unnecessary fluff.

The case acquisition tools built-in to the NuLaw legal case management software are excellent tools. They are made even better when they are backed by strong content on your website. If content is not yet a priority for your law firm, it is time to change things up.

We like to say that NuLaw is where practicing law and client relationships intersect. The point of this post is to help you understand why. The foundation of this discussion is the reality that your law firm is, at the end of the day, a business. It would not exist if you did not have clients to represent. Therefore, your ultimate success rests squarely in your ability to satisfy clients.

Data Drives the Journey

The ability to convert complete strangers into satisfied clients is wrapped in something known as the ‘customer journey’. You can see the concept of the customer journey alive and well in the hospitality and retail sectors. More than any other, businesses in those two sectors have perfected the art of creating journeys that make for happy customers.

At the heart of it all is data. Effective customer journey management requires a plethora of data points that measure customer satisfaction and provider response throughout the entire journey. The great thing about NuLaw is that it provides the kind of data law firms need to create great journeys for their clients.

NuLaw offers disruptive data and advanced reporting in real time. Attorneys can take advantage of that data to sharpen their judgment, make better decisions, and put themselves in a position of being able to give clients exactly what they expect.

Collaboration Keeps Things on Track

If data drives the customer journey, collaboration is that which keeps the journey on track. Practicing law in the modern era is a collaborative effort that includes attorneys, legal aides, clerks, administrative staff, and clients. Everyone works together throughout the course of the case to achieve the best possible conclusion.

Once again, NuLaw is up to the task. Being built on top of an ironclad CRM platform, our law practice management app offers a number of great tools that facilitate better collaboration. For example, consider NuLaw’s built-in secure communication platform. It allows for direct messaging that keeps everyone in the loop. Communication takes place in the cloud so that various members of the team are not having to track one another down via e-mail or phone. Communication occurs in a secure, central location in the form of an ongoing discussion that promotes collaboration.

More Time for Your Clients

One last thing we want you to know about the NuLaw law practice management app is that it makes more time for your clients. Case acquisition is a good example. With NuLaw as your case management software, you will have the advantage of built-in tools that deliver qualified, compiled cases directly to your firm so that you spend less time hunting down new cases on your own.

Not having to spend so much time on case acquisition frees you up to spend more time with your current clients. If there is anything that enhances the customer journey more than quality time spent with clients, we don’t know what it is. Clients who believe they are getting the kind of attention their cases deserve are more likely to walk away happy with the service they received.

Practicing law in 2019 is as much about customer relationship management as it is winning cases. That is why we created NuLaw. If you want to know more about how it can revolutionize your practice, reach out at your convenience.