Observe client etiquette
By Stacy West Clark Given the state of the economy, there are lots of scared people out there. And others are just edgy. Many of your clients, colleagues and referral sources may be worried about their own jobs or the health of their companies or their own retirement funds. Last month, I told you to bond with your clients and really BE there for them as individuals. Visit, listen and help. Look for ways to cut legal fees and at the same time add value to your services.
Now I want you to focus on another part of the client relationship. Here are some helpful etiquette tips.
Never talk on the speakerphone unless you have asked permission to do so and even then consider another way of communicating. Speakerphones make callers nervous – they really cannot be sure who is listening to them or hearing the call and this may squash candor. In addition, speakerphones tend to make the caller feel very small.
Put the Blackberry and cell phone away – not just when you are with a client, but when you are networking, at a trade event or anyplace where your antenna for business development should be up.
Make sure that your address and phone numbers are indicated on all of your e-mail communications. Make it extremely easy for someone to get in touch with you.
Don't keep clients or referral sources waiting. Be ready, be prepared and be prompt.
Use handwritten notes when possible to communicate "thank yous" or "congratulations." This personal touch means so much more than an email communication. Take the time to write. Keep personalized note cards on your desk for easy use.
Make it a point to learn the names of your client's key people – their No.2s, their secretary. Be gracious and treat these people as clients! Introduce your staff to them. They will remember the "experience" of dealing with you and your office as a great one, and as they say…you never know where they will be five years from now possibly needing a lawyer!
As I like to say: get set, get up and get GOING!
Stacy West Clark, Esq. is president of Stacy Clark Marketing LLC, a firm dedicated to helping lawyers and law firms grow their business. She can be reached at stacyclarkmarketing.com. She is on the steering committee of the Delaware Valley Law Firm Marketing Group, a free group that holds monthly lunch programs for lawyers and marketers on important marketing topics. If you would like to receive invitations to upcoming events, visit dvlawmarketing.org.