The experiences of the last year have radically changed the way many people approach work, socializing and interactions in general. With so many people forced to telecommute, many people have learned they can do their jobs remotely. Not only do they want more remote work for themselves, they expect others – including law firms – to be able to offer services remotely. With this major paradigm shift, you may have to rethink how you grow your personal injury practice. Fortunately, we have some tips for you on how modern technology can help you do just that.
Shift your advertising focus
Many personal injury lawyers spend thousands of dollars per year on legacy advertising – billboards, TV ads, radio, etc. While those avenues will still get you exposure and potentially bring in clients, modern methods are better, cheaper and are becoming the go-to in the modern age. Everything is online now, the internet and social media are the first places the majority of people turn to when in need of services – from lawyers and doctors to plumbers and electricians. Given this, your advertising dollars are best spent in the online space. Digital advertising platforms offered by major search engines and social media networks, can be a very powerful tool in driving leads to your firm. For instance, many platforms allow you to target your ads to not only a specific location, but also to a particular type of consumer – for instance people who have demonstrated an interest in cars or bicycles, people who are conducting searches related to injuries, etc. These tools can help you ensure that your firm’s name and contact information get in front of people who actually need your services. Not only will this result in more qualified leads, but you’ll also significantly reduce your cost per lead – often from tens (or even hundreds) of dollars to mere pennies. Read our other blogs for more details.
Referrals 2.0
Every lawyer knows that building a referral network with other lawyers is a key part of the business development plan. If a colleague has a conflict, a case outside their area of expertise, is on holiday or any other number of reasons they can’t or don’t want to take a specific case, it’s in their interest to refer to trusted colleagues. However, referrals are always easy to manage logistically. This is especially true if the firm has already started the intake process, done some investigation or even started the pre-litigation settlement phase. Getting the files transferred can be a pain and takes time. If you don’t quickly transfer the files, the client may be upset that they have to do everything over again with the referred attorney. Then there’s the matter of signing a referral agreement, tracking the progress of referred out cases and collecting the referral fee.
Fortunately, Legal Cloud software like CloudLex understands these issues and can help make referrals (in and out) much easier and faster. How? With built-in referral functions that allow you to send and receive referrals directly from within CloudLex. What’s more you can even sign a referral agreement and follow the progress off the case all from within CloudLex. Case information like intake info, documents, emails, notes, tasks, calendar is quickly transferable to other attorney the moment they the case. You don’t have follow-up or update about progress, because the status of referred cases is available right in the referred cases dashboard.
Qualify leads faster
Whenever you get an inquiry about your services, an often lengthy qualification process starts. You request documents, an intake interview is conducted, numerous calls are made. Most of the time, this is done manually. The chances that information will be missed are high. So are the odds that the process of deciding whether to take the case will be delayed.
Technology and automated processes can make the qualification and decision making process much faster and pain free. Using the many personal injury tailored features of CloudLex, you can build automated workflows – predefined sets of tasks, reminders and calendar entries that need to be completed for a certain process, such as intake and qualification. Upon getting an inquiry, choosing your customized “intake workflow” within CloudLex will automatically set up those tasks, reminders and calendar entries and assign them to the appropriate individuals – with two clicks of a button. Potential clients and their medical providers, etc. can be given portal access, allowing them to upload all of the documents you need directly to your system from the comfort of their home or office. Your team can then collaborate on documents, get approvals from attorneys, etc. All from a single system and viewpoint. Your intake process timeline will drastically decrease, further decreasing the cost associated with developing each new qualified client while simultaneously making the process easier for your new clients. It’s a win-win-win.
Do this all from your office, home … or the beach
Or anywhere for that matter. Thanks to the highly secure Legal Cloud software offered by CloudLex, you can run your practice from anywhere you have a stable internet connection – be at home, from your office, the courthouse, on the road, at the beach or while hiking up a mountain. You’ll be able to do everything except go to court from anywhere you care to be.
In addition to making your work life easier and more flexible, the added advantage of technology is that that you update clients on the progress of a case from anywhere, allowing them interact with you virtually from wherever they are comfortable. With such a setup in place, your firm becomes a truly client-centric personal injury law firm, which is what it’s really all about. Schedule a demo, today!
