If you are looking to boost conversions and revenue at your law firm, your intake team must possess the right skills and qualities to turn leads into clients. Some skills can be achieved through training and experience, and others are more inherent to the individual. At Legal Conversion Center, we have learned to look for that balance of natural skill and potential when hiring our legal intake specialists.
With the right combination of natural talent and potential, we have built a highly effective legal intake team. Our process has proven time and again to increase qualifications, captures, and conversions.
Intake Teams Should Possess the Following Skills and Qualities
So, what is the balance that we look for when hiring intake professionals? Here is a list of the 9 skills and qualities that will take an intake team to the next level.
1. Empathy
Empathy is a natural quality, and one that is a great asset for a legal intake team. Potential clients in any practice area are facing emotionally-charged situations. Some clients may be in physical pain or dealing with traumatic loss. A great intake team includes individuals who are empathetic with the hardship that potential clients are going through.
2. Listening Skills
When a potential client calls your law firm, they are looking for legal advice, and that starts with telling their story. Your intake team must be able to actively listen and value the information being shared with them. The caller needs to feel valued, not like another number in a list of callers. Intake specialists with great listening skills will be able to analyze information and begin building a relationship with the potential client.
3. Phone Etiquette
We have all experienced talking on the phone to someone who just doesn’t seem to listen, who interrupts, or who puts us on hold for long periods of time. These are all examples of poor phone etiquette. Likely, you put little faith and trust in the organizations represented after these calls.
Good phone etiquette can make a tremendous difference in how potential clients view your law firm. Examples of good phone etiquette include:
- Call handling skills, such as attentiveness
- Use of proper tone of voice and language
- Calls are answered in three rings or less
- Background is quiet and professional
4. Call Control
Potential clients who call your law firm are emotional and they may get off track. It is important that your intake specialists know how to control the call and get callers back on track to important and relevant information. A successful intake team will have skills in asking questions to guide the caller through the intake process. They will know what information is relevant to qualify a caller and focus on that.
5. Outbound Skills
Call centers don’t just answer calls. We also process outbound calls, texts, and emails. Skilled legal intake specialists will know how to reach out to potential clients, as well as accept inquiries. The most successful intake specialists will follow up as many times as necessary to qualify or disqualify a potential lead. Intake teams should also be able to follow up via text or email using proper etiquette, language, and professionalism.
6. Knowledge of Warm Transferring Calls
In call centers, there is a process called a ‘warm transfer’. This is when an intake specialist transfers a potential client to a legal expert when appropriate. Your intake team should know when it is appropriate or necessary to warm transfer a call. They should also know how to complete this process seamlessly, including providing the legal expert with a brief background of the caller.
7. Knowledge of Legal Terminology
Your intake team doesn’t need to know the definition of every legal term in Black’s Law Dictionary, but they should be able to relate general legal terms relevant to your practice. Many basic legal terms apply to any type of case, such as plaintiff, defendant, Petition, Discovery, Settlement, Trial, Jury, etc. But there may also be terms that are specific to your practice area. If your intake team is not familiar with relevant terminology, it could hurt your law firm’s reputation.
8. Knowledge of the Legal Process
Similar to terminology, it is also beneficial for legal intake specialists to have a working knowledge of the legal process. This helps them better understand how to communicate with clients and answer questions they may have about ‘what’s next’. This also helps intake specialists know when it’s time to forward the call to someone with more expertise.
Keep in mind that most generic call centers do not have agents with working knowledge of legal terminology or the legal process. This can hurt your law firm’s reputation and put unnecessary obstacles between your new clients and your firm.
9. Ability to E-Sign a Retainer
The goal of a legal call center is to help your law firm qualify potential leads and turn them into clients. Part of that process is having the client e-sign a retainer. Having clients e-sign a retainer on-the-spot is a great way to build the relationship and avoid potential dead leads. Your intake specialists should know how to walk the client through the entire process without breaking off contact.
A Legal Intake Team You Can Trust
If you are looking for a highly skilled and qualified legal intake team, contact Legal Conversion Center. At LCC, legal intake is what we do. Our intake specialists are highly trained to ensure that your intake process is customized and successful whether call, click, or email. Find out more about our law firm client intake services by contacting us today!
