Lead Generation Playbook for Lawyers

Practical Lead Generation Tips for Small and Mid-Sized Law Firms

1) Streamline Your Intake Process

Your intake questionnaire is the form you use to screen potential cases and clients.  Standardize your intake questionnaire.  Your intake questionnaire should collect all of the information you need to decide whether you want to take the client or not.

Having a standardized intake questionnaire:

• Ensures quality
• Saves time
• Improves organization
• Allows you to continuously improve the process
• Ensures you gather all of the information necessary to screen the client

Be sure to ask every lead how they found out about you.  Include this question on the intake questionnaire.  Track people’s responses – this information is essential for determining which marketing channels are working and which are not.

The onboarding interview is the meeting or consultation you use to sign clients.  Standardize your onboarding interview.  Have a list of questions you ask during the interview.  Write down answers to your client’s most common questions and objections.  Keep a standard set of responses to frequently asked questions.  Revise and update this material continuously to fine-tune it.

Standardize the client agreement you will use to sign clients.  Have a copy of the client agreement with you, ready to be signed during the onboarding interview.

Organizing your intake process into repeatable steps ensures quality and allows you to continuously improve it.

2) Offer A Free Consultation or Case Evaluation

Clients are much more likely to hire you if they’ve had the chance to discuss their case with you.  The consultation is your opportunity to build a relationship with the client, demonstrate your value, and show that you can achieve the result they want.

The better you identify the client’s core concerns and demonstrate that you can resolve their problems, the more likely the client will hire you.

Qualify potential clients carefully at the intake stage and grant consultations only to those you want as clients.

20 to 30 minutes is all that is necessary for a free consultation.  Do the consultation in person whenever possible (or have another attorney do it).  Have a copy of your client agreement with you and ready to be signed.

Have a closing strategy.  When in doubt, use ‘’Sounds like you need a lawyer.  I can help.’’

You can use the phrase ”Free Initial Consultation” or ”Free Case Evaluation” in your marketing.  However, choose one and be consistent with it.  You can use ”Complimentary” instead of ”Free” if you’d like a more professional sound.

Some lawyers prefer not to do free initial consultations.  From our experience, they are a valuable opportunity to build client trust and shouldn’t be overlooked as a client acquisition strategy.

3) Follow Up Promptly with Leads

Many lawyers are poor at following up with leads and lose clients as a result.  Develop a system where you or someone from your office promptly follows up with every lead.  Following up is a simple way to increase your conversion rate.

Respond to calls and intake forms within 30 minutes (1 hour max).  The chance of converting the lead decreases the longer you take to respond.  Don’t lose leads due to poor follow-up.

4) Make the Next Appointment with Leads

Get the next appointment on calendar before you get off the phone with leads.  If you cannot schedule an appointment, tell the lead that you will follow up with them.  Always take the initiative to follow up with leads – don’t wait for them to call you.

5) Build Your Email List

Always be building your email list.  If you host an event, have a sign-up sheet at the door and have guests leave their email address.  When you meet people at business or attorney networking events, collect their business cards and add them to your email list.

6)  Stay in Touch with Your Top Referral Sources

Referrals are the #1 source of cases for many lawyers.  Your top referral sources are among your most valuable business partners.  Send handwritten thank you cards and gifts to your top referral sources.  Maintain contact with them and meet with them in person.

7)  Network with Other Lawyers

Build relationships with other lawyers in person and online.  Lawyers in different practice areas are valuable referral sources, and the relationship is mutual because you can also refer cases to them.  Join professional associations and attend their events to meet other lawyers in person.

Building relationships with other attorneys inside and outside your practice areas is key to a healthy law firm ecosystem.  The best lawyers are always tightly networked with other lawyers.

8) Leverage Word-of-Mouth

Encourage friends, family, and satisfied clients to refer people to your law firm.  Recommendations from friends and family are more trustworthy than ads and other forms of marketing.  Word of mouth is often the most powerful form of advertising.  And best of all, it’s free.

One of the best ways to leverage word-of-mouth is to call your friends and family to say hi.  This is not a sales call.  Just call to see how they’re doing.  Inevitably, the conversation will eventually turn to work, and you can tell them what you’re up to.

These calls are an investment in your most valuable relationships.  Stay in touch with your friends, family, and former clients.  Let them know you are available if they know anyone who needs help.

9) Attend Networking Events

Attend workshops, seminars, and conferences related to your practice and interests.  These are valuable opportunities to meet new people and build powerful relationships.  Join non-lawyer professional associations related to your interests and attend their live events.

10) Do Community Service

Do good in your community, document it, and share it on your platforms.  Community service builds trust and goodwill with your tribe.  Share evidence of your good works, and your community will reward you by steering your business your way.  Take photos and share them.

Giving back to your community is a great way to build relationships and build your practice.  It’s also a great way to set an example and inspire others to give back.

Volunteer for local organizations you care about.  Attend and sponsor local events to build brand recognition and goodwill in your community.  Bring t-shirts, signage, and merchandise to represent your business.

11) Prepare a Marketing Budget

Start with a total marketing budget of 7-10% of your annual income.  Then, decide how much of your total budget you want to commit to each marketing segment.

12) Be A Sponsor

Sponsoring industry events and trade shows demonstrates that you are an industry leader and that you are committed to serving that specific industry.  Bring signage that shows who you are, what you do, and how you do it.  Bring merchandise with your firm name and logo.  Bring brochures and pamphlets with detailed information about how you can help businesses in that specific industry thrive.

Sponsor sports leagues, markets, fairs, and other local events.  Signage at these events can often be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a billboard, and it builds trust and familiarity in the community.  For example, you are no longer just a random personal injury lawyer, you are the personal injury lawyer who sponsored their son’s little league and has a sign on the outfield fence. Now they have a reason to know, like, and trust you.

Sponsoring worthy causes such as youth sports, the arts, and education builds trust and earns respect in your community.

Ensure all your marketing materials match your firm’s logo and colors – this will give you a slick presentation and make the most of your chance to impress potential clients in person.

13) Network with Doctors (Personal Injury Lawyers)

Form relationships with medical professionals who can provide referrals.  The relationship is mutual because you can also refer clients to them.

14) Network with Finance Professionals (Estate Planning Lawyers and Business Lawyers)

Network with financial advisors, CPAs, and other financial professionals who can refer clients to you.  You can refer clients to them as well and create a mutual relationship.

15) Network with Mental Health Professionals (Family Lawyers)

Develop relationships with marriage counselors, therapists, and psychologists who can refer clients to you.  The relationship is symbiotic because you can refer clients to them as well.

16) Network with Businesses and Agencies that Serve Immigrant Communities (Immigration Lawyers)

Build relationships with translators, ESL teachers, cultural community groups, schools, government service providers, non-profits, and other agencies that serve immigrant communities by providing healthcare, education, consulting, or support.

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