The First Call - Send New Clients To An Answering Service, Not Voicemail

“Last night I was pulled over and arrested for a DUI. I have never even received so much as a parking ticket. I am mortified, anxious, and I need assistance immediately.”

“I received a letter of foreclosure. My stomach is in a knot. Every day the mailman adds to the pile of bills. I feel embarrassed to ask my friends what to do, but I need help.”

“Last week I slipped and fell in a supermarket. I broke my ankle because there was no sign to alert me of the wet floor. I’m having a hard time getting around, not to mention the medical bills I am currently incurring.”

“Calling an attorney is awkward. My social skills are not superb, I am embarrassed to even admit that I need help.”

These are the types of callers that do not leave messages. If you, as an attorney, are fortunate enough to have received the first phone call from a potential new client, it is imperative that the call ends with you, not the beep at the end of a “confidential” voicemail. The first call is admittedly awkward – neither you, nor the caller really know each other personally, and even if that person received your name and office number as a referral, he/she will still not leave you a voicemail. Think of it this way:

Would you call 911 for an emergency and leave a voicemail? Absolutely not! The client’s call is urgent! They want immediate assistance, and they can HAVE and SHOULD have it. It is of course, easier to retain a client after you have spoken to him or her and expressed how their matter should and will be handled. Once you set the person at ease and assure them that you can help them in your unique and qualified manner, they no longer have a reason to explore other options! Unfortunately, you sometimes miss calls. We aren’t saying that you have a huge problem, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to answer every single phone call. You might forward calls to your cell, trying to talk to every new caller, to enlist every possible new client. However, there is a ton of “slippage” in the forward to the cell phone, and the metaphorical game of chance you play when you choose to answer/not answer a number you don’t recognize. If a caller hears more than approximately 8 rings, he/she will most likely assume that you aren’t going to pick up the phone, and that caller will disengage the call. In this instance, even if you try to call them back, it is likely that they have already tried to contact another attorney, and that opportunity for new business is thwarted. This is the same for the number that you don’t recognize on the caller ID. If you choose not to answer, that call could have become one of your biggest cases for the year! Why not ensure every call to be picked up by an office that specializes in YOUR practice? Call Answering Legal, the premier and singular answering service for attorneys, where the trained receptionists specialize in your firm and your callers. If you miss the call, let our attendants ascertain if the caller is a new or existing client, and follow the protocol that YOU prefer. Our tried and true protocol is to patch new clients back into the attorney, because that is the best way to secure new business. Besides, if you are otherwise engaged and you recognize the caller to be an existing client, let us take a detailed message for you. ALL of your messages are instantaneously sent to you via text and/or email.

By signing up with Answering Legal, you ensure that all of the callers trying to speak to you are spoken to by a live, trained receptionist, who sounds like she is inside your office, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year. Answering Legal doesn’t take breaks, doesn’t call in sick, doesn’t take time off, and is there for you every single time you need. Don’t let your practice suffer. Use the affordable and professional option to cater to your callers. Call 631-686-9700 for a ten day free trial, and let us prove to you how much you’ll enjoy the 24/7 answering service.