Introduction
Managing client relationships is a critical part of running a successful law firm. The best way to do so is with a client relationship management (CRM) system. A good CRM tool can help you keep track of your law firm’s clients and contacts, as well as streamline business processes like billing and collections.
Update your data regularly.
Whether you are just starting out with a CRM or have been using one for years, it is important to keep your data updated. To avoid being overwhelmed by the task of keeping everything up-to-date, set aside time on a weekly basis to review recent activity and make any necessary changes. This includes logging new appointments and contacts, adding notes about conversations or tasks that were completed during the week (and those that need follow-up), and making sure that all relevant email addresses are correct. It’s also worth reviewing whether any contracts have expired so you can follow up with clients about renewing them if necessary.
Tailor the CRM to fit the needs of your company.
If you already have a CRM and are looking to improve it, the first step is to get an understanding of your company’s needs. Are you currently doing everything in your CRM that should be done? How often do employees need to access it? Is there trouble using the software or navigating around its features? If so, it’s time for some improvements!
As with any business tool, it’s important that the CRM be tailored specifically to fit the needs of your company. A few factors that can affect how well a CRM works include:
- The size of your firm (how many attorneys, paralegals, support staff members)
- The types of clients represented by your firm (corporate versus individual)
- How often communications occur between parties involved in cases/litigations
Whether you decide on building or purchasing a new system all depends on what kind of budget you have available and whether there are existing systems available which will meet most or all of your needs (or if they can be modified). In either case though remember that this is considered an investment which will hopefully pay off by helping improve efficiency while reducing costs overall over time through improved productivity within departments such as marketing/advertising which use those tools frequently throughout their day-to-day operations.”
Use the data you gather from your CRM to set goals for your firm.
Once you have a CRM and have gathered some data using it, you can use the data to set goals for your firm. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely (SMART). For example:
- Goal: Our office will close more cases by year’s end in order to meet our revenue goals for 2019.
- Un-achievable goal: Our office will close 15% more cases by year’s end in order to meet our revenue goals for 2019.
Setting SMART goals can help your law firm achieve their objectives while keeping them grounded in reality.
Be sure to use your CRM to organize and connect with contacts.
One of the most important things to remember when it comes to any CRM is that it’s not just a place where you store data. It’s a way to connect with contacts, organize them, and learn more about them over time. To get the most out of your CRM system, be sure that you’re using it in this way as well.
Here are some examples:
- Be sure that you have an easy way for your team members and clients to contact each other within the platform. This could be through direct messaging or an internal chat feature (or both). If possible, make sure there’s also an option for outside communication such as phone numbers or email addresses so that people can reach out if necessary without having to go through another layer of technology first (such as logging into their personal email accounts).
- Use tags/keywords when creating new profiles so that information can easily be accessed later on by others who may need access without having been involved from day one—or even just yourself! For example: if someone signs up for our newsletter list but never gets around making an appointment with us yet still wants some updates periodically via email–we could tag them appropriately so they don’t get lost amongst all these other leads we’re working on at once time–but then again…maybe not?
Regularly review the performance of each employee and department to ensure that everyone is on track to reach their goals.
Your CRM can be a powerful tool to help you keep track of your firm’s performance and help identify areas for improvement.
Use the data you gather from your CRM to set goals for your firm. Keep track of progress as it happens, so that if something goes off track, you will be able to notice and address it before long-term damage is done. Use the data to identify problems and areas for improvement: Are there certain employees who consistently have trouble meeting deadlines? Is there an opportunity to improve workflow? The answers may not be obvious at first glance, but reviewing reports from time-to-time will reveal patterns over time that can help point out areas in need of attention. You might also want to take advantage of automated reports available through some CRM platforms; these allow you access to key metrics without having them pulled manually each month (or week).
Keeping up with your law firm’s client relationship management system is crucial not only to maintaining current relationships but also growing your business.
Client relationship management systems are crucial to maintaining current relationships and growing your business.
Why is CRM so important? For law firms, CRM can help you build strong client bases, identify customers’ needs and establish new business opportunities. Using a system for tracking clients will allow you to see what types of cases they’ve worked on before or what areas of the law they practice in. The more information you have about your clients, the better able you’ll be to serve them—and that’s good for all parties involved!
Conclusion
By taking the time to keep your CRM up-to-date, you are ensuring your Toronto law firm has a better chance of keeping in touch with clients and potential new ones. Using this information, you can make decisions about how best to proceed with each case or client relationship. The more data you have about clients’ needs, wants and expectations, the easier it will be for them to work with you.
