Handling New Callers to Your Firm
Here is the PILMMA Bright Idea of the Week by Ken Hardison. The important function of responding to new callers is often relegated to whoever's available. "As business owners, we understand the new callers and clients are our lifeblood," he says. Ken, who is president of the Personal Injury Lawyers Marketing and Management Association (PILMMA), offers these tips.
- Hire at least one person who is dedicated to answering new callers. Get people who are pleasant, empathic and good listeners. By using a Plantronics wireless headset, the person can answer a call no matter where they are working in the office.
- When the call-taker is not busy taking calls, they can be busy scanning and opening new mail, filing, making copies, sending out letters, and closing and opening new files.
- You must train these people and give them scripts to follow. Once they're working test them with "mystery shoppers" and record incoming calls (be sure to check local laws about this). You can also can train people by using role-playing.
These tips will give you more cases, a happier staff and happier new callers.
