First impressions are crucial, and technology has influenced how attorneys develop them today. While steam-pressed suits and firm handshakes may still have some place in the mix, you’ll be observed first through your digital footprint. Reckoning with this fact requires an understanding of the impact a first impression has on a potential client. For small and solo firms, that impact can be the difference between stagnation and a growing client base.
With these helpful tips, you can put your best foot forward each time.
Your Online Presence
When a legal consumer searches your name, your social media profiles often appear near the top of the search results. You can’t control that, but you can control what the potential client sees when they look at your social media. Ensure that your social media content is workplace-friendly and thoughtfully engaging. Sharing news and information about your practice on social media can engage potential clients just as much as posting a family photo. It shows legal consumers how dedicated you are to your duties as an attorney.
You also can take proactive steps to boost your online presence. Blog posting, and getting your name in news articles and legal directories, can increase your visibility in search engine results. By directly engaging with local media through interviews, and by adding your name to a highly-trafficked legal directory, you can garner attention and increase your recognizability. Writing a legal blog will expose clients to your prose and, if it’s good, impress them enough to retain your representation.
Accessibility
Being accessible to contact is key to cementing a quality first impression. First, you need a grasp of the technology your clients are most likely to use to get in touch with you, and that can vary from one community to the next. The classic home phone/cellphone combination from days past might put off clients in a dense metroplex, but it may work for general practitioners in rural communities with limited internet access. Text messaging and email can suffice in many firms, but a privacy lawyer’s clientele might dig a secure messaging service with end-to-end encryption like Signal. And how could you practice immigration law without international noncellular calls through a service like WhatsApp or FaceTime Audio? By tailoring your telecommunication options to your target clientele, you’ll find more people willing to reach out and learn about what you have to offer.
High-Quality Equipment
A low-resolution video chat, choppy buffering issues, and terrible microphone quality are unfortunately common issues for attorneys trying to conduct meetings online. Such issues can cause people to second-guess your capabilities as a professional. When practicing in the post-pandemic legal field, high-quality technology is a must-have investment if you want to introduce yourself the right way. Your list of essentials should include a high-quality fiber business internet line, a high-definition video camera, a studio-level desk microphone (don’t use the silly headset), and a computer capable of handling it all. When you skimp on these, your clients don’t see what you can actually be for them; they just see the tech issues.
If your practice is missing quality technical equipment, you can always use The Legal Café. Situated close to the Tarrant County Courthouse on Main Street, we have large conference rooms with 1080p webcams, high-quality microphones, and a support staff who can help you figure everything out in real time!