Any attorney worth his or her salt is well aware of the importance of client management on a theoretical scale, though it can be difficult to discern exactly where client management ends and advocacy begins. In fact, numerous practice management software allows client management to fall by the wayside, focusing on billable hours and document generation rather than the real-life people whom these platforms are supposed to ultimately serve. This is why it is imperative that legal professionals take care to invest in automation solutions that simplify their workloads, enabling them to both advocates for and easily interact with their clients. The truth is, your practice management software should also be your law firm client management software. Read on to see what features are indispensable to this end.
Automated client intake
Client intake is among the most crucial elements of your firm’s revenue generation. Of course, a booming law firm would be hard pressed to exist without a steady stream of new clients. For this reason, an integral part of any functional law firm client management software is an intelligently automated client intake process. In this regard, intake forms are crucial. Take care to look for practice management solutions that allow your client intake forms to populate directly onto your website. These solutions should automatically create new contacts in your account as soon as the intake forms are filled out. Once the new contact is created in your platform, automated workflows should automatically task the relevant party in your firm by contacting the prospective client. In short, the best practice management solutions complete the first, most crucial steps of your client intake process without your having to lift a finger.
Secure client portal
Of course, client acquisition isn’t the end-all, be-all of client management. It is also extremely important that your clients feel undoubtedly secure in all communication with you. There is no easier or more sure-fire way to ascertain this than with a law firm client management software that features a secure client portal. These portals allow you to send and receive encrypted messages to and from your clients, communicate important reminders or deadlines, and share documents back and forth without worry of a security breach. Take care to ensure that your practice management solution offers 256-bit encryption, which is the same level of security offered by online banking platforms, for ultimate safety.
CRM functionality
The pièce de résistance when it comes to investing in a client-oriented law practice management software is to look for one offering client relationship management (CRM) functionality. This means that your practice management software should integrate with an intelligent, intuitive client management platform, such as PracticePanther. Your practice management software should facilitate client intake and enable you to advocate on behalf of your clients efficiently. With a CRM integration, your software will automate the attraction of new clients as well as the maintenance of relationships with past clients. Click here to learn more about the power of a CRM integration in your practice management software.
Law firm client management software at its best
Ultimately, it is both unnecessary and time-wasting to invest in multiple platforms to accomplish what one well-designed system can do. By searching for these key features in your practice management platform, you will have ascertained that your firm’s client management is both automated and optimized.
