Thank You Letters Are Another 'Fail-Safe' Tip
We began some weeks ago talking about "fail-safe" administrative systems for your office By setting up "fail-safe" systems in your office, you can have confidence, knowing all of the things that need to get done in for a client and have been done.
Each of these "fail-safe tips" must be entrained in everybody's psyche in the law firm to be sure that everything is done properly.
Remember that "administration" is the second area that makes up every business in the world, coming right after "clients" or "customers." After we talk about "clients" and "customers" and finish with "administration," we can then turn to "getting the work done," "billing," and "getting paid."
In describing the sub-parts that make up each one of these parts of every business in the world, it is important not only to discuss the system itself, but to discuss the "fail-safe" nature of each of these systems. r each client.
There are eighteen of these "fail-safe" systems we utilize in our office in the administration of client matters.
The next "fail-safe" system is a "thank you for referral" letter as a condition precedent for opening any file. I wish I could say that this system is absolutely fool proof, but unfortunately, it seems that too often this "fail-safe" concept gets overlooked. I previously talked about the fact that as a condition precedent to opening any new files on any new matter in our office, that a "thank you for referral" letter must be sent to the party responsible for directing the client to our firm.
On the New Matter Report that we previously discussed, there is a box for putting in the name of the person from whom the engagement was received.
In principle, a letter should be written to this person at the time that the matter is open, thanking them for referring the client to your firm. It would not be appropriate to put any other information about the client's matter in the letter, as you need to be aware of client confidentiality issues.
There should be a rule in your firm that makes it impossible for anybody to physically open up a file, whether it be a paper file or an electronic file, on the client's matter before a "thank you for referral" letter is sent. In theory, the very first thing that should go on the correspondence backboard in the client's file or on the correspondence electronic file, is the Engagement Letter with the client.
But, it is also important that the second item that goes on the correspondence backboard or the correspondence electronic file, is the "thank you for referral" letter.
The "thank you for referral" letter is certainly a part of continuing to set up a stream of clients that are coming to your firm. However, if you think of this letter as part of an administrative system, you can see how this letter is an important marketing function.
I am sure you will find it hard to believe that I have not set up a system, as of yet, to ensure that these "thank you for referral" letters are sent, but I can see a time coming when such a system may have to be implemented.
The system could be as simple as requiring a fifth place on the New Matter Report where the opening party's initials need to be put and that would be in the "engagement received from" box indicating that a letter has been prepared and sent to the party who has sent the matter to the attorney's office.
Another type of system could be simply a check list that was put with each New Matter Report that had to be checked off by the party physically opening either the paper or electronic file. The checklist could include the following information:
1. Prospective New Matter Report Completed
2. Time from back of Prospective New Matter Report transferred to electronic billing system
3. New Matter Report Completed
4. New File Opened for client's matter
5. New billing file opened for client's matter
6. "Thank you for Referral" Letter Prepared and sent
7. Tickler cards prepared, approved and filed
8. "Out of sight, out of mind" card prepared and properly dated and filed
Remember, everyone in your office needs to have a heightened sense of what needs to be done at the proper time and in the proper way in order to properly open a new matter for a client.
The concept of a "fail-safe" system is everybody knows about the system, everybody understands the system, everybody "buys-in" to the need for the system, and that more often than not, if not never, the matter simply cannot be opened in your office until each one of these steps have been completed.
If you were to train yourself and your staff to look at a "thank you for referral" letter as another opportunity to cement a relationship with a referring party, or to solicit another referral, everybody would better understand why such a system needs a "fail-safe" designation and system of implementation.
Clients are the lifeblood of every law firm, if you ever stop trying to get new ones, you have chosen to eventually shut down your law practice.
I am reminded of a phrase I have heard many times in the political activities I have been involved in, "if a public office holder ever stops running for office, they will not be reelected." The concept is you can't stop running for the office once you are elected to it, you still have to run for the office while you are holding it.
This statement is certainly true with regard to clients in your law practice.
Once you have started to try to get clients of your own, and you have found yourself successful at doing so, you cannot stop trying to get additional clients or trying to satisfy the clients you have in order to be able to continue to get additional clients..
The absolute best advertisement for getting additional clients is word of mouth from a "satisfied client."
Next week we will talk about some additional "fail-safe" tips in this administrative area. We will talk about the "fail-safe" nature of how these cards are prepared, how they are filed, how they are circulated, how they are posted, and generally how these cards are regarded in our office.
Remember, an appropriate calendaring and tickler card system can also get you a substantial discount on your malpractice insurance through the Missouri Bar Plan.
Talk to you next week!
Jim Wirken is a civil trial attorney and the Chairman of the Board of The Wirken Law Group in Kansas City.