Connecting with first-time clients

A first-time client presents an opportunity to build a long-term professional relationship.  This is how to develop enduring client-relationships from the first meeting.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Theodore Roosevelt

Three steps to building rapport

Relationships with clients go well when I establish the ground rules up front, ask plenty of questions and remember to listen more than I talk. Here are three things to bear in mind when you meet a client for the first time.

Set the ground rules

By the time we start working, most of us have a fixed idea of the way the world ought to be.  When the world doesn’t show up the way we expect, problems arise.

If you don’t know how things ‘ought to be’ from your client’s perspective, you could, unwittingly, fail to live up to their expectations.

Setting the ground at the very start in your onboarding system is a good way to set the ground rules. Send a single email which establishes your working hours, states how you can be contacted during working hours (and outside them if you choose) and sets the cadence for your communications, so your client isn’t left wondering whether or when you’re working on their case. 

Ask lots of questions

As a barrister you’re paid to uncover answers to questions. That’s why clients pay for your services and it’s tempting to want to provide The Correct Answer based on your near-perfect legal analysis in the first con.

The trouble is, if the client impacted by the outcome of the case believes that you don’t understand their personal circumstances, or the impact of their case going against them, your correct analysis will fall on deaf ears.

Some junior barristers are concerned that if they appear not to know the answer immediately, their client will doubt their competence. Nothing could be further from the truth.  By asking questions, you will demonstrate that you’re aware of the complexity.

Listen more than you talk

A few years ago I worked with someone who had taken classes in listening.  It was one of the best working relationships I’ve ever experienced.  

What I discovered is that listening is a priceless gift.

If your client is in a legal process, it’s unlikely that stress isn’t entirely absent from their lives.  If you take the extra moments to listen to their concerns about the case, your client will be able to work with you in a way which serves you both.  And that’s a very good way to build long-term trust.

Step into your client’s shoes

Entering the legal process is something very few people do willingly. It’s expensive, stressful and takes time away from life’s more important things. Establishing the ground rules will help your client navigate the legal process and prevent them from pushing you beyond your professional boundaries too.

How to find more of the type of client you really want

Being clear on who your practice serves will take you in the direction of the type of clients with whom you’d most like to work. We help barristers connect with clients for the long-term. Sign up below to learn how to find the clients who need your expertise.

By Heidi Smith
Creator of Jurilogical.com