So you’ve got an amazing person doing your law firm intake. She’s great on the phone. Clients love her. She gathers all the right information. But what happens when she’s not there? If your intake process only works because of the person doing it, then you don’t have a process at all.

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For the month of April, we’ve been looking at ways to make intake more efficient and less error-prone. We’ve been sharing concepts from our NEW Gimbal Guide, 8 Ways to Stop Losing Time & Money in Your Practice. 

As we said last week, having the right person doing your intake is really important, but you still need a process. A clear, step-by-step process ensures the client experience is smooth and you get the information you need every time. It will also allow someone else to step in seamlessly when your intake person goes on vacation or is sick or, worse, resigns!

A good intake process includes:

1. Step-by-step instructions. You don’t need a fancy workflow. Instructions can be a list of steps or a checklist to follow.
2. A script containing key talking points, so your message is consistent, no matter who answers the phone
3. A set of FAQs that clients typically ask at intake, so anyone taking intake calls can answer basic questions about your fees, services, and next steps
4. A fillable form that gathers all required information (check out last week’s tip on that!) 
5. An easy and obvious access point. If you want people to use your new process and your intake form, make sure it’s very, very easy to find, and people can open it up in one or two clicks. 
   

So this week’s tip is to include these 5 key elements in your intake process:

1.  Step-by-step instructions
   
2.  A script
   
3.  FAQs
   
4.  A fillable form
   
5.  Easy access
   
   

Eliminating waste begins at intake and doesn’t stop until your client’s file is closed. Lawyers who understand how to identify and eliminate waste at every stage of the client journey will consistently deliver more value to themselves, their firm and, most importantly, their clients. Put simply, they’re much more likely to be recognized as true value-driven professionals.

And that’s it. Join us next week for more on building a profitable and productive law practice.

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Thanks a lot everybody! See you next week.