Legal Research

"Having Trouble Closing The Sale With Prospective Clients?"

This post was written by Chuck Newton: "It happens.

There has been a disagreement in the area of consumer bankruptcy for a good number of years concerning whether law firms should employ non-lawyers to perform the initial interview or consult. Initial interviews can tie up most of the attorney's time, most such consults are free, and half of those interviewed do not retain. Therefore, it is argued that the initial interview is not the best use of the lawyer's time. Personally, I do not believe that analyzing debt and finances is necessarily legal advice, and I can assure you law schools do not teach it. It might result in the need for legal advice, but not at this level. The lawyer can come into the picture when the client elects to retain the law firm.

On the other hand, there are any number of consumer bankruptcy lawyers that like to lead off their marketing with the fact that consumers will always meet with a lawyer. I say big deal. Lawyers assume that meeting with them is a priority for consumers. The priority is figuring out the possibilities to solve a financial situation. I also doubt that in reality that the initial interview is a priority for the attorney, and it often shows in the lawyer's close rate.

Besides, unlike most regular people that make up those financial analyst trained to handle bankruptcy consults, most lawyers are inherently bad at closing the deal or sale after determining that bankruptcy is a reasonable option. It is true in consumer bankruptcy, and it is true in most or many other areas of law.

Here is why lawyers tend to have so much trouble closing a sale..."

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Source: Chuck Newton Rides the Third Wave, 27 October 2010, reproduced with permission of the author.

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on November 12, 2010 (boomark / email).