Getting new clients for your practice costs money; there’s no doubt about it. One KPI you should be following us how much it cost you in dollars to get each client. You can then compare that to the fee generate from getting that client. This determines your profitability and the value of each client.

But what if I told you that there is a way to get more clients without spending additional money? What if you could get additional clients on the sunk cost of the marketing you have already done?

Mining the “Ghost” Clients

Let me ask you this: What do you do with the potential clients who ghost you after a consultation or a call? If the answer is “nothing,” then you are missing a huge opportunity. You should have in place a follow up sequence of emails and phone calls after the potential client concludes the call or leaves your office. This continues to keep you top of mind and gently nudges them to make a decision.

However, it is common thinking that when someone stops returning your calls or responding to your emails, it is because they hired another lawyer, solved the problem on their own, or were somehow put off by you. But as common as this thinking is, it is wrong a good deal of the time.

How to Find the Gold in the Ghosts

Here’s what I recommend that you do. Assign a paralegal or associate to make a list of all the potential clients you talked to or met with in the past 12 months who hadn’t actually told you that they’d hired someone else. Then have that person call every single one of them.

The conversation is very straightforward and can be scripted as follows: “Hey, we’re just checking in. You called us a few months ago about a legal problem you were having, and it looks like we lost touch. I’m just curious – did you hire someone? Did you handle it on your own? Or do you still want some help?” Every person that hires you after that contact is money you would’ve otherwise left on the table and can be obtained without spending an additional marketing dollar (other than the time it takes your staff to reach out to them.)

Naturally, this doesn’t work with every practice area, such as traffic and DUI, which present an immediate need for representation. If those people haven’t gotten back to you, it is most likely true that they either handled it themselves or hired another attorney. But if you practice in areas such as bankruptcy, estate planning, or personal injury, this system can be invaluable.

Your System Going Forward

If you haven’t already, you need to set up a follow up sequence for every potential client who fills out a form on your website or downloads an offer. If they never actually call, they should be contacted once a day for five days by email (or by text if they’ve given you permission to do so). On the fifth day, you should call them.

If they don’t answer your call or respond to your communications, put them into an email or text sequence where the communication is spread further out, such as every 7 to 10 days. When that ends, if you still haven’t heard from them, give them a call every six months just to check in.

If at all possible, you should have a dedicated intake person to handle all this for you. If you don’t believe that you can afford one, this exercise should prove to you how essential having one is and how you can pay for one. The money that they can pick up from the table by using this mining technique could easily pay their salary.

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Need Help?

If you do not have a follow up sequence in place, then you need to create one. If you don’t think you can, or you don’t think you have time to do so, I may be able to be of assistance. In the course of marketing my own firm, I have created dozens of email campaigns and hundreds of emails to bring business into my practice. I can do the same for you. Just click this link to set up an initial call to discuss your situation and how I can help.