TC question help...please?!

[LawJo]

Hi

I am in the process of drafting yet another TC application and struggling on this one question. Would any of you hardened lawyers be able to give me any tips on where I can research this question, or better still, how I can answer this and blow the firm away with my insight!!!

" Describe how lawyers should set about forming and building client relationships."

I know that providing excellent service and being commercially aware would achieve the above, but I really want my application to stand out.

I would be grateful for any advice.

Cheers

Jo

[sumoking]

Quite clearly this question is in two parts.

1. how do you get clients in the door
&
2. how do you keep them

Getting them is the hard part you need to use the traditional

Advertise - in specific trade papers not on the side of a van
Tender for work - on horrific tender docs
Have a good reputation - so people think 'i need the very devil himself on my side, get the sumoking (or lawjo in this case) on the phone'

but you also need to target your specific customer group.

you run seminars updating say company directors on new director legislation
or employment law seminars
or ip seminars
and you use these to show off your expertise and your firms slick logos so that when the client wants a lawyer he comes to you becuase he wants someone competent and not just a name out of the phone book.

Keeping your client is the easy part
You just have to provide a top quality service because the client is certainly paying for that.
To maintain your service you need to send client questionnaires to the client periodically to check they are happy with the service.
You need to run a system where they can communicate easily if they are not happy with something.
and most importantly
You never ever ever ever ever fail to answer your phone.

A load of other stuff will no doubt come to me the moment i click submit but i reckon that is the bare bones.

[LawJo]

Cheers Sumoking..

This will get me started, will have a look around the firms site and see what else I can add.

Jo x

[wishbone]

erm... I have a TC, yet I dont know how good this advice is..
I went to the websites for the Magic Circle firms, and I read what they offer their customers...then I answered the same question using thier answers... risky, but who knows...