Do Law Firms Need CRM Software?

When we think of customer service relationship management software, we don’t usually think of law firms. After all, it’s not natural to associate lawyers with customer service. However, nothing could be further from the truth. For the lawyer who wants to grow her business, managing relationships with customers is a critical aspect that can’t be overlooked. It’s a given that she has to know the law inside and out, but it is the ability to manage customer relationships over the long haul that will make her firm successful.

Why Law Firms Need CRM Software

Picture this; you are an advocate on a wining streak, the few past weeks have been great, today is Monday and you have a good feeling about this week. You’re even wearing your lucky blue shirt. You have a court session at 11.00, a civil case about a client suing her employer for wrongful dismissal.

Everything is in order, you have to ensure it is, you have a feeling that the sitting judge for this case doesn’t quite like you, you can’t figure out why, you are a charmer, so what’s not to like? I mean you are awesome. Being a diligent perfectionist, you realize that there is some information you need to clarify about the case, you ask the assistant what’s her name, you keep forgetting her name but you know she loves doughnuts. She tells you that the new intern, who called in sick, reshuffled some of the files in an attempt to please you. Bummer!

You spend the next one hour looking for the file, instead of planning how to get away with awesomeness in court. It would have taken you a matter of minutes to retrieve the case information you were looking for that is if you were using the following CRM software which is designed for just such an occasion.

LexisNexis InterAction

This software is your sidekick. Their search and reporting functionality would have helped you identify the case information you were looking for. From relationship discovery to relationship management to marketing automation and knowledge and delivery, LexisNexis will keep you up to date with your client and this will definitely maximize the value of your network, which will in turn give you the edge over your competition. It is a tool that helps guarantee success by giving you the upper hand when pitted against other lawyers and law firms.

Your client’s data will be classified into their respective profiles, work that has been undertaken for each client and any additional notes and activities concerning each particular client; this information helps you know your client more and from this you can strengthen your relationship with your client, the kind of relationship that may become long term which will be a plus for your law firm.

LexisNexis knows the value of investors to you, so when it comes to investors, it helps you operate smarter; it keeps you informed about all your  investor’s activity, it simplifies the process of  gathering and sharing of up to date data about your investor by integrating with your calendar and with  Microsoft Outlook. This does not mean you don’t have to go golfing with your investor or potential investor, as much as you hate golfing. It means that while golfing, and being terrible at it, you will have all the up to date information about them and their upcoming activities.

You will also be in a good position to track investments and investment options, to report all phases of due diligence and collect a full history of your deals which you can use in future for prospecting. It will inform all those who need to be in the know when someone updates information about an investor or interacts with them.

Work does not have to come to a standstill for your employees while you are on the road. LexisNexis integrates with mobile devices to keep your employees up to date so that they can do the job you are paying them to do.  Infact, they will be provided the information they need with secure internet access. LexisNexis will also help them to quickly assemble and distribute quarterly reports, so no excuses about how the software bugged out and ate their homework.

For privacy purposes, it has enhanced security features which ensure that all information about contacts is stored without compromising confidentiality and privacy; just like all sensitive information needs to be stored. This security feature is very crucial to a law firm. LexisNexis is always looking out for your firm’s welfare; it is definitely a trusted confidant.

Proclaim

This CRM will help you manage your case as if they were your client. It stores details about the full lifecycle of your cases, of any type and volume, even the 100 page judgment of that case that made you grow a grey hair. It manages case details, stores all correspondents and documentation and the actions taken. It’s a sort of digital case recorder, helping you remember all the tricky and minute details.

You can access the documents with a single click, it strips out repetition and non value adding information therefore saving you loads of time. This time management benefit has been reported to help many litigants do up to 5,000 cases annually. Wow. Imagine the possibilities.

Proclaim automates everything to ensure that the time saved is not spent on administration but on improving client relationships and developing business. The communication options it offers include using emails, online live portal, letters, SMS and even fax. Keeping in touch with your client on a regular basis is an action is strongly correlated to your firm’s success. Imagine that. Customer service even in the legal profession.

It integrates with Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube to help you track your client’s social media activity. No this does not make you a stalker, it helps you to keep touch with your client (add the reason that will make you sleep better at night), the most important point that you get from this is that it does really strengthen the relationship between you and your client while simultaneously looking out for their best interests.

Proclaim is cloud based but you can also base it wherever you decide is best. It is easy to install and use therefore you will not have to incur extra consultancy costs.

Aderant CRM4Legal

With all the legal research you have to do as a lawyer, from quoting precedents, spelling out the exact laws and Acts and on top of that the endless paperwork on your desk, you don’t need to read more manuals or attend training about how to use a particular CRM software, Aderant CRM4Legal by its virtue is easy to use saving you time and energy. Designed with ease of use in mind from the start, the interface is intuitive and easy to learn.

This software is powered by Microsoft Dynamics CRM and it helps you to create and maintain a clear view of your clients from the first contact you make with them, to marketing and issue management. Ongoing client care is monitored. It has tools that basically ensure top notch client care, as well as supporting your firm’s marketing and business development. To make it more efficient it is integrated with Microsoft Outlook.

It being fast, flexible and affordable will help you effectively grow and profitably run your firm. With all the care that your clients will get from this, Aderant will have ensured that you improve your rates of client retention, that you reduce lost opportunities due to failed relationships. Your clients will no longer feel neglected, but valued. Through account and contact management they will have your sufficient attention.

Aderant automates workflow especially across teams and groups through service reporting and analytics. It has both marketing and business development collaboration tools which generates more leads and closes more business. Aderant can be accessed from anywhere even through your mobile phone, tablet, or laptop.

It is such features that ensure that you win over new clients and convince old ones to stay. Even though it is your brilliant skills that they are after, this software will help you show them that you care for them and it will make you more money.

ContactNet

This Thompson Reuters’ company’s database grants you access to business data and competitors. You like it already, don’t you? It easily identifies new business opportunities using criteria options such as Fortune 500 relationships, Top 100 clients and industry group opportunities

It is good at reporting and analysis; automated reports are distributed to key stakeholders to display how relationships are growing and trending. You will no longer be behind with real world business development efforts, they inform you of market news, tradeshow and events and meetings, social communication strategies coupled with objective measurements of activity and relationship growth.

ContactNet wants you to positively impact key relationships; it therefore offers you real time updates and alerts of events, you will never forget any of your client’s events. This will leave your associates and clients marveling at your ‘impeccably good memory’.

I think ContactNet is okay with you taking this credit, as long as you keep using this software, it probably has started dawning on you on how ContactNet would have helped avoid losing a good client who started showing less interest in your services since you forgot to attend their charity event.

It has privacy layers with data filtering option. The privacy configuration options which you can also customize enable you to control what information is shared, if offers perfect customer relationship management solutions.

With its full service support, your law firm will be able to manage ongoing projects, to monitor your system, to offer consultation and training to ensure that your clients receive maximum value which they will attach to your firm. ContactNet is quick to deploy, you can install it in days and it is fully deployed in about 6-8 weeks with minimal impact on the resources you use.

Law firms deal with a lot of paperwork on a daily basis, CRM software make work easier, and produce effective results in the least amount of time. Less time spent on “shuffling paper” means client and investor interactions will be given the time it deserves.

These CRM software have been designed to be of help to lawyers, for them to exploit their features and gain from them. Just like Equity goes hand in hand with Trusts, lawyers go hand in hand with CRM software. With all the benefits they offer, a lawyer will definitely have a good day in court.