Get Hired and Paid with These Strategies for Moving through Client Resistance
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In this insightful episode, we explore the entrepreneurial journey of Ashley, a dedicated lawyer transforming her legal expertise into a business asset.
Under Ali Katz's mentorship, Ashley tackles the challenges of client engagement and retention, learning to navigate the complexities of securing commitments and fostering trust. Together, they develop strategies that help Ashley turn potential disengagements into successful client relationships, ultimately enhancing her business growth and stability.
Key Takeaways:
- Client Commitment Techniques: Discover how to secure client agreements during initial consultations to prevent drop-offs.
- Navigating Financial Concerns: Learn methods to address and manage client financial hesitations effectively.
- Building Trust: Gain insights into fostering strong client relationships through transparent communication and follow-ups.
- Referral Management: Understand the importance of maintaining and nurturing referral partnerships without burning bridges.
- Proactive Engagement: Develop strategies for proactive client follow-ups and personalized support to ensure engagement and satisfaction.
Ashley’s experience highlights the importance of strategic client interaction and the powerful impact of personalized support. By transforming her approach to client management, she showcases how entrepreneurial lawyers can significantly enhance their practice and client loyalty.
Time Stamps
01:34: Ashley outlines an issue where clients agree to a plan during the session but back out after receiving the engagement letter and invoice, leading to a discussion on why immediate signing is crucial.
02:18: Ashley discusses a specific case involving a referral partner who, along with her husband, hesitated to proceed due to financial concerns and scheduling conflicts.
04:16: Ali advises Ashley to remain present and empathetic with clients who may face financial strain due to reasons like taxes, vacations, or family responsibilities.
05:05: Ali suggests that Ashley should arrange a phone call to gain clarity on the client's true objections, emphasizing the need for genuine curiosity and understanding.
07:33: Ali emphasizes the importance of asking permission to ask clarifying questions, noting that if a client declines, a "did not engage" letter should be sent.
Transcript
Ali Katz:
And so you are currently in the role of their trusted advisor.
Ashley:
Right.
Ali Katz:
And so, being in that role, it is your responsibility to check in and see if she wants to keep that open or if you should close it and, you know, send her a closing letter.
Ashley:
Right.
Ali Katz:
And again, you're just asking for permission. Like, I want to support you as best as I can, because you've turned to me as your trusted advisor. And so you now need to tell me how to best support you. Are you willing for me to ask you some questions that might help to clarify your next steps?
Ali Katz:
Hello, and welcome to the NewLaw podcast, where we guide entrepreneurial lawyers to build law practices into businesses they love. I'm Ali Katz. In this episode, you are going to hear me coach Ashley on what to do when they don't engage right away and how to make sure that you get the greatest chance of payment and engagement on the day of your consultation or planning session. All right, I'll see you on the other side.
Ali Katz:
Congratulations. I know you're, you're out there rocking it.
Ashley:
Hi.
Ali Katz:
Hi. Okay, you've got some did-not-engages among a lot of did-engages. So tell me, do you want to pick one that might help you understand the rest or tell me a little bit about?
Ashley:
I think Jessica put that on about one specific one, but I was telling her that I thought it was weird. I'm feeling pretty lucky in the sense that I can count my did-not-engages on probably one hand, because most of mine are referrals, so they're already kind of warm when they come in. But I've noticed, I have an issue where we go through the family wealth planning session. They verbally agree to which plan they want, and we do the design, and then we send them the engagement letter and the invoice either immediately following or if it's an evening one, my CSD sends it the next morning, and I've had three of them. That's when they back out.
Ali Katz:
Yeah, don't do that. What I saw that many of the lawyers are doing is getting them to sign on the Zoom.
Ashley:
Okay.
Ali Katz:
So you have it pre-setup in docusign. You go over it with them just as you would if they were in person, and then they sign right there.
Ashley:
Okay. Yeah. And the one that I was kind of confused about, she's a referral partner, so I don't really want to burn a bridge with her. But her and her husband, she told me from the beginning, she kept saying it was her husband and he wasn't on board. And we had the family wealth planning session and he was fine. I mean, it went fine. He and I, like, hit it off and we talked about stuff and it was fine. He actually sent me the copy of their deed after, so that, to me, tells me that they're on board. And then they were slow to sign their engagement letter and pay.
Ashley:
She emailed me and was like, oh, I'm sorry, we're not normally flaky. You know, we just paid our taxes. We're going to get this paid next week. And I was like, okay, that's fine. I said, well, can you at least sign the engagement letter? Because they expire on my end, and then we're going to have to reissue and it's pain, you know, just get that signed, and then when you get the payment taken care of, we'll get everything else sorted out. So then she emailed me and said that they wanted to push it till after they went on vacation. They're on vacation this week. They wanted to push their signing until after vacation.
Ashley:
And I said, oh, that's fine, you know, and I said, you know, what about this day or this day? And I didn't hear back from her for a few days. And then she emailed me back and she's like, my husband and I had a long talk about this last night, and he's just really not on board to make the financial commitment. She's like, I'm so sorry. She was like, I know we really need this, and I feel like we're not going to be protected. And so I emailed her back and I just said, you know, do you want me to reply to his email to me directly, you know, and see if there's a concern, you know, is it worth hopping on another call? And then I gave her the option because they had signed up for the trust plan. I had given her the option. I said, well, you know, if he's not on board with doing the trust plan, you know, why don't we at least do a family plan? You know, have at least the guardians in place for your kids and from that standpoint, and then when you're ready to pull the trigger on the trust plan, because they, she owns a nonprofit, I said, you know, we can always upgrade your plan at that point. And I haven't heard back since, but that was like the week before they left on vacation. So I'm just kind of chalking it up to that. But I don't know.
Ali Katz:
It's going to happen. You just need to stay present with them and meet whatever's going on. They paid taxes, they went on vacation. They're feeling not flush with money. They have kids?
Ashley:
They have two little kids. Yeah.
Ali Katz:
And they have money. Like, what's their situation?
Ashley:
Yeah, I mean, they have a decent amount. I mean, they're in their late thirties and they both have health issues. I mean, she had cancer and he has MS. So I mean, they're like the textbook person that needs an estate plan, but.
Ali Katz:
You saw their cash situation. What is it?
Ashley:
Honestly, it's been like a month. I don't remember off top of my head. They were fine to pay it. It wasn't a cash issue.
Ali Katz:
Yeah. It's just allocation of resources and I would recommend. So it's not about burning bridges. You're never going to burn a bridge. I mean, this is, as you said, a referral partner. She wants to do planning. She's blaming it on her husband. So I would say that the next conversation is, have you been talking on the phone or it's email?
Ashley:
It's usually email.
Ali Katz:
I would get on a phone call with her, say, hey, I just want to get on the phone with you and just get clear on next steps. And then on the phone with her, really hold space for the objection and get really curious about what's really going on.
Ashley:
Okay. Yeah. I mean, I've been on calls where there's a spouse that's not on board and that was not the situation.
Ali Katz:
Yeah. So she can just be overwhelmed and just blaming it on him. And so I would try to make space for a conversation that goes something like, I know you all really need this planning, and yet you said isn't willing to make the financial investment right now, but we know what the cost will be of not doing it and something happening. So let's just have an open conversation about what's really happening for you so that I can understand and help you make a really good choice that you're going to feel good about and that he's going to feel good about.
Ashley:
Right. Okay.
Ali Katz:
Yeah. Is there something you're not telling me or is there something you're not saying? Like, I appreciate our relationship so much and I want to make sure that I'm doing the right thing by you and for you. And part of my job as your trusted advisor is to, you know, help you make the best decisions. And so in order to do that, I have to know what's really going on for you.
Ashley:
Right. Yeah, I mean, I just, I don't think it's anything I did because, like, she has tagged me on my social media account, like, she tagged a friend and was like, oh, you need to do this with Ashley. You know, that kind of stuff. I don't want to overstep either and push too hard. Where then I do ruin that relationship.
Ali Katz:
Right. So the key to that is asking permission.
Ashley:
Okay. Yeah. Maybe I'll wait until she gets back and is settled from vacation, and then I'll touch base.
Ali Katz:
100%. 100%. Yeah.
Ali Katz:
Would you love direct support to help you grow your law practice into a business you love? Go to newlawbusinessmodel.com/show and sign up for a call with one of our trusted law business advisors. Each of our advisors has been trained directly by me over the past five years plus to help you chart your path from wherever you are now to where you want to go as efficiently and effectively as possible. You're ready to grow. We are here to help.
Ali Katz:
Wait till she's back from vacation, and then, you know, you're checking in from the place of, even though she hasn't signed the engagement letter like they were a yes. And so you are currently in the role of their trusted advisor.
Ashley:
Right.
Ali Katz:
And so being in that role, it is your responsibility to check in and see if she wants to keep that open or if you should close it and, you know, send her a closing letter.
Ashley:
Right.
Ali Katz:
And again, you're just asking for permission. Like, I want to support you as best as I can because you've turned to me as your trusted advisor. And so you now need to tell me how to best support you. Are you willing for me to ask you some questions that might help to clarify your next steps?
Ashley:
Right, okay.
Ali Katz:
Notice how I checked in. Are you willing for me to ask you some questions that will help to clarify your next steps?
Ashley:
Right, right.
Ali Katz:
Maybe she says no, and you then send the did-not-engage letter.
Ashley:
All right, well, that works.
Ali Katz:
All right, let us know how it goes, Ashley. And then build in signing the engagement letter on the virtual meeting.
Ashley:
Okay.
Ali Katz:
And I would look at the other two situations that you said where they did back out and just look at what's there. Like, create a follow up plan with them, too.
Ashley:
Okay.
Ashley:
They're all in Accelerator, so they're getting follow up one way or the other.
Ali Katz:
Yeah, but did you send the did-not-engage letter?
Ashley:
No.
Ali Katz:
Okay. You've got to do that for sure. But before you do that, you should check in with them again. You should have a voice to voice conversation with them, because as of now, they were a yes, and they identified things that were important to them, and you need to find out why those things are no longer important to them.
Ashley:
Right. Okay, will do.
Ali Katz:
Okay. Thanks, Ashley.
Ali Katz:
If you loved the way that I coached Ashley in this episode, and you would love to receive your own support so you don't have to reinvent the wheel, you don't have to go it alone. Go to newlaw.co/show and book a call with a law business advisor so that you can get my mentorship on your business. Shortcut your process so that you are not reinventing the wheel. So you can engage close to 100% of the people you meet with, collect payment right away. And stop wasting your time with people who aren't going to go forward or not knowing what to do when they don't. So go tonewlaw.co/show and let us get you on the path to PFL. I'll see you on the inside.