Do Client Care Programs Really Work?

There’s a lot of discussion in the estate planning world about how to grow a practice, especially with the increasing commoditization of document preparation that has, frankly, threatened a lot of practitioners. We have found great success with the client care program that took decades to refine, and our clients are equally enthusiastic about the quality of service they receive.

There’s discussion among some of our colleagues that a client maintenance program is not a genuine benefit, and that eventually clients drop off, not seeing the value. Our experience is quite to the contrary, and so is that of the many lawyers and team members who attend our Foundations Workshop and incorporate our program into their practice.

Can an estate planning law firm manage the paperwork and client contact so that assets are aligned, estate plans are updated, and both law firm and client receive value?

We say unequivocally and emphatically, yes. We live it in our practice every day and we teach it to others who put it into practice.

Our experience with a client care programs is that the biggest obstacle to getting these programs underway is not the client, who sees the value, nor the paralegals and office managers, who immediately see the value, but the attorneys themselves.

There’s almost always at least one attorney who comes to our Foundations Workshop only because a paralegal or office manager has determined that this is something the firm must do.  They are the only ones who don’t see it. So we’re not surprised that to learn that some of our colleagues don’t see it either. And by the way, when the attorneys get it, they are our biggest advocates.

Here’s the thing: most estate planning attorneys give away a lot of their time and expertise, and a lot of their staff’s time and knowledge. Depending on the practice, they can be giving away so much time and knowledge that their cash flow sinks, their payroll swells and at the end of the year, budgets are pinched. We believe that if you devote time to serving your clients, you should be paid for that time. And if you have a client who respects your knowledge and skills, they are not going to have a problem paying for it.

Interested in taking your practice to the next level in 2019? Here are two options:

Our next Foundations Workshop is set for November 29 – 30th. Registration details are here.

Not ready for a workshop? Start with Vinnie’s book, How an Ordinary Lawyer Creates and Sustains an Extraordinary Client Care Program, for a deep dive into the philosophies and realities of a client care program.

To learn more, or if you have any questions, contact Megan Davitt, Program Coordinator:  [email protected], or call us 888-341-6222.

One last note:  the Foundations Workshop, currently priced at $3,995 (for two people), and a $500 materials charge for each additional person, will increase to $7,995 in 2019. That’s another reason to register for the Foundations Workshop today!