At the Martin Law Office, we want our clients to feel comfortable at every interaction with us. Our new website and integration of social media sites and a company blog, were selected to enhance our clients’ comfort. Prospective clients can get to know us before making a decision to hire our firm and our existing clients can stay in touch. You’ll read in any social media trade publication how the development of social media is pushing companies to establish better relationships with their customers. It’s a shame businesses need communications tools to tell us we need to do that. At our office, we’ve been practicing relationship-focused engagement since we opened.
When you call our office, you can dial directly to my extension or to my assistant, Bonnie, or to our accountant, Ginger. We answer our own phones. If for some reason you don’t reach me, it’s only because I am working on a case or assisting another caller. I have always believed that if a person takes the time to call me, then who am I to not answer the phone. The law involves establishing a personal relationship. Attorneys stay with clients for months, and in some cases years. Establishing a trusting relationship is critical to our success.
In today’s era, when you call an attorney’s office, it’s not uncommon to be vetted when you call. You’ll be asked your name and the nature of your problem, even before you are ever connected with an attorney. But that goes back to my belief that if it’s important enough for someone to call, then I need to answer. Building these kinds of relationships keeps a focus on community. Not every call I receive is from someone requiring help with agricultural law. But, I will take the time to listen and then connect them to resources that can help them. If I am greeted with a sales call, I take the time to listen and then I just let them know whether or not I will be buying. (Sales is a difficult job, so I’m inclined to give them a break and listen.)
There was a commercial years ago that showed a chairman of the board sitting at the board table with company executives. He stood up and started handing out plane tickets. He told his team to go and visit prospective clients, to visit existing clients and thank them for their business, and to visit former clients and ask them to come back. This level of personal engagement disappeared for a while but we see it returning through the social media platforms. I’m proud to say, we’ve been doing it for over 40 years.
