Clienting #33: Justie Nicol on Tech Tools for Client Development

Gyi Tsakalakis and Kelly Street were joined by Justie Nicol, owner of Nicol Law Offices, a Criminal Defense Attorney in Fort Collins, Colorado. She is a savvier than average solo attorney who used technology tools to make her practice run smoother and create better work/life balance. Justie has even taught a CLE on tech tools as a solo to boost client experience! When you look at the list of tools below and listen, keep in mind that Justie is a regular lawyer who implemented these tools over time, as she saw a need. She starts with a low-cost or free solution What Justie uses to streamline her firm and client experience: Wisestamp for email signature (appt scheduler, tweets, etc) Copper CRM Connects with Zapier to her email and more Typeform for intake/conflict check Prior to client consultations, have them fill this out. Send a post-consultation form to see why a potential client didn't choose your law firm Send a post-case form to get client feedback for reviews Zapier, to connect apps and services Acuity for appointments Set expectations with clients so they know when and how appointments should go; filling out a conflict check prior, etc. Consult with everyone who wants one or send them referral sources; just don't let them feel ignored Square for payments Easily end to collect payment at the time of engagement Justie includes a credit card charge policy in her engagement letter, so clients know how payments work Docusign for document signing Engagement letters, etc. AttorneySync uses PandaDoc for document sharing and signing Buffer for social media Trello for content management Outsourcing marketing efforts Content creation Schedule posts, draft one month at a time Use an attorney or an agency who understands legal ethics Posts for referrals and posts for clients Digital marketing Pay-per-click Cost per click, and customer acquisition cost SEO Monitor ad copy to make sure it complies with your state's ethics rules Website updates and buildout Make sure to track Return On Investment for all marketing efforts; Justie likes to try one new method at a time Smith.ai for after-hours receptionist and chatbots for website communication Receptionist service for inbound and outbound calls, filling out the intake form and helping schedule appointments or court reminders for clients. Using a chatbot as an option for communication, even if it isn't something you would want to use. Non-tech: Engagement Letters to set client expectations How you will communicate with them and when it is appropriate to contact you Your lawyer-style; aggressive or not? Quickbooks for firm accounting methods Manually reimbursing credit card charge fees Square & Quickbooks connections Ethics Issues: Engagement letter includes a section about the technology used for information and document security Contact Justie at [email protected] or find her on social media: #officedogs Contact Kelly for more information on Clienting at [email protected]