iNo-shows — prospective clients who book an appointment but fail to show up — are not only frustrating, they are a waste of time, money and resources. All lawyers hate them, but busy lawyers really hate them.
Which is why I’m sharing these three surefire strategies to put a stop to your no-shows:
#1: Give a meeting preview.
You know the valuable knowledge you will be imparting during your first meeting with a prospect, but they have no idea. Sure, they called you to book an appointment to discuss their problem, but they have no clue what you can do for them. In order to help them understand the value of your meeting, give them a short, high-level view of the wisdom you’ll be providing during the meeting.
For example, a Phoenix family law attorney might say to a divorce prospect: “During our meeting, I’m going to make sure you understand the basics of what the divorce process is in Arizona. I’ll be explaining what you need to know about how alimony and child support works in Arizona, including what you can expect to pay/receive based on your financial situation, how joint debts are handled and how our judges typically handle custody issues. You will walk away with a good idea of how your case is likely to resolve based on my experience.”
#2: Confirm the meeting.
Send a confirmation email the day prior to your meeting as well as a quick “look forward to meeting you” email the morning of the meeting. In your confirmation email, reiterate the purpose of the meeting and include links to your website and a map to your office. Provide any parking instructions or other helpful information a first-time visitor should know.
#3: Follow up on all no-shows immediately.
Implement a series of automated personal emails to reschedule any missed meetings starting an hour after the scheduled meeting was missed. Be empathetic: “Sorry we missed you; we certainly understand how busy things can get. Please contact us at (phone/email) to reschedule your meeting.” We typically recommend sending 3-5 follow-up emails over 7-10 days to get a prospect to reschedule. They often do.
While no-shows will always be a fact of life, if you don’t take the necessary steps to eliminate as many as possible, you are wasting your investment in lead generation as well as your own precious time.
