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By Jared Correia, Red Cave Consulting
Every interaction a law firm has with a client is a marketing opportunity, a chance to cement your value as a service provider. And there’s actually no better place to solidify that relationship than through your invoicing. It’s a continuous, repetitive option for reminding your client of what you’ve done for them. It places your value proposition in stark relief.
And yet, many law firms squander this opportunity by using unrecognizable codes and short-form narratives in their billing. Instead of trying to rush your bills out the door, craft them instead. Utilize billing codes that even clients can understand, and avoid lame abbreviations (looking at you, “TC”). Build effective descriptions for each billed item — using macros or software that can help you to draft those quicker. Indicate where you haven’t billed by placing a nice, fat “NO CHARGE” indicator on that entry.
This is the short list, but if you start to look at your invoice standing in the shoes of your clients, you’ll get a better sense of whether and to what extent your billing platform works — and, you can better align your service provision with your clients’ expectations. And if you can do that, you’ll likely make more money and increase your clients’ happiness, to boot.
All good things.•
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