Great Marketing Fails Without Great Follow-Up

Julie Fisher
Jun 28
5 min read

Updated: Jul 2

man putting a coin in a pink piggy bank but more coins are falling out from the bottom of it as he is holding it.

How small to mid-sized law firms lose marketing leads and how they can win

The Challenge: Your marketing is working, but your revenue is not growing

It's great to get new business calls or email leads coming in! It means your marketing and business development efforts are doing their job. High five or hats off -- whichever you prefer to do when celebrating a new client opportunity!

And, now, it is on your intake staff or employee to grab the “baton” and truly perform the actual conversion of a lead into a potential new client. This is actually where the real problem lies: those leads aren’t converting at the rate they should be and it is costing you.

When I have assessed a law firm, this has presented itself more often than not. And while you're focused on generating more leads, you might be missing the real issue that's costing you serious revenue right now.

The Hidden Revenue Leak Most Law Firms Miss

When I work with my law firm clients on an intake assessment, the conversation usually starts the same way: "Our marketing isn't working. We need more quality leads."

Then I ask a simple question: "What happens after someone contacts you?"

What follows tells me everything I need to know. There is a belief that the intake process is

buttoned up and doing good or there is a need to help intake handle their many hats because they are overwhelmed and do not believe there is enough time in the day.

Here's the reality: Recent research shows that 39% of law firms take more than two hours to respond to leads or don't respond at all. Meanwhile, nearly half of legal consumers will hire the first law firm that responds to them. (1)

Let me put this in perspective: If you're spending $3,000 a month on marketing and getting 20 leads, but only converting 3 of them because of poor follow-up, you're essentially throwing away $2,550 in marketing spend every single month. That's $30,000+ a year in wasted marketing dollars. Not a pretty number and terrible ROI...but, it isn't your marketing going wrong. So, let's talk some more realities and the current stats that support them.

The Critical Window You Can't Afford to Miss Is…

The first five minutes after a lead contacts you. That's when your conversion rate can be as high as 85%. Wait an hour, and those chances drop dramatically. Wait 24 hours, and you're calling a very cold and likely irritated prospect who has probably already retained your competitor. Ouch.

But here's what most law firms don't realize: Studies show that up to 40% of law firm leads go completely unanswered.

Think about that for a moment. How many leads came in last month? How many actually spoke with someone from your firm? Do you even know?

Why "Good Enough" Intake Kills Your ROI

In my assessment process, I consistently find the same profit-killing gaps. The law firms that think they have a solid, consistent system in place are often the ones losing the most money.

Thinking it's good enough is not measuring perfomance factors. Where are the KPIs (key performance indicators)? If you do have them, are they reasonable KPIs? Are you creating a stressful workflow process or one that an employee can feel successful doing? Moreso, when was the last time you monitored a call or looked into automations that can help with intake?

The median response time among law firms is thirteen minutes - which sounds decent until you realize that 25% of firms are responding in under five minutes and consistently seeing higher conversion rates. Those extra eight minutes? They're costing you clients.

And here's the kicker: most law firms think one to three follow-up attempts are good enough. But only about 2% of conversions happen after a single touchpoint. The firms that make more than five polite contact attempts increase their conversion chances by nearly 70%. Good enough just isn’t cutting it and your marketing investment is taking an unfair hit.

The Real Cost of Getting This Wrong

Every lead that doesn't convert because of poor follow-up represents more than just a lost case. It's:

Wasted marketing spend
A client who went to your competitor
Potential referrals you'll never see
Revenue that should have been yours

But the biggest cost? You keep spending more on marketing to solve what's actually an operations problem.

What This Really Means for Your Law Firm

Your follow-up process isn't just about customer service; it's a direct reflection of how prospects perceive your ability to fight for them. If you can't respond quickly and consistently to their initial contact, what does that say about how you'll handle their case?

The law firms that understand this connection are the ones that turn every inquiry into a real conversation. They're the ones standing out from the rest because they've figured out where real growth actually happens. A good formula: consistency + polite outreach = conversion success.

“The difference between a thriving law firm and one that’s just getting by isn’t the number of leads; it’s how well you turn those leads into real relationships. When your intake process is clear, responsive, and client-focused, everyone wins: your staff feels less stress, and your clients feel truly cared for.”

Julie Fisher, CEO and Fractional CMO, Fisher Marketing Services

Is Your Intake Costing You Clients Right Now?

The truth is you might already have everything you need to double your conversions without spending another dollar on marketing. But you won't know until you take an honest look at what happens after the "click" or "ring."

How quickly does your team respond? How many follow-up attempts do you make? Can you track which leads convert and which ones disappear? Most importantly – how badly is your law firm’s reputation getting in your community?

A multi-touch system (phone call, email, drip campaign, and/or text message) can easily be integrated and intake can easily be coached to help qualify leads quicker, establish rapport and gain agreement to schedule a consult or collect a signature.

Your intake is the key component that begins a new clients experience at your law firm. If this isn't addressed, your competitors will thank you.

Ready to Stop Wasting Your Marketing Investment?

If you want to find out how much your current intake process is really costing you, reach out to me at Fisher Marketing Services LLC. I provide comprehensive assessments that reveal exactly where your leads are slipping away and what that's worth to your bottom line.

I've helped small to mid-sized law firms discover they were losing precious law firm budget in marketing spend and taking a hit in potential revenue simply because nobody was measuring what happened after marketing did its job. They all thought it was their marketing that needed fixing.

Let's find out what your leads are really worth and make sure you're converting every single one you're paying to generate. Call or submit a contact form for your free one-hour consultation with Fisher Marketing Services today!

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