Podcast Episode 198: How Technology and AI Can Effectively Address Pain Points in the Legal Intake Industry

In this episode of the Legal Marketing 2.0 Podcast, Guy is joined by Josh Hostilo. Josh Hostilo, is a current Product Owner at Filevine and oversees the legal intake product, Lead Docket. Josh was a previous VP of Operations at a personal injury law firm and is truly an expert in legal intake best practices. He has recently been involved in the development of Lead Docket’s newest AI tool, LeadsAI, which provides lead summaries and predictive analysis to simplify the way legal intake and lead management are handled within law firms.

Intake and Intake Department Operations. What is it and How to Make Sure They’re Being Run Efficiently? 

To ensure that all leads are effectively managed, it is crucial to efficiently track them, whether they are received monthly or not. This can be achieved through various methods such as writing down leads on paper or using an Excel spreadsheet. However, this method may not be efficient and may result in lost leads or missed calls. Intake software can help in this process by ensuring that clients are always reached. Intake departments can be small or large, with a range of 50 to 100 people taking calls, and responding to text messages and emails. A response time of about 90 seconds is essential for marketing efforts. Without a response, potential clients may move on to other firms or businesses. Therefore, it is essential to consider the process and ensure that all leads are effectively managed and addressed.

The Most Effective Way to Reach Potential Clients 

Texts are considered more efficient than emails due to their higher open rate. SMS or texts are opened 98% of the time, compared to a 22% open rate for emails. Sending both types of messages is beneficial, as people may not check their phones during work hours. The open rate for text messages is four times higher, making it more likely that clients will respond to them. As we all have phones, we respond to texts quicker than emails, making it essential for businesses to consider using both methods to reach their clients.

When to Know When a Firm Should Be Using a Lead Management System

Joshua suggests that if a firm spends marketing money, whether through grassroots efforts, events, billboards, or website forms, it should have a way to track and respond to these leads. He states that spreadsheets like Excel or Google Sheets are insufficient for tracking leads, as they lack the ability to respond to them. Instead, he recommends using software to track leads and provide instant responses to those who reach out. This will help businesses maximize their advertising budget and ensure a successful marketing strategy.

How Law Firms Can Use AI When it Comes to Intake 

Tools that provide summarizations of leads are available, allowing them to be categorized into paragraphs. These summary pieces are similar to an accident report, providing the attorney’s view and allowing them to quickly determine if a case should be taken. Some tools also offer predictions based on data from different case types, allowing them to predict whether the case should be taken or not. This efficiency can be achieved by providing data sets trained on hundreds of thousands of leads and millions of data points. This confidence in the answers provided by the intake department allows the team to make more informed decisions. Additionally, attorneys can quickly review the summary, ensuring they have a fair understanding of the case and can make prompt decisions.

AI can be likened to chatbots on websites, connecting potential leads to specific forums. AI can qualify and disqualify leads based on their answers, providing feedback on necessary information. AI is not a headcount reducer, but rather an efficient tool. Intake agents should focus on empathy and understanding the questions being asked to maximize leads. AI can also help maintain a work-life balance, allowing team members to focus on their daily tasks without worrying about every decision made in the intake process.

Takeaway: 

Explanation of how lead management systems enhance efficiency and overall work-life balance within your intake team. This could be from using technology tied with AI-enhanced features or just making sure nothing falls through the cracks programmatically. 

You can find Josh Hostilo on Linkedin & Twitter and the Company Website.

Check out The Good2bSocial 2023 Social Law Firm Index here.