The Importance of Client Reviews

A lot of times when I tell an attorneys to ask their clients at the end of litigation to write a testimonial or review of their performance, I am met with an incredulous stare and the inevitable comment, "You mean, I need to be rated like a Chinese restaurant?".

Sorry, but yes.  The number one deciding factor when people choose who to use for legal services is word of mouth recommendations.  You can achieve the highest rate of success for your cases, hail from the most prestigious law school with the highest GPA, win every award imaginable but what the potential future client really wants to know is, what are former clients saying about you?

A good protocol to follow at the conclusion of a case is to write a simple email thanking the client for their business and requesting any and all of the following:

• A testimonial for use on your website.
• A recommendation on Linkedin (include link to your page)
• A recommendation on your AVVO page (include link)
• A recommendation/review on Yelp (include link)
• A recommendation on  Google (include link)

All of these reviews and testimonials will not only lend credibility for future clients searching your name online, they will also protect your reputation int he future if a former client/employee/colleague tries to spread negative reviews about you.  Remember- an ounce of prevention is ALWAYS worth a pound of cure!