3 Ways Texting Can Help Legal Professionals Boost Billable Hours & Streamline Payment Concerns
Leave the legal drama to the TV shows… or, of course, on the courtroom floor, but keep it out of the billing department.
Instead, effectively boost billable hours while spending less time worrying about your business or reminding clients to pay overdue invoices. By employing powerful text solutions, you can expertly manage administrative concerns with just a few clicks.
As stipulated in representation agreements, lawyers collect fees based on a variety of flat rates, hourly rates, contingencies, retainers, commissions, and general case expenses that the client agrees to cover. No matter which approach your firm chooses, efficiency in processing fees is essential to keep business running smoothly.
Texting streamlines such administrative concerns by commanding a sense of urgency, delivering powerful CTAs with simple, clickable links that direct users to secure web payment portals.
Text messages are opened and read almost 138% more than email (text open rates are 98% vs. email’s 18% open rates). And 90% of texts are read within the first thirty minutes of receipt.
When you want to expedite payment (and who doesn’t?), there’s no better marketing channel to turn to than SMS and MMS texting.
of text messages are opened
of texts are read within the first thirty minutes of receipt
#1
Notify Clients of Invoices or Outstanding Payments via Channels They’re Less Likely to Ignore
While some attorneys are paid by commission, taking their cut from a settlement before sending along the check to their client — many lawyers rely on some sort of hybrid payment.
The firm may also incur monthly expenses that the client is expected to reimburse. Even small expenditures (such as copying, FedEx, and USPS postage fees) can add up and cut into your bottom line if not properly accounted for.
The key to getting paid on time is sending notices and outstanding payment reminders that will get seen. An email can be easily ignored, left unopened, or entirely forgotten. The same can be said of a phone call follow-up or direct mailings (which can also get expensive and become time consuming — taking time away from billable hours).
To generate even more attention and notice, add an emoji for extra impact.
#2
Send Reminder Texts with a Trackable Link to Remit Payment
Make payments as painless as possible by texting outstanding payment reminders to clients. Include a trackable link straight to your online portal or website, and clients can easily enter their payment info while the notice is fresh in their minds.
Some clients may need a few gentle reminders. Collectively, we’re all bombarded with a seemingly never-ending volume of emails and phone calls, not to mention the daily juggle between our work and home lives.
Send automatized reminder texts to clients as their bill is coming due — or naturally, if they’ve missed the deadline.
#3
Cost-Effectively Reduce Time Spent on Tedious Follow-Up Calls or Direct Mailings
When the client continues to overlook payment, this is the time to raise the urgency of the language. Keep matters courteous, but be sure to convey the need.
One of the great advantages of text messaging is that there is a record of whether texts have been opened and links have been clicked… unlike direct mailings, which are harder to track (or more expensive if they’re mailed with a signature required upon receipt). And everyone knows how time-consuming and fruitless phone calls can be these days.
Texts are simple to send and make the payment process easier than ever with a clickable link that clients can access immediately upon receiving the text alert.
Include all important information (ie the amount due, invoice number, and amount of days payment is past due). And remember that just as you can heighten your language, you can also heighten your emoji use. Consider using emojis that better emphasize urgency (ie ❗🚨). You can also write letters in all caps when appropriate.
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