How to transform your firm’s enquiry management, and avoid losing £1m a year
From first impressions and follow-up to client journey mapping and technology, Cremins shares how firms can transform their enquiry management to win more work and maximise growth opportunities.
The financial impact of missed opportunities
Enquiry handling is often overlooked, but the financial stakes are significant. “It’s a startling stat,” says Cremins. “If a firm is losing over £1m worth of business just because they don’t have the process in place to handle that initial stage enquiry effectively, what could they do with that additional potential revenue?”
Many firms assume their conversion rates are strong enough, yet Cremins stresses that there is always room to improve. “There’s a huge amount of opportunity to improve the overall experience,” he explains. Training, cultural alignment, and a clear process are all critical to making the most of new enquiries.
Making the right first impression
First impressions matter – and clients make judgments quickly. Cremins highlights the importance of consistency at every touchpoint, from reception to follow-up emails. “Less than 10% of clients will ever go back to a firm more than twice,” he notes. That makes it vital to create an emotional connection from the very first interaction.
One way to measure the effectiveness of first impressions is through Net Promoter Score (NPS), which gauges how likely a client is to recommend a firm. While scores are improving across the legal sector, they remain troublingly low — at -41 overall. Cremins attributes this to gaps in communication, particularly in areas such as residential conveyancing, where expectations often aren’t met.
“To improve NPS, firms need to focus on exceeding client expectations and ensuring that every touchpoint is handled effectively,” Cremins advises. Negative experiences can spread quickly — detractors can share their stories with thousands of people — while satisfied clients become powerful advocates.
Mapping and reviewing the client journey
Cremins urges firms to take a holistic look at the client journey, documenting every step from the pre-client stage through to case resolution. “Everyone thinks of probably five or six, maybe 10 headline touchpoints, but the reality is, if you do this effectively, you are talking about dozens,” he explains.
This includes reviewing digital assets, websites, and social media content to ensure they are accurate and up to date. “We found several dozen pages that were no longer relevant,” Cremins recalls of a recent review. Such oversights undermine credibility before a client even picks up the phone.
Equally important is capturing client information accurately and avoiding repetition. “A big frustration for clients is having to repeat themselves multiple times about the same scenario,” Cremins says. Systems and processes that enable seamless communication can dramatically improve satisfaction.
Journey mapping should involve multiple teams – not just fee-earners, but also marketing, reception, and secretarial staff. “A client map isn’t purely about how we handle a client. We need to consider pre-client and post-client,” Cremins explains. Embedding this process and reviewing it regularly ensures firms can adapt to changing expectations.
The importance of follow-up
One of the clearest weaknesses identified in the insight6 research is follow-up. Only 14% of phone enquiries and just 8% of web enquiries are followed up. Cremins warns that many firms confuse simply answering an enquiry with proactive follow-up.
“In our world, that’s not the follow-up, that’s answering the enquiry,” he explains. Effective follow-up means making a commitment to re-engage within a specific timeframe — not days or weeks later, but often within hours.
Firms sometimes worry that follow-up will feel ‘pushy’. But Cremins stresses that, when done with permission and respect, it demonstrates professionalism and client care. “If you say to me, ‘I’d much rather just leave me to make a decision,’ that’s absolutely fine. But we’ve asked the question, and we’ve made sure we’ve got those permissions in place,” he says.
Turning marketing into growth
Cremins also warns that poor enquiry management undermines marketing and business development investments. Firms planning to grow organically may find their spend wasted if enquiries aren’t converted into clients.
To maximise impact, Cremins recommends:
- Profiling and targeting the right clients
- Taking a consistent, long-term approach to marketing
- Using data to track conversion rates and refine strategies
- Ensuring enquiries are handled efficiently and consistently
- Continuously refining the client journey to exceed expectations.
“Make sure you’re following that process of enquiry management so that none of those opportunities are missed,” he advises.
Unlocking growth through enquiry management
Enquiry management is often underestimated, but the numbers show its significance. With millions of pounds of potential revenue at stake, firms that invest in training, processes, technology and follow-up can transform their client experience and gain a competitive edge.
“Many firms are losing business simply because they don’t have the right process in place,” says Cremins. “Improving enquiry handling is one of the quickest ways to enhance client satisfaction and grow revenue.”
Watch the full interview with Shaun Cremins now to discover more advice on enhancing client services and winning new business. You’ll also hear Cremins’s exclusive guidance on the behaviours, habits, and tools that set successful law firms apart.
In episode 20 of Osprey Approach’s Empowering Law Firm Leaders podcast, Shaun Cremins, customer experience director at insight6, joins Amy Bruce, marketing director at Osprey Approach, to discuss the findings from the company’s Truth in Enquiry Handling report – and the startling reality that law firms may be losing an average of £1.34m a year due to poor enquiry handling
From first impressions and follow-up to client journey mapping and technology, Cremins shares how firms can transform their enquiry management to win more work and maximise growth opportunities.
The financial impact of missed opportunities
Enquiry handling is often overlooked, but the financial stakes are significant. “It’s a startling stat,” says Cremins. “If a firm is losing over £1m worth of business just because they don’t have the process in place to handle that initial stage enquiry effectively, what could they do with that additional potential revenue?”
Many firms assume their conversion rates are strong enough, yet Cremins stresses that there is always room to improve. “There’s a huge amount of opportunity to improve the overall experience,” he explains. Training, cultural alignment, and a clear process are all critical to making the most of new enquiries.
Making the right first impression
First impressions matter – and clients make judgments quickly. Cremins highlights the importance of consistency at every touchpoint, from reception to follow-up emails. “Less than 10% of clients will ever go back to a firm more than twice,” he notes. That makes it vital to create an emotional connection from the very first interaction.
One way to measure the effectiveness of first impressions is through Net Promoter Score (NPS), which gauges how likely a client is to recommend a firm. While scores are improving across the legal sector, they remain troublingly low — at -41 overall. Cremins attributes this to gaps in communication, particularly in areas such as residential conveyancing, where expectations often aren’t met.
“To improve NPS, firms need to focus on exceeding client expectations and ensuring that every touchpoint is handled effectively,” Cremins advises. Negative experiences can spread quickly — detractors can share their stories with thousands of people — while satisfied clients become powerful advocates.
Mapping and reviewing the client journey
Cremins urges firms to take a holistic look at the client journey, documenting every step from the pre-client stage through to case resolution. “Everyone thinks of probably five or six, maybe 10 headline touchpoints, but the reality is, if you do this effectively, you are talking about dozens,” he explains.
This includes reviewing digital assets, websites, and social media content to ensure they are accurate and up to date. “We found several dozen pages that were no longer relevant,” Cremins recalls of a recent review. Such oversights undermine credibility before a client even picks up the phone.
Equally important is capturing client information accurately and avoiding repetition. “A big frustration for clients is having to repeat themselves multiple times about the same scenario,” Cremins says. Systems and processes that enable seamless communication can dramatically improve satisfaction.
Journey mapping should involve multiple teams – not just fee-earners, but also marketing, reception, and secretarial staff. “A client map isn’t purely about how we handle a client. We need to consider pre-client and post-client,” Cremins explains. Embedding this process and reviewing it regularly ensures firms can adapt to changing expectations.
The importance of follow-up
One of the clearest weaknesses identified in the insight6 research is follow-up. Only 14% of phone enquiries and just 8% of web enquiries are followed up. Cremins warns that many firms confuse simply answering an enquiry with proactive follow-up.
“In our world, that’s not the follow-up, that’s answering the enquiry,” he explains. Effective follow-up means making a commitment to re-engage within a specific timeframe — not days or weeks later, but often within hours.
Firms sometimes worry that follow-up will feel ‘pushy’. But Cremins stresses that, when done with permission and respect, it demonstrates professionalism and client care. “If you say to me, ‘I’d much rather just leave me to make a decision,’ that’s absolutely fine. But we’ve asked the question, and we’ve made sure we’ve got those permissions in place,” he says.
Turning marketing into growth
Cremins also warns that poor enquiry management undermines marketing and business development investments. Firms planning to grow organically may find their spend wasted if enquiries aren’t converted into clients.
To maximise impact, Cremins recommends:
- Profiling and targeting the right clients
- Taking a consistent, long-term approach to marketing
- Using data to track conversion rates and refine strategies
- Ensuring enquiries are handled efficiently and consistently
- Continuously refining the client journey to exceed expectations.
“Make sure you’re following that process of enquiry management so that none of those opportunities are missed,” he advises.
Unlocking growth through enquiry management
Enquiry management is often underestimated, but the numbers show its significance. With millions of pounds of potential revenue at stake, firms that invest in training, processes, technology and follow-up can transform their client experience and gain a competitive edge.
“Many firms are losing business simply because they don’t have the right process in place,” says Cremins. “Improving enquiry handling is one of the quickest ways to enhance client satisfaction and grow revenue.”
Watch the full interview with Shaun Cremins now to discover more advice on enhancing client services and winning new business. You’ll also hear Cremins’s exclusive guidance on the behaviours, habits, and tools that set successful law firms apart.
