The onboarding experience is one that should inspire confidence in your clients but so often provokes confusion. For law firms, it’s the critical first step in building that all-important client relationship, yet even in 2024, it seems we’re still tripping over some obvious hurdles.
Enter the Law Firm Marketing Club’s “What Clients Want 2024” research, a treasure trove of insights into what legal clients love, hate, and roll their eyes at during the onboarding process. Spoiler: clear communication and less jargon go a long way.
Here’s what we learned (and why your firm might want to take notes).
First impressions matter, a lot
The numbers tell an interesting story. 83% of clients found the fee agreement and engagement letter clear—a solid B+ for effort. However, only 77% felt the overall onboarding process hit the mark. You could argue that 77% is still ‘decent’... but it’s not really. It means that 23 in every 100 of your clients are not finding the overall onboarding experience very or reasonably clear.
This is something that we think deserves some attention. Why the gap? Two culprits:
Communication black holes: who do you call when you’ve got a question?
Jargon overload: legalese is not a love language.
Clients crave clarity, especially in those early stages. Clear timelines, concise welcome documents, and an easy way to reach someone (preferably not a generic email that feels like shouting into the void) can make or break that all-important first impression.
The jargon problem
Let’s talk about jargon - because your clients definitely are. It’s the spinach-in-your-teeth of the legal world: often unnoticed by you but glaringly obvious to everyone else. While “force majeure” and “indemnity” might make your heart sing, they often leave your clients Googling furiously.
If a teenager can’t summarise your engagement letter, it’s time to simplify. Clients want lawyers, not walking thesauruses.
What’s the fix?
So, what can law firms do to snag those top marks in onboarding and beyond? Glad you asked.
Streamline your onboarding process
Your clients are busy people. They don’t have time to decode a 12-page engagement letter or chase down timelines. Keep it simple, clear, and jargon-free. Think bullet points, not a novel.
Open the communication floodgates
Who handles what? How should clients reach out? Spell it out in bold. Better yet, assign a dedicated point of contact - someone who can be the lifeline for those inevitable “quick questions”.
Balance tradition with digital credibility
While in-person meetings and referrals are king, your online presence can’t be an afterthought. Invest in strong directory rankings, curate thoughtful reviews, and keep your website sharp, professional, and easy to navigate.
The bottom line
Onboarding isn’t just admin—it’s your chance to make a killer first impression. Clients want to feel reassured, respected, and like they’re in capable hands from the very start. That means ditching the jargon, sharpening your processes, and making communication a breeze.
In a competitive market, standing out is about more than being the best lawyer in the room—it’s about being the best experience in the room.
Nail your onboarding, and you’ll not only win new clients—you’ll keep them coming back for years to come.
Now go forth, simplify, and conquer. Your clients (and your bottom line) will thank you.
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