Soft skills are so important in the Private Client Sector – never underestimate how much difference unprompted kindness or gentleness can make. As a young Lawyer or Solicitor, by going the extra mile you can earn loyalty from Clients for life, and even experienced Lawyers can forget the importance of it.
In this line of work, your Clients will be in some of the most difficult situations of their lives, trying to make complex decisions while often burdened with grief, illness or another type of vulnerability. Therefore, you can be remembered as a professional but compassionate pillar of strength that they can rely on when times are difficult, but in order to do so you must be able to empathise with your clients, and not only have superb technical knowledge.
It may sound trivial, especially when you simplify it to simply being a human rather than an advisory robot. Despite this, even having entered the legal profession to help people, so many Lawyers either I or my Clients have known come across as unsympathetic and cold. So, below are a few slight changes you can make to improve your soft skills, and by extension your clients’ experience.
Sincerity for your Client’s Loss
It clearly doesn’t come across as genuine when Lawyers say ‘Please accept my condolences for your loss, however moving on to business’. Although in many cases the daily dealings with subjects like death may desensitise us, that is not the case for Clients, who in this moment have lost a piece of their world – this isn’t just a file on your desk, this is another human being highly likely to be in mourning. If your Client is in the right state of mind, ask them questions about the Deceased to learn more about them – after all, you will be dealing with their most personal affairs after this point.
When you are first told about their loved one’s passing, take the time to listen to them. If they say that it had come after a long period of illness, tell them that you’re sorry that they suffered. If it came suddenly, ask how they’re handling the shock of it. You are there to help how you can and let them know that. It’s also important that your Client focuses on the grieving process as it’s more important than immediately beginning work so it’s a good idea to encourage them to focus on the funeral rather than securing your signed terms of business.
Take Note of Key Dates and Occasions
Take a moment out of your process of setting up files to log any important dates or occasions for your Client. The most obvious examples are the Deceased’s birthday, as well as the anniversary of their death, and wedding anniversaries. At these times, your Client will be focused solely on making it through without their loved one, especially the first time. They won’t necessarily tell you not to disturb them because they likely won’t have considered it. Therefore, take that responsibility into your own hands and make a note not to disturb them – nobody wants to be reminded of the loss of their loved ones and the administration process behind it.
To go even further, I would suggest noting your Clients’ birthdays. During this grieving process, it is hard to celebrate any occasion, and your Clients won’t want to be interrupted by a reminder of their loved ones’ deaths on the rare occasions that they can celebrate. Although this may seem like an inconvenience, you already have all the documents necessary to find these details out, and the moment of your time you spend on this will benefit your Client greatly.
Flexibility
Everyone grieves in their own way, and some of your Clients may want to take care of some tasks on their own, such as distributing personal items, cancelling passports etc. With other Clients, they may panic about every individual thing that has to be done. Reassure them that you are willing to do as little or as much as they need, and that any call or email they send you isn’t a bother – it’s your job.
Small Gestures Have Big Impacts
It’s common knowledge that the best referrals are from your happy Clients to their friends, family or co-workers. In fact, there are so many, different ways to become better with your soft skills that I could write an entire book on the subject – and I’m still learning, too. Hopefully, if you use some of the tips given in this article, you should see an overall improvement in your Client satisfaction, just as I have. But there is no need for me to continue on, when I can let my Clients do the talking.
Testimonials
“I appreciate your clear and compassionate advice and enjoyed meeting you”
“I wanted to drop you a note to pass on a huge thanks to Jade for all her hard work, attention to detail and a genuine human touch that’s been so appreciated”
“From the moment I met Jade, she stood out from all of the other solicitors I had met to and spoken to. In such a difficult time, she was the only one that showed real human care and empathy and made us feel at ease”
“Jade came across as attentive and knowledgeable – we felt like we were in really good hands from the start”
“Jade has been so approachable and understanding, yet factual and logical – it’s not often you come across someone working in this field who has these combined qualities”
“With many grateful thanks for being a shining light & great support at a difficult time for me over this last year or so. You are indeed a treasure!”
“Thank you for all your incredible help – I could not have done this without you (professionally and personally!)”
