InsuranceLeads.com
InsuranceLeads.com, Jason Romrell, Former General Counsel, June 2011
InsuranceLeads.com was launched in 2003. The company has grown to over one hundred employees at the corporate headquarters, and includes an in-house call center staffed with local employees. InsuranceLeads.com is proud to support the local economy and does not outsource its call center or customer service departments. They are a leader in providing the insurance industry with a consistent high volume of the highest quality, targeted, real time insurance prospects in the form of data leads and Hot-Transfers in all lines of insurance.
Q: If you think about your best relationships with outside counsel over time, what are three important things other lawyers could learn from them?
A: 1. Be responsive and keep me informed. Treat me like I’m the best client you have. I know I’m not the only one you have, but I want to feel like I’m the most important. 2. Don’t be a “typical lawyer”. I’m a lawyer too so I know the excuses and billing “tricks”. Don’t play those games with me. 3. Give me more value than I’m expecting, whether it’s a discount, updates for free or superior work.
Q: And, of course, the follow-up: what are the top three things that lawyers could learn from your least successful relationships with outside counsel over the years?
A: 1. Don’t let days go by without returning my calls or emails. 2. Don’t sign me up by telling me what you think I want to hear, only to be unable to deliver. Give it to me straight and then outperform yourself! 3. Don’t over bill or pad your invoices…again, I’ve been an hourly-rate lawyer…I know these things happen.
Q: What’s the smartest thing a lawyer or a law firm has ever done for you outside of doing great legal work?
A: Random invitations to lunch or other events, which may very well be networking or business development, but are always friendly, personal and never include a “sales pitch”.
Q: Are there any client service or business development trends you’re seeing among law firms that you think are headed in the right direction?
A: Alternative fee arrangements are still a trend, although slow to get widespread traction.
Q: Are there other law firm trends that you’re seeing that you’d like to come to a screeching halt?
A: With some very large cases, there seems to be a disconnect amongst associates, which results in duplicate questions, lost answers and a feeling that there is no cohesiveness. Someone should understand how it all comes together and direct efforts accordingly.
Q: Have you ever fired a major provider of legal services or have you ever had internal suggestions that you should fire a major provider?
A: Only once, because they over-promised and under-delivered.
Q: Would it have been helpful if somebody other than the relationship partner proactively requested your feedback and then acted on it, perhaps annually?
A: Without question (emphasis being “acted on it”)!