All law firms are different, so what is the best CRM for law firms? Specifically YOUR law firm. Once you realize you need to organize your contacts, pipeline, and business development and marketing activities, you will need to figure out what the best CRM is for your law practice.
Starting line.
Whether you have a list to import, or you are OK with adding people as you communicate with them – how will you know what the best CRM is for your law firm. Well, let’s start at the beginning. Answer these questions:
- How much money do you want to spend on a CRM?
- Free.
- Almost Free.
- I want the one with all the bells and whistles and will take the least amount of time from me.
- Do you use practice management software?
- Yes. Does it track marketing and business development activities?
- No. Are you also looking into that?
- If you decide your practice management software won’t cut it, make a list of your marketing tools.
- Do you use email campaign software (think: MailChimp, ConstantContact, MailerLite)?
- Do you have a social media scheduler (examples: Sprout Social, Hootsuite, SEMrush)?
- What other software do you need your CRM to connect with – email software, website, etc.? Make a list.
Once you have that list, start searching for CRM software that integrates with the software you are using.
If you can’t find something that works with your existing tools, see if Zapier can bridge the gap. Your goal here is to find something that is as automated a possible – because, let’s face it – you don’t have time to work on a CRM every day.
Recommendations.
To help you kick off your search, start here.
If you want something created for law firms and law firms alone, check out InterAction (a LexisNexis product), Law Ruler, Lexicata, and Nexl. This is not a comprehensive list of what is available, but it will give you a taste of what is out there.
If you are willing to branch out beyond the legal CRM sphere, you may find something you like. Start with HubSpot (free and paid versions), Zoho, SalesForce, and Insightly.
Here’s a great article from Inbound Law Marketing that has a good list of pros and cons for various CRM systems.
Finally, when you have your list narrowed down, here are some other things to think about before making your final decision:
- How much does support cost? Find out if the CRM company will charge you for live support (humans who you can contact by phone, email or chat).
- Overall cost and value. What is the price per user? Is it free to run and view reports? All basic features should be included.
- Speaking of reports – make sure your CRM can run the filtered reports you want when you want them.
- How long will it take to set up and how much training is involved? If it is arduous or complicated, you and your team are not going to stick with it.
- Mobile access. Are you constantly on the go? So many CRMs now have an app that allows you to update contacts in real-time.
We know this is a lot to think about, but choosing the right CRM is almost as important as choosing your legal assistant or paralegal. This system should become something you rely on each day for data, information, and business development.
More Information
Questions about integration or how to effectively implement and use a CRM? Check out our other blogs here and here, or email us at ed@esquisitemarketing.com or cady@esquisitemarketing.com.
Stay tuned for our next edition of CRM for Law Firms where we will give you tips and tricks on using a CRM effectively!