The last thing your firm would ever call itself, or advertise itself as, is basic. 

But are the tools you use to manage client relationships stuck in basic mode?  

Your firm needs to be able to intake clients, deliver personalized responses to inquiries, and keep your established clients engaged without increasing your administrative burden. And to accomplish these goals, you need tools that can seamlessly integrate client interactions and automate routine tasks. 

Why use a CRM in the first place?  

Before you can get advanced, it’s helpful to look at the basics of why legal client relationship management (CRM) software is important. For today’s law firms, a CRM is a critical component of maintaining a continuous pipeline of new and loyal clients. Here are a few ways they can facilitate that:  

1. Streamlined communication 

Many firms deal with a high volume of communications, from consultation requests to client follow ups to referral inquiries.  

You could do it all out of Outlook, but that’s a recipe for delays, miscommunication, and unhappy clients. A CRM centralizes and organizes all communication, making it easy to manage and track your client inquiries and interactions over time.  

2. Lead tracking and business development

In an increasingly competitive legal market, any firm chasing growth needs to follow up with prospective clients to convert them into paying clients. A CRM can track lead interactions, automate follow-up communication, and help you manage your business development pipeline, no matter how much or how quickly your firm scales.  

3. Better client experience

Clients expect prompt, personalized service in this age of instant digital communication. A CRM allows members of your firm to deliver a better client experience by providing them with updates, responding to inquiries quickly, and making sure they feel valued and informed throughout the process of working with you.   

Nine advanced legal CRM features to try at your law firm 

Now, let’s explore some advanced features that can truly transform how your firm operates. From a potential client’s first inquiry through their most recent matter, you want to ensure that it’s easy for your clients to come on board and stay, without you spending all your time crafting each interaction.  

These advanced CRM features help you keep up with ease and provide the level of personalized service that clients expect: 

1. Intelligent intake forms 

Once a new client is ready to sign on, the intake process shouldn’t be frustrating for either of you. Gather all the details you need for a smooth start with customizable, logic-based forms.  

Look for a solution that allows you to tailor intake forms for practice areas, which helps your intake staff move through questions easily. It’s also important to find a solution that integrates with your practice management software so double data entry isn’t required.   

2. Marketing task management 

Effective marketing is the cornerstone of growth for your law firm—and your legal CRM can be a big support for your marketing goals. For example, an advanced CRM can help your law firm:  

• Set up onboarding campaigns  
• Re-engage previous clients or clients who failed to convert  
• Send monthly newsletters  
• Request reviews following completed legal matters 

Legal CRM tools may even offer built-in AI tools to help you draft emails, social posts, or other marketing collateral. (Just make sure to review beforehand—AI content requires close oversight.) 

From a workflow perspective, an advanced CRM tool can also benefit law firms. Set up marketing task workflows to keep projects moving without manual task management! 

3. Automated email and text marketing 

Responding to leads and keeping clients engaged can require multiple touchpoints, a reality that is often hard to keep up with. However, automation can help.  

For example, automating email and text messages to clients helps you increase your speed to lead, the time it takes to respond to an inquiry. You also can use automation to get drip campaigns up and going to guide clients through intake or offboarding. Doing this keeps them informed and aware without requiring extra time.  

4. Text and video messaging 

In today’s mobile age, a phone is a constant companion for most—and that includes your clients. Using text and video messaging to communicate efficiently with your clients in the ways that are convenient to them will enhance their experience and let you be responsive to their needs in a way that’s easy for you, too. 

5. One-click eSignature 

Don’t chase down clients and make them drive to you or occupy a conference room just for a signature.  

An advanced CRM allows you to send documents and signature requests directly to clients. They can quickly and easily sign and return them to you and your CRM should securely store them, making it possible for you to pull them up at will.  

6. Personalized communications 

Nurture new and long-lasting client relationships alike with consistent, personalized communications. Depending on the needs of your clients and practice, you can tailor messages for:  

• Case updates 
• Client milestones 
• Post-matter feedback requests 

This not only strengthens your relationships, but, just as importantly, reduces the chances of errors that could harm your attorney-client relationship. 

7. Reduced administrative burden 

Automation features can reduce the burden of routine administrative tasks such as: 

• Managing inquiries 
• Scheduling appointments 
• Following up with clients 
• Requesting documents 

By automating these often time-consuming functions, you can focus more on practicing law and less on tedious back-office tasks. Increasing your efficiency and taking the bulk of these repetitive tasks off your to-do list frees up more time for you to focus on clients and those billable hours where you can do your best work. 

8. Analytics and reporting

Advanced CRM tools also help you access insights like productivity reports, case metrics, and new signups so it’s clear what tasks are driving results and firm growth.  

With insights into which practice areas are thriving and which campaigns bring in the most leads, your firm can make more informed, strategic decisions to drive growth or address shortfalls in performance. 

9. Integration with other tools 

A stand-alone CRM can be a useful tool, helping your firm engage clients, manage marketing, and grow your practice. But it can also create information silos and duplicate the effort required for all of this.  

A better, more advanced solution is a CRM that integrates directly with your legal practice management solution. This functionality means that once a client enters your CRM, it automatically syncs with your practice management system. No need to enter separate information for matters or billing! 

The right CRM also can also work with your law firm website, allowing you to easily add forms and sign ups that support a seamless sales funnel.  

Build stronger client relationships from the start with CosmoLex CRM 

CosmoLex CRM is an advanced, legal-specific client relationship management solution designed to help you boost profitability and drive growth by efficiently tracking potential clients and keeping current clients engaged, happy, and returning whenever they need your services. 

Integrated with CosmoLex law practice management software, CosmoLex CRM offers additional tools to help grow your firm and strengthen client communication without crowding your calendar with administrative or repetitive tasks.  

By leveraging data-driven insights into your current and potential client roster through CosmoLex, your firm can drive growth and ensure long-term relationships with your best clients. To get started, schedule a demo or begin your free trial today.