The U.S. has the second-largest Spanish-speaking population in the world, and the demand for Spanish-speaking lawyers and their staff has steadily increased since the 1980s. Yet, other than firms with bilingual lawyers, few have taken advantage of this market.
Instead of hiring another lawyer or additional bilingual staff, law firms can gain Spanish-speaking leads by partnering with a bilingual legal answering service staffed with trained legal intake specialists.
This service provides various benefits, including:
Establishing Mutual Respect
When Spanish speakers call a law firm and are able to communicate in their native language, they will feel understood and valued knowing your firm has shown respect for their language and culture.
Building Trust
People are most comfortable when they can speak in their dominant language. Your Spanish-speaking leads will feel confident knowing there are no barriers between them and getting to the bottom of their legal issues. This, in turn, cultivates stronger attorney-client relationships and builds rapport with your firm.
Increasing Conversion Rates
The Harvard Business Review found that 72.4% of people are more likely to buy products or services if they are provided information in their native language. In the same study, 56.2% of respondents said the ability to obtain information in their own language was more important than price.
Finding More Potential Leads
Firms with a bilingual legal call center gain access to leads which English-only firms ignore. Most firms are satisfied competing over English speakers. Spanish-speaking individuals seeking lawyers are limited to firms which provide bilingual services.
New Lead Referrals
When Spanish speakers have a good experience with a law office, they are likely to refer friends and relatives who are in need of representation. Spanish speakers might be more hesitant to recommend lawyers who can’t speak their native language.
Decreasing Costs
Hiring a Spanish-speaking lawyer or receptionist comes with another salary, health insurance and overhead. Even then, the hiree will have tasks other than answering the phones and qualifying leads. That creates an opportunity cost for every billable hour spent talking to unqualified leads.
Easing Tension
Bilingual clients sometimes find it difficult to fill out intake forms or other legal papers. They might need to bring an English-speaking friend or relative to ensure forms are filled out properly. When legal intake specialists can assist them over the phone with the form-filling process, in their preferred language, the process becomes easier, less time-consuming and less stressful.
Law firms that fail to take advantage of using bilingual legal intake specialists must compete with other firms for the same pool of English-speaking clients. Meanwhile, Spanish-speaking leads are lost. A bilingual lawyer answering service will broaden your firm’s customer pool and decrease the busywork associated with vetting leads. Partnering with a legal call center is a cost-effective way to add bilingual talent who will streamline the intake process that is necessary to building client relationships.
