In law school, they told you to advocate for your clients. Yet, you probably weren’t taught that listening is the foundation of successful advocacy.
Clients want attorneys that care about their problems, and nothing shows that you care more than listening to what your clients have to say. Keep reading for five active listening benefits for lawyers.
1. Build a Better Strategy
Listening is a complex act that requires a combination of processing, hearing, prioritization, memory, and more. If you can listen consistently during long meetings (and droning court testimony), you’ll be able to better identify potential issues for your clients.
As you separate the knowns from the unknowns, you can build a better case strategy for your clients.
2. Let Others Do the Work
Let your clients tell their stories. As they speak, keep interruptions to a minimum and encourage them to keep talking with statements such as “I’d like to know more about that.” These cues let your clients know that you’re receptive to what they have to say. Then, they feel more comfortable telling their story, and you understand what the speaker thinks is important.
Listening to the unfolding narrative is more effective than creating one in your head. If you over-manage the conversation, you’re likely to miss out on valuable information.
3. Avoid Nasty Surprises
In law practice, surprises will remain unavoidable. However, if you train yourself to listen so that you can catch when something isn’t quite right, you can minimize the risk of surprise.
Effective listening in court will enable you to veer off-script or make adjustments to your strategy. You can ask better questions and avoid being caught off-guard.
4. Set Priorities
As you listen to your client, you can tailor your legal services to meet their specific goals.
Better listening allows you to pinpoint which facts are essential to your clients. The goal is to learn as much as you can about their pain points—or their most difficult and important problems. With this information, you can craft a strategy that supports their needs and beliefs.
5. Guarantee Future Work
Few attorneys can give their clients the gift of their undivided attention. By actively listening to your clients during conversations, you’re building your attorney-client relationships. If they feel heard, they’re more likely to return to your practice in the future. If they don’t have more legal work for you, they may have other opportunities, such as speaking arrangements or networking.
If you’re seeking other ways to keep your clients happy for return business, check out this advice.
Begin Reaping These Active Listening Benefits
Now that you’re aware of these active listening benefits, what will you do to perfect your active listening skills? Listening to your clients will not only help you better understand their cases, but it will help you become a better attorney.
Looking for more professional tips? Check out our business section for more helpful content like this.
