This month I continue to to give you a few ways to easily implement automation processes into your practice focusing on internal processes through time saving zaps.
Last week I discussed a few foundational aspects of determining what to automate (within your practice) and what to personalize (engagement). Why automate? To streamline your practice, save plenty of time so you can focus on lawyering, and enjoy some much needed time off this summer without feeling like your practice will take a dip.
This week we’re diving into part 2 of this months 4 part series on auto-piloting your law practice.
As promised last week, this one will be about easily streamlining through automation those parts of your practice that are repetitive yet necessary for your practice to thrive, scale all while freeing up some time for you. It’s no surprise that law practice is one of the professions placing a high premium on time. By implementing a few key workflow automations, you will gain a significant edge in your business. This post will focus on time saving zaps for communications outside your law practice.
If you’d rather listen in while on your commute, walking the dog, or walking yourself, here is the audio / podcast version “The Social Lawyer Show”
WHAT
One of the most reputable, widely used, and robust applications is Zapier. (and no I am not an affiliate, but have always implemented, tested, and vetted any of the applications or programs I mention). It offers over 1,000 integrations, or “zaps”, as a third-party application. No need to know or use any software code, you can use it to direct an application to copy and paste information to another, separate application. It then works quietly in the background sharing information automatically based on your preferences.
HOW
Zapier sources its data from a built-in API (application program interface) and then connects with the receiving API so the programs talk to each other. Something referred to as triggers are events in the first application which then sparks the occurrence of a ‘zap.’ This zap is the single process of automation, that is containing a single trigger and at least one action.
KEY BENEFITS FOR LAWYERS
The most obvious benefits from these time saving zaps is less administrative activity, routine non-billable tasks, and managing key points of your workflow.
- TIME EFFICIENCY
The most significant benefit of automation—the initial input of your routine workflow—is the immediate population of your remaining tasks, saving you the time it would take to complete those tasks by hand.
- WORKFLOW
An effective workflow requires consistency. Zapier saves not only the time of performing the task, but helps avoid the fatigue of needing to remember to do it in the first place (or the stress of forgetting to complete a task).
- LESS (HUMAN) ERROR
Information from your initial trigger input will appear consistently across all your applications connected Zapier. Depending on the workflow, one correct entry may be enough for information to appear correctly everywhere you need it to, with no extra effort.
- BRIDGING LIMITATIONS IN EXISTING SOFTWARE
Zapier can come in handy for navigating the traditional software used in your firm (which, is often not supported by Zapier). For example, if you prefer an alternative timekeeping software over Timeslips, you can automatically import time entries into a spreadsheet or other preferred application, which can then be imported to Timeslips.
- CUSTOMIZING PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
Another significant benefit of Zapier is the ability to create and implement highly customized
practice management solutions. When that all-in-one practice software has lost its flexibility and adaptability to your workflow, or you need to elevate the functionality, Zapier to the rescue.
Let’s look at how some law firms have successfully implemented zap processes to streamline their practice workflows…
CLIENT FOLLOW UP
Once a matter is complete, you may want to keep in touch with your client. Through a zap, you can create a reminder card in f.ex. Trello at a certain point following client payment to your invoice software through a preferred delay (one of Zapier’s native functions). This provides you with a centralized reminder to follow up with your client on the correct date.
This Zap will create a reminder card in Trello one month after your client pays an invoice through your preferred invoicing software. The delay by Zapier, intervenes between triggers and actions to postpone the time between the trigger and action until a specific date or length of time. Once this Zap is complete, you have a front-and-center customized reminder to follow up with your client on the correct date.
CALL TRACKING
To solve the problem of tracking time and other details when an unexpected incoming call comes in, you can trigger a zap to search your client CRM (customer relations management) f.ex. Clio for an existing contact. If a contact is not found, Zapier creates a new contact for you and will update the record with details from the call.
TIME SENSITIVE ALERTS
This zap is triggered each time you sign via HelloSign. The zap sends you an SMS to let you know your signature is required, and if you are in transit (court, travel, etc.) this will make you aware of the time-sensitive nature requiring your signature.
RECURRING TO DOS
When specific tasks as entering time or submitting expense reports come due, you can leverage the native “Schedule by Zapier” so your routine items will flag you in your project management programs at an interval you designate.
SECURITY
Though most law-related cloud applications have built in security features, Zapier layers their additional security for all content related to zaps including https and SSL whenever possible. Moreover, Zapier provides
- bank-level encryption for any credentials you use to connect your accounts,
- Limits actions to those necessary to run the zaps created
- Requests Zapier makes on your behalf to other services for connection purposes are stored for only 7 days, then purged on a rolling basis
- User-facing “Task History” is stored for a while longer so you can review and monitor Zapier related activity and any possible failures or “misunderstandings” between applications for a quick course correct.
Implementing APIs through Zapier empowers automation of your firm’s back-end operations saving lots of money otherwise invested developing software. Many successful law firms now choose applications they know integrates well with Zapier for substantial time and money saving benefits.
For many lawyers, Zapier is now the hub that makes all of their systems act as one, and as a solo or small firm practitioner, this is essential to scale.
Here is one example of how we set up six applications together to streamline the creation of a new matter within the practice management software, Clio…
- Zapier creates a label for the matter in a Gmail account, then sends a dummy message so that the label is shared across the firm.
- The zap then creates a new project for the matter in Asana, a task management platform.
- The zap then creates a new project in Toggl, a time tracking tool.
- The zap then creates an entry in a Google Sheet that indexes the matter name, the Toggl project ID, and the Asana project ID, so that other zaps can look up the necessary IDs in one resource.
- Finally, the Zap announces the new matter to firm staff via Slack, a chat application.
Prior to implementing this customized integration, staff were required to create the matter with appropriate labeling within each individual application. Zapier now takes care of this automatically, invisibly, and without error in seconds.
Another business law firm uses Zapier to manage their contacts and email lists. Every time an attorney stars a specific email in Gmail, the contact’s information is entered into Google Contacts and added to a MailChimp list for their weekly newsletter.
This path to productivity may lie in automating at least the routine and repetitive tasks. This can free up hundreds of hours annually, allowing you to focus on the tasks that can’t be automated — like effectively advocating for your clients, and spending more time away from the office and with your family and friends.
I hope this provided you with an overview of what automating can do for your practice, and how easy it is to implement. Yes, it will take some time to set up, but done well the time and money savings are significant. I realize the use of this particular third party application, Zapier, sounds like a plug for this particular application, and there are others out there. However, of all the automation tools out there that I’ve used, tested, and implemented for clients, Zapier is by far the most solid with very high level security. Explaining why I now see more and more law firms incorporating it into their workflows.
Next week, I’ll be discussing how to use automation sparingly, but efficiently, for processes external to your firm such as outreach, engagement. Typically this is implemented into the initial phases of qualifying or progressing prospective clients. Most importantly, I’ll share a few ways to determine when to bring any outreach efforts away from automation and into the personal touch, to stay authentic and continue the conversation with prospects in a meaningful way.