Facilitator Guide

Client Service Fundamentals

Facilitator Guide

Client Service Fundamentals

Topic: Professionalism & Communication

What’s covered

Understanding your client
Working with in-house counsel
Responsiveness: the biggest client complaint
Communicating effectively with your client
Building trust with your client

Before the session

Prepare the Attendees

Send the attendees an invitation for the session. Include this link, which has the videos and exercise they’ll need to prepare.

https://www.hotshotlegal.com/discussions/client-service-fundamentals/attendee

Prepare Yourself

Watch the videos and read the exercise so you’re familiar with the Hotshot material.

Course

Client Service Fundamentals

Covers strategies for excellent client service, including how to understand your client's role, structure clear advice, stay responsive, and build trust.
Exercise
PDF

During the session

Part 1: Knowledge Check

Ask attendees these questions to ensure they understand the topic:

Why is it important to understand your individual client’s role in their business, not just the legal question they’re asking?
What are some ways outside counsel can make an in-house lawyer’s job easier?
What are practical ways to demonstrate responsiveness to a client?
What’s important to remember about serving business-side clients, as opposed to in-house counsel?
How is long-term client trust built over time?

Part 2: Group Exercise

Lead a group discussion based on the exercise. To encourage collaboration, divide the attendees into groups to discuss the exercise, then have a representative from each group summarize their views to the larger group. Call on people to share their thoughts and ask others to respond.

Tip for remote sessions: use your web conferencing system’s breakout room feature to divide people into groups.

Part 3: Firm Specifics

Share your own experiences and guidance, including:

Anecdotes
General practice tips (dos and don’ts)
Firm-specific guidance and practices

After the session

To continue learning, attendees can check out related courses in Hotshot’s Professionalism & Communication topic.

About Hotshot

Hotshot helps lawyers develop their legal, business, and technology skills through short videos, quizzes, and summaries, and we help law firms and law schools plan and deliver engaging training programs. Our customers include Am Law 200 firms, top law schools, and regional and international firms.