26.02.18
10 top tips for face-to-face communication
Accessing legal services can be challenging, and your clients are looking to you to help and support them. So are we really doing the most we can to make it simple for those sat in front of us? David Pope offers a few easy tips to follow.
There has been a lot of focus recently on how we deal with each other, and particularly with those who may require a little more patience and understanding in how we interact with them.
A recent event I attended prompted me to think about the guidance that we provide to our members and firms. Do we always consider what we can do to make life a little easier for both clients and members of the public trying to access legal services?
They can be the ones most in need of support and help. Especially about those matters which may give them valuable protections we can take for granted. So, how we communicate is even more important.
The following tips came from guidance provided by Mencap and are a good reminder to us all of how to deal with one another.
- Find a good place to communicate in
- Check with the person that you understand each other
- Watch the person
- Do not rush or hurry someone’s answer
- Learn from experience – it takes time to get it right
- Ask open questions
- Use drawings, photos and objects to describe things
- Many people will only understand key words
- Break down complicated instructions
- Give extra help in busy situations
We suggest:
Consumers – Could a firm really make life easier for you by using some of the suggestions above?
Firms – Is there something there that could make a difference to a prospective client?