Intake-Desk Pattern

The Image Guard

Protects perception over progress. One of the 13 R2R archetypes, as it shows up on a law firm intake desk.

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This is one of the 13 R2R archetypes. The R2R definition: Protects perception over progress. On a law firm intake desk it shows up as described below. The full archetype is on jeffreyscottstanton.com, and all 13 are on the 13 archetypes page.

What it sounds like

"Yes, absolutely, we handle that all the time." Followed by no clarifying question, because asking might look like not knowing.

The call it loses: Questions and honesty. Gaps in the facts are covered up, and the caller reaches the attorney with an unclear matter.

Why it persists

Pride in the firm and a wish to sound competent. Overused, it avoids "I am not sure" and "let me ask the attorney," and the avoidance costs accuracy and trust.

It is not a character flaw and not a lack of training. It is a strength that fires at the wrong moment, and it can be named, scored and coached.

Scorecard items it tends to skip

Ask questions and identify the need. Also the hand-off line, which feels like admitting a limit.

The 14-item card is on the call-review scorecard page.

How to coach it

Make the hand-off line a sign of competence: "That is a question for the attorney, and I will make sure it is answered." Practice clarifying questions out loud. Reward the call that admitted a gap and booked anyway.

The R2R Assessment shows which of the 13 archetypes a person runs before the first call is scored, so the coaching goes to the right moment first. See all the intake-desk patterns.

Scope, plainly: everything on this site concerns the conversation that turns an inquiry into an engagement. Nothing here is legal advice, nothing touches the legal work or the attorney's judgment, and any wording a firm adopts is reviewed by the firm against its jurisdiction's rules on attorney advertising, solicitation and fee communication before it is used.

About the Author

Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH is a behavioral strategist and the founder and Chief Learning Officer of R2R Diagnostic Group. He is the former EVP of Learning & Development at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, where he trained sales professionals on the conversations that turn an inquiry into a commitment. He applies the same method, the R2R Assessment and a 14-item call-review scorecard, to law firm intake teams. The work is the conversation only; legal questions and judgment stay with the attorney.

The method, the scripts and the scorecard are on how it works, the script template and the scorecard guide.

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