The title of this post comes from an article I saw today, “Should you upgrade or repair your computer?” It had advice about how to repair software, how to repair hardware, and what and when you should upgrade.
I thought this was a good analogy for a law practice. Things slow down, they break, they need repairing and replacing. And, even if everything is working just fine, if you want to get to the next level, you need to continually upgrade what you’re doing.
Periodically examine the inner workings of your practice. What’s not working? What needs to be repaired or replaced? What can you upgrade?
Here’s an inspection list to get you started:
- Broken relationships with clients and professional contacts
- Sluggish client communications; “thank yous” and other initiatives that fail to show clients how much you value them; boring newsletters and blog posts
- Malfunctioning processes that leave your clients vulnerable or in the dark
- Out of date web pages, forms, form letters, templates, and checklists
- Unnecessary or overly expensive overhead
- Ineffective ads, social media, and networking
- Offers that aren’t getting prospects to call
- People who answer the phone but don’t get prospects into the office
- Presentations that aren’t converting prospects into clients
- Fees that don’t produce enough profit
- Employees who aren’t worth what you’re paying them
- Employees who are worth more than you pay them
- Clients who leave; clients who don’t return; clients who don’t refer
- Tasks that take too long to complete
- Tasks that can be delegated, outsourced, or eliminated
Think of your practice as a machine. If you do regular inspections, maintenance and repairs, your machine will continue to function. If you don’t, it will slow down and ultimately cost you more when things break and have to be replaced.
And, every so often, upgrade your practice. Make things better and faster. Equip yourself and your staff with the latest tools. Stay ahead of the changing demands in the marketplace.
A brand new computer may be obsolete in six months. So can a law practice.
Does your marketing need an upgrade? Get The Attorney Marketing Formula and find out what to do.
