David M. Ward – Page 145

I messed up

July 1, 2019 by David M. Ward

Confession time. I’ve missed some of my daily walks lately. I could tell you it’s been hot or I’ve been busy but the reasons don’t matter. I need to get back on the consistency train.

How about you? Is there something you’ve stopped doing, or something you haven’t started you know you should?

A project, a person you need to call, a decision you need to make?

We all have these. The question is, what do we do about them?

The first step is to identify the problem. Sometimes that’s hard to do but you can’t fix a problem you don’t know (or won’t admit) you have.

Identify what you’re not doing and write it down in a place where you’ll see it. If you need a little more, talk to someone who will hold you accountable and confess your sins.

The good news is that this one step–being honest with yourself (and others) about a problem is often all you need to fix it. All that was needed was to remove it from the recesses of your consciousness and bring it front and center.

There will be other things we resist starting (or re-starting). As coach Don Shula once said, â€œItâ€™s the start that stops most people.”

More good news: starting is easy.

The other day I was supposed to start a project that involved some research and writing. It’s not difficult, it won’t take more than an hour or two to do everything, but I still found myself procrastinating.

I opened a new tab in my browser, entered a a keyword phrase, and came up with 7 or 8 sites that had the information I needed.

I didn’t read everything, I simply saved the urls into a new note.

I’ll have this thing done today or tomorrow.

Baby steps, for the win.

Speaking of steps, I need to go take some right now.

Filed Under: Personal development, Productivity

Getting new clients started right

June 28, 2019 by David M. Ward

When a client is unhappy with you, the odds are they won’t tell you about it. They’ll just leave, or leave and complain to everyone they know.

That’s not what you want.

You want clients who are unhappy–with your work or your “customer service,” or anything else–to tell you about it so you can fix it and make amends.

The best time to tell them about this is when you’re bringing them on board as a new client.

Tell them what to do if they have any issues, unanswered questions, or don’t know how to do something they’re supposed to do. Give them detailed instructions about what you’re going to do for them, about potential problems and delays, and about possible outcomes.

I’m sure you do this to some extent but there’s always room to improve. Sit down with your team and brainstorm what you can do to make the client experience better.

What else could you tell new clients? What could you say or do to instill confidence in you and empower your clients to help you do a better job for them?

A few ideas to get you started:

Answers to FAQs on a hidden page on your website
Periodic courtesy calls, to update the client, find out if they’re satisfied with everything so far, and answer questions
Instructions on how to reach you “after hours,” what to do if they have a question or concern, and how and where to provide a review
A video tour of the firm website, guiding the client to resources they might otherwise not know about
A time line or checklist about their case or matter: what happens next, what happens after that
Providing a sample billing statement with detailed explanations of the different elements
Providing a glossary of legal terms

New clients are often scared, confused, and not sure they can trust you. Do what you can to calm their fears, inform them about what to expect and what to do if they have any issues.

Show them that “you’ve done this before” and that you make keeping your clients happy a top priority.

You’ll both be glad that you did.

If you want help with brainstorming ideas or implementing them, let me know and we’ll schedule a consultation

Filed Under: Client relations

It’s 10 am; time to pet the cat

June 27, 2019 by David M. Ward

Gary Vaynerchuk famously schedules his entire day, down to the minute. In between meetings, which can be as short as 3 minutes, he makes calls, fires off posts on social networks, and records short videos.

The dude is busy.

Cal Newport, computer science professor and author, also plans his entire work day. He says we should all do the same.

Although I’m on board with the idea of “time blocking” and do it to some extent, as I’ve written before, the idea of scheduling my entire day, down to the minute, makes me want to scream.

I schedule meetings and appointments. I block out 30 minutes or an hour for certain activities (returning calls, catching up on email), and longer blocks of time for what Newport calls “deep work”–when I’m working on a big writing project, for example.

Scheduling everything just doesn’t work for me.

Or, maybe I just tell myself that. Maybe I should try it, before saying “it’s not for me”.

Nah.

Anyway, a new study says that if we want to be happy, one thing we shouldn’t schedule is our leisure activities.

“When a leisure activity is planned rather than spontaneous, we enjoy it less,” say the authors of the study. The reason? When it’s planned, “it becomes a part of our to-do list”.

I don’t know about this one. Since when is going to a movie a chore?

I know that when Cal Newport’s work is done for the day he has lots of free time for his family and fun. I’m not sure if he schedules specific leisure activities, however.

Gary Vee? I don’t think he ever stops working, but if he does, whatever he does for fun is probably on his damn calendar.

Getting referrals is fun, right? Here’s how to get more

Filed Under: Productivity

What’s the wrong way to write an email?

June 26, 2019 by David M. Ward

I found this question posted on a forum: “What’s the wrong way to write an email?”

The answer, according to someone with a sense of humor as warped as my own: “With paper and a pen.”

Actually, writing an email with paper and a pen isn’t a bad idea. It might result in a more authentic, thoughtful message since writing by hand accesses a different part of the brain.

Recent research concludes that taking notes by hand increases comprehension and memory, so there’s probably something to it.

Years ago, I wrote in a spiral notebook every morning for 15 or 20 minutes. I wrote non-stop, to suppress my “inner editor”. I became a better writer as a result.

Anyway, I thought I’d take a crack at a serious answer to the question, “What’s the wrong way to write an email?”

My first thought is that there isn’t a wrong way, there are 100 ways.

Too much information, lack of clarity or specificity, talking endlessly about yourself instead of writing about the person you’re writing to, not telling the reader what you want them to know or do, poor grammar and spelling, and the list goes on.

The answer would fill a book (or a course).

For now, I’ll limit my answer to two of the biggest mistakes I see with respect to email.

First up:

(1) Not writing one.

Whether we’re talking about a personal email or a newsletter, email is the easiest way to keep people informed, connect with them, and remind them that you’re (still) available to help them and the people they know.

If you’re not regularly using email to stay in touch with clients and prospects, you’re missing out on a simple and effective way to build relationships, provide value to clients and prospects, and grow your practice.

(2) Writing instead of calling.

Yes, email is quick and easy but there are times when it’s better to call.

When you have bad news to deliver, it’s usually better to speak to the client. The same goes for delivering good news.

And, email (or a printed letter) can never take the place of a conversation for building a relationship.

Call your best clients and professional contacts from time to time, to say hello, ask how they’re doing, and find out how you can help them.

Call and connect with on a personal level with the most important people in your life.

What’s the wrong way to make a phone call? Yep, not making it.

If you want to know the right way to write an email, go here

Filed Under: Email, Newsletters

Let’s play tag

June 25, 2019 by David M. Ward

I add tags to all my notes and tasks and projects. They help me identify things and find things and organize everything into a workable system.

I have action-related tags, contextual tags (for people and places, etc.), tags for each Area of Focus, e.g., Work, Personal, and reference tags. Each project has it’s own tag.

I use @ and # and other symbols or numbers to group tags together, allowing me to nest tags under top-level categories (in Evernote).

I often experiment with different tags, to see which ones I like best, which ones I use most, and which ones fall into the “it sounded good at the time” category.

Sometimes, and by sometimes I mean all the time, I find myself having too many tags. I create a new tag for something only to discover that I already had it, or something very similar. For this reason, I periodically go on a “tag cleanse” to tidy things up.

Anyway, if you’re into tags like I am, or if you do something similar with labels or notebooks or folders, I thought I’d share a few of the tags I use, or have used, because you might find something you like.

For the sake of simplicity, I won’t include reference tags and I’ll use only #hashtag symbol:

#incubate (something to think about and come back to)
#decide (similar to #incubate)
#checklist (#weekly-review, for example)
#daily, #weekly, #monthly, #yearly, and #recurringÂ
#emergency (if I get locked out of the car, I can quickly find the number for road service)
#needs-reply
#remember (things I want to remember–quotes, mantras, habits)
#r/r (read/review)
#defer-to-do (something I plan to do later and don’t want to look at until then)Â
#defer-to-review (something I don’t want to consider until later)
#wip (work in progress, so I can find things I haven’t finished)
#bm (bookmark; external or internal, ie., within the app.–links, sites, phone numbers, etc.)
#due, #pay, #buy, #amazon
#mit (most important task)
#on-hold, #pending, #planned (for projects)

I also use (or have used) some of the usual gtd-type tags:

#today or #tÂ
#next or #n
#soon
#later
#now
#waiting
#s/m (someday/maybe)
#errand
#call
#name (people I know or work with)
#computer, #home
#tickler and #calendarÂ
#do
#doing
#done
#mon, #tues, #wed, etc.Â
#jan, #feb, #mar, etc.Â
#5-min, #15-min, etc.
#high, #medium, #low (energy level needed for the task)
#1, #2, #3, #A, #B, #C (priority)

So, there you go. I’ve shown you mine, how about showing me yours? Because you can never have too many tags.Â

My Evernote for Lawyers ebook

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: evernote, getting things done, gtd

Thank you

June 24, 2019 by David M. Ward

A prospective client hires you. You send them a welcome letter, thanking them for choosing you and assuring them you’ll do a good job for them.

Well done.

What about prospective clients who don’t hire you? Or who meet with you and haven’t yet decided to go forward? Do you send them anything, a thank you note for meeting with you and considering you?

You should.

Not only is it good manners, it is an easy way to show people your character and professionalism, and convey to the would-be client that you want to work with them.

Smart job candidates send a thank you note after their interview with a recruiter or hiring manager. When a prospective client meets with you, they’re interviewing you for the job, aren’t they?

Send a letter, an email, or both. Tell them you appreciate being considered, say something positive about something they said or about their case or company, showing that you understand their situation and believe you can help them.

You might consider a hand-written thank you note because few people do that anymore.

Actually, few lawyers send a thank you note of any kind after their first meeting with a prospective client. That’s another reason you should. It is a simple but effective way to get prospective clients to put you on their short list.

Thank you for reading this message. I appreciate that you took a few minutes from your busy day to read my words. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you.

Filed Under: Client relations, Closing the sale Tagged With: Thank you notes

Clumping, bunching, bundling and blocking

June 21, 2019 by David M. Ward

Let me look at my calendar. . . this morning, as soon as I get back from court, I have an appointment with a new client. That’s all I have scheduled so the rest of the day, I’ll review files, do dictation, and catch up on calls and email.

Sound familiar?

It’s nice. We like having a flexible schedule, don’t we? And a little variety keeps things interesting.

But is it the most efficient way to work?

Some people say no. They group their tasks together into clumps or bundles or blocks of time. They’ll make calls for one hour, for example, and then turn to something else.

If you look at their calendar, you’ll see blocks of time throughout the day and week: one hour mid-morning for email, two hours in the afternoon for client meetings, and so on.

They say there are advantages to “time blocking”:

You know in advance what you’re going to work on so you’re ready for it
You avoid the loss of momentum associated with “context switching”
You can schedule time for “deep work”–research or writing, for example, without distractions or feeling like you should be doing something else
You are in charge of your schedule; you can pace yourself and your energy
You don’t fall down the rabbit hole by checking email all day

Some take this a step further. They dedicate certain days of the week (or half-days) for specific tasks. For example, they might schedule Mondays and Wednesday afternoons for working on files, Tuesdays and Thursdays for seeing clients, Fridays for admin.

Some people schedule entire weeks for specific projects. The second week of each month might be dedicated to all things marketing, for example.

Is time blocking more efficient? Yes. Clearly. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.

You may have limited control over your schedule. Your work may naturally have periods of feast and famine–signing up clients every day for a week and then no new clients for the next three weeks, or a two-week trial followed by no court for a month. Or you might simply enjoy a more free-floating approach.

I prefer a less rigid schedule, but I often work in bunches. After I send this, I’ll go through all my email before moving onto something else.

Do what works best for you, even if it’s not “best practices”.

Some people use todo lists, some put everything on their calendar, and some (most?) use both.

But there are outliers who don’t use either one.

They must spend a fortune on sticky-notes.

Filed Under: Productivity

Are you nuts, you can’s say that!

June 20, 2019 by David M. Ward

If you’ve ever felt like you aren’t a good writer, or if you think you’re okay but want to improve, I have some advice.

Put people in your writing.

Facts and logic are obviously important. But people provide context and an emotional element, helping your reader understand, relate to, and remember your message.

Tell stories. Give examples. Use your cases and clients and prospects to illustrate your points.

The other day, I read an attorney’s email newsletter. There were some good ideas in it but I can’t remember any of them. The information was good but his writing was abstract and boring.

So, don’t do that. When you talk about a problem, tell me about someone who had or has that problem. How does the problem affect them? And. . . what happened?

Yes?

Now, there’s one person in particular who should appear in your writing. You.

People want to know who you are, what you think, and what you’re like as a person. Prospective clients want to know what it would be like having you as their attorney.

Put more of you in your writing.

Don’t make it all about you. Nobody wants to read that. But don’t hide yourself, either, something I see a lot of attorneys do in their writing.

I used to do it myself.

As a young attorney, my writing was stiff and formal. One day, I decided to take the stick out of my assimus maximus and write like I speak.

Less formal, less measured, more transparent.

I was afraid I might hurt myself by sounding unprofessional. I was afraid I might reveal something about myself that I shouldn’t, or say something I thought was funny and wind up being offensive.

I’ve done all of the above, but, on balance, putting more of my personality in my writing was one of the best things I’ve ever done.

Try it. It may take some practice but once you get into the swing of things, once you let down your guard and have some fun with your writing, I know you’ll be pleased with the results.

One caveat: if your gut tells you you’ve gone too far, show your draft to your spouse or secretary or someone else who cares about you enough to say, “Are you nuts, you can’t say that!”

How to write a more effective newsletter

Filed Under: Writing

What’s next for you?

June 19, 2019 by David M. Ward

It’s the middle of the year. It’s also the middle of the month and the middle of the week. For some, it’s also the middle of the day.

You’ve accomplished some things this year, yes? The question is, “What’s next?”

What project are you working on now? What do you plan to start soon?

It may be vacation time for you and your clients. Things may be slow. But that won’t last. Before you can say, “motion granted,” the holidays will be here and we’ll be on the cusp of a new year.

My advice: use this time to figure out what’s next for you (if you haven’t already done that) and begin working on it.

Get thee ready for the coming storm.

You should do this even if things aren’t slow right now because you have to stay ahead of the game.

Where do you start?

When I start a new project, the first step I take is to write down the desired outcome. What do I want and why do I want it. Nothing fancy.

This may change. The project may expand in scope, contract, or the entire idea may become something else.

Then, since I’ve probably been thinking about this for awhile and have some notes, I gather up those notes and divide them into three categories: Tasks, Resources, and Notes.

Tasks are things I have to do or might have to do, even if that means thinking about something or doing a little exploratory research.

Resources are links and docs or people I might need.

Notes is for everything else.

And with that, the project is begun.

I give myself permission to put it aside, however. If I’m not ready to move forward on a project or I find something else I want to (or need to) work on, I put the project aside.

I have more than a few of these residing on my hard drive, ready for me to pick them up again.

Grab a legal pad or digital device and flesh out a project to work on over the next few months. If you have several options, choose the one that excites you (scares you) because that’s probably the one you should be working on.

If you decide you’re not ready for it, put your notes aside and flesh out another project. And don’t dillydally. It may be the start of summer but I can already hear the sound of sleigh bells in the distance.

I keep my notes in Evernote. Here’s my Evernote for Lawyers ebook

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: Project planning

Pay-per-ouch!

June 18, 2019 by David M. Ward

I read an article about the options available to lawyers for marketing their services. One of the options was pay-per-click ads.

But, it’s expensive, the article says. To wit: “The search term “Los Angeles personal injury lawyer” can cost as much as $140 per click.”

Not for a lead. Just for the click.

If ten people click on your ad, you’re in the hole for over $1,000 before you talk to anyone to find out if they have a case and can show them your dog and your pony.

That’s crazy, right?

Not necessarily.

There’s a reason PPC ads for PI lawyers in Los Angeles are expensive. They’re expensive because there are a lot of lawyers competing for those clicks, and they do that despite the high cost per click because they’re still able to make a profit.

If they weren’t, they wouldn’t bid so much for those clicks and the price would come down. Supply and demand.

The seemingly high price is proof that “Los Angeles personal injury lawyer” is a profitable keyword. At least for some lawyers.

If you’re a PI lawyer in LA, it is precisely the kind of keyword you should consider.

If you have the money. And you’ve got your act together and can convert enough of those clicks into clients, and those clients back into dollars.

Lawyer #1 thinks:

“If I spend $10,000 for 100 clicks and sign up just one case that earns me a $20,000 fee, I double my investment. Plus, I might get an a smaller case or two out of those clicks. Plus, I can build my list and generate some referrals. Sure, I might not bring in any business the first few months doing this, but eventually, I could bring in one or two massive cases.”

Lawyer #2 thinks:

“Yeah, but I might not get any cases. Or the cases I get might not be any good. I could lose my shirt.”

Both lawyers are right, of course.

There are other options. Other keywords to bid on, other forms of advertising, and other forms of marketing.

Be thankful you have options. And don’t rule out anything just because it’s expensive. It might be expensive for a reason.

If you’re ready to take a quantum leap in your practice

Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing legal services