What I’ve learned using the Pomodoro Technique

October 12, 2017 by
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I mentioned I’ve started using a Pomodoro timer to see if it helps me get more work done. When you don’t have a boss or clients or a set schedule, it’s easy to end your day and discover that you didn’t get that much done.

Using the timer keeps me focused on doing the work until it is done. Done might mean might mean finishing another group of tasks or another chapter, or it might mean completed a bunch of unrelated tasks.

While I’m working, if I have the urge to look at something online, I know it has to wait until the timer sounds and tells me it’s time for a break.

I ‘m also tracking my time reading and watching work-related videos. I give myself one Pomodoro (25 minutes) to do that each day. It’s how I keep my saw sharpened and my head (and Evernote) filled with ideas.

Anyway, so far, so good. I’m getting more work done and it feels good.

Doing this for the past few weeks has revealed some interesting things about how I use my time. Mostly, I’ve learned that some things take longer than I had thought. When I look at what I’ve done for the day or the week and compare that to how much time I spent doing it, I can see where I need to reconsider some of my priorities.

As I keep doing this, I will no doubt make some changes to my work flow. Some things will be allocated less time or eliminated, to make room for other things I’m not doing enough.

So here’s the thing.

If you’ve tried a Pomodoro timer in the past and stopped, as I did, try it again. There are a plethora of web apps and mobile apps you can use. Or find another way to track your time. If you bill hourly, start also tracking your non-billable time. If you don’t bill hourly, pretend you do.

You may gain some valuable insights into how you spend your day and identify some simple ways to improve your productivity and increase your income.

How I use Evernote to stay organized

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Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With:

Eighty percent of success is showing up

October 11, 2017 by
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Woody Allen famously said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” Being where you need to be when you need to be there.

In the context of marketing legal services, that means showing up when someone needs your help. But how do you do that?

You don’t know when someone will be in a collision, want to file for divorce, or start a business. You don’t know when someone is unhappy with their current attorney and is looking for a replacement.

And if you don’t know, you can’t show up. Or maybe you can.

You can create search engine optimized content so that when someone needs a lawyer and goes looking, they can find you.

You can write articles and run ads in publications and on websites where your target market is likely to see them.

You can educate your clients about who would make a good client for you and the best way to refer them and let them keep their eyes and ears open for you. You can do the same thing with professionals and other referral sources.

These strategies will help you get your name and message in front of prospective clients when they need your help. But there’s another strategy you should consider.

You should get your name and message in front of prospective clients before they need you.

You do that through a newsletter, a blog, a podcast, or a video channel. You build a list of subscribers and you stay in touch with them, sharing your knowledge and showing them how you can help them. As you do that, they see your passion and commitment to their niche or local market. They get to know, like, and trust you, and when they need your services (or know someone who does), you’ll be right there, ready to help.

Many lawyers do marketing sporadically. When you understand the value of building a list of prospective clients and you “bake” marketing into your daily method of operation, when you are never not marketing, you are never without clients.

Start or improve your marketing with this

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Newsletters Tagged With:

You’re smart enough but are you lazy enough?

October 10, 2017 by
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You know I’m a fan of the book, “The 80/20 Principle” by Richard Koch. He wrote a sequel, “Living the 80/20 Way: Work Less, Worry Less, Succeed More, Enjoy More. In it, Koch quotes General Erich von Manstein, an officer in the German army, speaking about leadership:

“There are only four types of officers.

First, there are the lazy, stupid ones. Leave them alone, they do no harm.

Second, there are the hard-working intelligent ones. They make excellent staff officers, ensuring that every detail is properly considered.

Third, there are the hard-working, stupid ones. These people are a menace, and must be fired at once. They create irrelevant work for everybody.

Finally, there are the intelligent lazy ones. They are suited for the highest office.”

Different versions of this citation have appeared, sometimes attributing the quote to others. In 1942 Viscount Swinton (Philip Lloyd-Greame) spoke in the House of Lords in London. He described the four classes of officers and credited an unnamed German General:

The clever and lazy you make Chief of Staff, because he will not try to do everybody else’s work, and will always have time to think.

What does this tell us? I think it tells us that maybe we are too industrious for our own good. Maybe we need to do less work and more thinking. Maybe we need to delegate more work to hard-working intelligent people who will take care of the details while we take care of the big picture.

I’m going to take some time to think about this. How about you?

Behold: an easier way to get more referrals from other professionals

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Filed Under: Leverage, success Tagged With:

Is asking your clients for help a sign of weakness?

October 9, 2017 by
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Some attorneys believe that asking their clients (and others) for help is a sign of weakness. They think that any help a client might give them–referrals, sharing their content, liking their videos, posting a review–should and will happen organically, with no prompting from them.

In truth, while some clients will help you on their own, most won’t. Not because they don’t want to but because they don’t know what to do or they’re busy and forget to do it.

Your clients want to send you referrals. They want to help you and they want to help their friends. If you don’t tell your clients who would make a good referral for you and show them the best way to facilitate the referral, you make it harder for them to do. So their friend might wind up with another attorney who doesn’t do a good job or charges them more.

By not asking for help, you’re hurting your clients and the people they care about.

Your clients want other people to know you did a good job for them. Other people who are looking for an attorney depend on reviews by people who have hired you in the past. If you don’t ask your clients to leave a review, they might think you don’t care about reviews and not leave one. You’re denying them the satisfaction of helping others find you.

You think asking for help shows weakness when in truth it is a sign of strength and confidence. It shows people that you know don’t live in an ivory tower, you live in the real world and depend on others for your success. It is a sign of humility and respect for your clients and for yourself.

When you understand this, you realize that asking for help is no more a sign of weakness than asking a client to pay your bill.

How to make it easier for your clients to send you referrals

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Filed Under: Client relations

How to get more positive reviews

October 6, 2017 by
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You obviously know that positive reviews and testimonials are some of your most powerful marketing assets. If you’re not actively soliciting and using these in your practice, you’re missing the boat.

If you’re on the boat and you want to get more (and better) reviews, I’m going to show you how.

STEP ONE

Gather up a handful of your best reviews and testimonials. (If you’re lacking in this department, I’ll show you what to do.)

STEP TWO

Take three or four of your best reviews and send them to all new clients, along with a letter that says something like this:

“My practice depends on keeping our clients not just satisfied but delighted. That’s what I’m working to achieve. Enclosed are a few reviews I’ve received from clients that show me that I’m doing things right.

I’m proud of reviews like these and I will do my best to provide you with the same high level of service and satisfaction as expressed by these clients. That’s my promise to you.

At the end of the case, if you feel I’ve delivered on that promise, I hope you will also leave me a great review.”

STEP THREE

At the end of the case, when you survey your clients, include a letter reminding them of your promise and your hope that if they believed you delivered on that promise, they would be inclined to leave you a good review.

Enclose a few additional positive reviews and give them a link to your review profile or a page where you’d like them to post their review.

And that’s it. This should bring you more reviews and better reviews, because you planted the idea that reviews are normal, expected, and appreciated, gave them examples of great reviews, and at the end of the case, reminded them to leave one.

Now, what do you do if you don’t have great reviews to show your clients?

That’s simple. Write them yourself.

Write the reviews you’d like to receive from your clients. Include all the accolades you’d love to see, and more importantly, prospective clients need to see to convince themselves that you’re the one.

Send these to new clients as examples of good reviews.

Tell them you wrote the reviews yourself because although you have positive reviews (if you do), they are brief and you hope that by sending these examples to your new clients, when the time comes, they will find it easier to write a more detailed review.

Tell them you promise to work hard and keep them happy and that if you deliver on that promise, you hope they will feel compelled to write a review of that caliber.

Live up to that standard and it won’t be long before you’ll have some amazing real reviews to show your clients.

Make your website great again

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: ,

The secret to my success

October 5, 2017 by
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Want to know the secret to my success? The secret is simple. I do a few things well.

That’s it. A few things. The “precious few” in 80/20 parlance, that deliver the majority of my results.

I run three businesses. In each business, there are only a few things I focus on to keep the wheels turning. Well, actually, one business is nearly 100% passive income and requires almost none of my time anymore. The other two businesses are flexible enough that I can work at them when (and if) I choose. So for me, at this stage of my life, my precious few are “writing, learning, and marketing.”

How about you?

If you run a law practice, your precious few probably include, “marketing, management, personal development, and work product”. Am I right?

[Sidebar: Don’t be one of those lawyers who foolishly boasts that they don’t do any marketing. Everything you do is marketing.

Every time you speak to a client you’re showing them why they should remain your client and refer their friends. Every time you give someone your card or mention your website you’re inviting them to learn more about you do. Every time you talk to a prospective client or fellow professional you’re showing them why they should do business with you. It’s all marketing. All of it.

Okay, back on the record.]

Let’s start with “areas of focus”. You run a law practice, you have a personal life. That’s two. You might also do charitable work, be active in your church, or have a hobby or outside interest that’s important to you.

What are your precious few areas of focus?

Next, for each area of focus, think about the precious few things you focus on (or need to).

For your practice, what are the precious few things you do for marketing?

You may focus on a few types of clients, niche markets, or practice areas. Your strategies might include client referrals, professional referrals, and driving traffic to your website. If you advertise, your precious few might include a group of niche publications, keywords, or offers that deliver the majority of your results. You might create content, build a social media following, or speak or network in the “real world”.

What are they? What are precious few in your marketing?

For work product, you might derive most of your income from a certain type of case or client or a certain type of work. What are your precious few?

For management, you might focus on new client intake procedures (although that’s also marketing), billing, and document management. You might focus on hiring the best people, training, or building culture. What are your precious few?

For personal development, you might work on building a new habit, improving a particular skill, or acquiring a certain type of knowledge. What do you focus on? What are your precious few?

In the end, success comes from doing a few simple things. It can’t be any other way. You can’t do 100 things and expect to do them all well. You can’t focus on 100 things you can only focus on a few.

I built my practice with referrals. It was one of my precious few.

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Filed Under: Law office management, Marketing legal services, Personal development, success Tagged With: , ,

What breed of dog does your client own?

October 4, 2017 by
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What’s the name of the last client you spoke to? How well do you know them?

Are they married? What’s their spouse’s name?

Do they have kids? How old are they?

What part of town do they live in? Do they play any sports? Do you know the name of their accountant, tax preparer, and insurance agent? How about the name of their dog?

I know it’s difficult to build a personal relationship with all of your clients but how about some of them?

Or are you the type who does the work and that’s the end of it?

No communication, no relationship, nothing from you. If they contact you again, fine. Otherwise, you don’t have time for them.

Please say that’s not true. Please say you make an effort to get to know at least some of your clients and that you make it a habit to stay in touch with all of them.

If you don’t, it’s not too late to start. Reach out at least one client this week and have a conversation with them. Take a few minutes to find out something about their personal life. Write it down so you’ll remember it. Verify their email address so you can stay in touch.

Every client you do this with represents potential growth for your practice. Even if they never hire you again, they can send referrals, introduce you to other professionals, share your content, promote your events, and send traffic to your website. Oh yeah, they can also write a positive review about you, including how much they appreciate that you stay in touch with them after the work was done.

Before you spend another hour attending a networking event and talking to strangers, how about networking with the people who already know, like, and trust you?

Start here

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services

Working three hours a day

October 3, 2017 by
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I saw a blog post this morning citing a study about productivity in the UK. The study found that most people (in the study at least) are productive just under three hours a day.

True or not, it got me thinking. What would happen if we intentionally chose to work no more than three hours? Hey, in comparison to a four-hour work week, three hours a day is positively Draconian.

Is it possible? If it were, how would it change your life? Your health? Your happiness?

If you work for someone, your first thought might be that you would get canned if you only showed up three hours a day. Fair enough. So suppose (for now) that you showed up for eight hours or whatever you’re contracted for, got all your work done in three hours and nobody knew what you did the rest of the day?

If you work for yourself, imagine getting your work done in three hours, after which you could go home.

I know, sounds crazy, but what if it’s not?

Assuming arguendo that it is possible, what would you have to do to make it so?

Humor me. Think about it. You might ultimately conclude that it’s not possible but what if by thinking about it and making some changes you could cut an hour a day off your schedule?

Could you use an extra five (or six) hours a week to do something else?

Today, I don’t have answers for you. Just questions, to get you thinking. What would you have to do to make this happen?

What could you cut out? What could you consolidate? What could you delegate? And what could you do more quickly if you had better skills, equipment, or experience?

Think! Plant the idea in your subconscious and let it go to work for you. Let it find some ways for you to get your work done in less time.

I know, some people reading this are thinking, “It won’t matter. If I get my work done in three hours, I’ll spend the rest of the day doing more work.”

Lawyers. You can’t argue with them. Or take away their hourly billing.

Leverage is the key to earning more and working less. Here’s the formula

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Filed Under: Productivity

Live, from your office. . .

October 2, 2017 by
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The other day I recommended not relying solely on live presentations but to record them so they can go to work for you 24/7.

It’s leverage. Do it once, use it over and over again.

But don’t stop doing live presentations.

I don’t just mean “live and in person”. I mean live online. Podcasts, hangouts, chats, webinars, and so on, that are presented in real time. There’s magic in something done live.

When you promote a recorded video, it’s harder to create a sense of urgency. You can say, “This will only be available until. . .” but you then lose the ability to get eyeballs on an ongoing basis. If you leave it up all the time, many people say, “I’ll catch it later,” but we all know that later often never comes.

When you do it live, however, you can promote it as a special event because it is special. You can say, or more likely imply “Never before and never again,” has this been done, creating an even bigger sense of urgency.

When it’s live, you can say, “Join me” or “Ask me anything” and thus provide more value and build a closer relationship with your followers. Or you can promote it by saying you’re presenting some new or timely information that shouldn’t be missed.

One of the biggest draws of a live event is that nobody knows what will happen. What will be said, what will be asked, what information will be shared for the first time? And let’s face it, one reason people watch live events is that they know it could be a train wreck and they want to see that.

One way to make your live events have more train-wreck potential is to have someone else speak with you. If you have a co-presenter, a panel discussion, you interview someone or have someone interview you, the likelihood of something noteworthy or cringeworthy happening is even greater. (You’ll also get the other speakers’ followers to tune in.)

Do some live events and watch your subscriber numbers and engagement soar. Of course, you should also record these events so you can use them again or make them available 24/7. But you might not want to mention that you’re recording it when you promote it for the first time.

Let your website do the heavy lifting: Marketing online for attorneys

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Filed Under: Blogging, Leverage, List building, Marketing legal services, Online Marketing, Presentations, Seminars and webinars

If I could save time in a bottle

September 29, 2017 by
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If I could save time in a bottle. . . I’d sell it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to buy more time? More time with your family. More time for hobbies or worthy causes, more time get more work done.

How much would like to buy?

Unfortunately, I can’t sell you any time. But I can show you how to get it for yourself.

The first way to get more time is to steal it. Steal it from what you’re currently doing by taking on fewer tasks and projects or fewer cases and clients, and focusing on a smaller number of more valuable matters. Delegate less valuable work to others.

The second way to get more time is to get your work done more quickly. You can do that by improving your skills and knowledge, learning new skills and methods, using better tools, and developing better habits and workflows. Delegating work to others will also help.

The third way to get more time is to specialize in your practice areas and in the clients you target. This will allow you to charge higher fees and attract more clients (and better clients) who prefer attorneys who specialize.

The fourth way to steal time is through marketing, which will allow you to bring in bigger cases and clients, and allow you to hire more help.

Even better, instead of “one and done” marketing activities, do things that can bring in new business with little or no additional effort. Instead of only doing live presentations or seminars, for example, record them so they can go to work for you 24/7. Instead of networking to find clients, network to find more referral sources.

All of these will give you more time and more income. I know, because this is what I did to build my practice when I was struggling.

Work on fewer more valuable things, become more efficient, specialize, and get better at marketing. That’s how I was able to earn more and work less, and that’s how you can, too.

How I did it: the formula

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Filed Under: Leverage, Marketing legal services, Productivity, Specializing
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