David M. Ward – Page 215

To attorneys who refuse to change their underwear

September 16, 2016 by David M. Ward

We know that attorneys resist change and we know why. Change implies risk and risk avoidance is in our DNA. Weâ€™re paid to watch our clientsâ€™ backs and itâ€™s only natural that we do the same for ourselves.

Yes, change implies risk. If you change your strategy, tools, or process, you might get poorer results. You might waste time or money. You might embarrass yourself or your firm. So we often wait until other attorneys do it first. (Is it any wonder that the average attorney gets average results and earns an average income?)

Anyway, for most attorneys, change usually happens slowly, if at all.

But change can be good. It can lead to better results, especially if youâ€™re the first lawyer on your block to do something. Change also allows you to learn new things and meet new people and open up opportunities for growth.

Change can also feel good. I get a rush every time I buy a new computer, donâ€™t you?

Attorneys are smart and have the resources to accommodate change. They can afford to buy new tech and try new ideas, they can afford to hire people to do most of the heavy lifting, and they can afford to lose their investment should things not pan out.

For many attorneys, accepting change comes down to ROI. They know it takes time to learn and implement new ideas and in return, they demand a big return on that investment. Not just an incremental increase but a huge increase, to compensate for their time and the risks of being wrong.

Nowhere is the potential for a huge ROI more apparent than with marketing.

One new strategy, one new referral source, one new keyword can lead to a massive increase in traffic, leads, prospects, and new clients. On top of that, the potential downside is de minimis.

So take off your training wheels, remove your protective padding, leave your first aid kit at home, and dive in. Do something youâ€™ve never done before. Or change something youâ€™ve never changed before.

Worst case, youâ€™ll find something that doesnâ€™t work for you.

But if things go well, you might find, as I did when I fully embraced marketing, a measure of success beyond anything previously imagined.

Marketing is easier when you know the formula

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: embracing change

Working hard or hardly working?

September 15, 2016 by David M. Ward

All our lives we’ve been told that hard work is essential to success. The personÂ who works harderÂ than other people generally achieves more than other people.

But is that always true? Does someone who earns a million dollars a year work ten times more than someone who earns $100k? What about people who work incredibly long hours every day but continually struggle?

We’ve also been told that there are no shortcuts to success. It doesn’t happen overnight. Okay, then how do you explain the manyÂ tech entrepreneurs who are billionaires before they’re 30?

I don’t purport to have all the answers but clearly, there isn’t an absolute causal connection between effort and results, hard work and success. There are other factors at play. That’s why I continually look for ways to work smarter.

Working smarter is about leverage. Getting bigger (or quicker) results with the same or less effort. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to do that.

You frequently hear me prattle on about the 80/20 principle. I do that because it is the quintessential illustration of leverage and I encourage you to continually look for ways to use it to increase your income and improve your life.

Where does most of your income come, for example? The odds are that a high percentage of it comes from a few things you’re doing, the so-called “20% activities that deliver 80% of your results”. Look at your practice area(s), target market(s), and marketing methods. You’re likely to see that most of your income comes from a “precious few” things, not from the “trivial many”.

When you find yourÂ precious few, do more of them. Get rid of other thingsÂ to free up time and resources so that you can make that happen.

If 80% of your income now comes from one or two marketing activities, for example, doing more of those activities could increase your income by 160%. That’s because you’ll have two blocks of 20% activities instead of just one.

Back when I was a cub lawyer, struggling to figure things out, I made three changes to what I was doing and my income skyrocketed. In a matter of months. I also went from working six days a week to just three.

So nobody can tell me there aren’t any shortcuts. Now, if you will excuse me, it’s time for my nap.

How I learned toÂ earn more and work less. Yep, it’s all here

Filed Under: Leverage, Productivity, success Tagged With: 80/20 principle, pareto principle

Lawyers, what’s wrong with this picture?

September 13, 2016 by David M. Ward

A business owner’s truck was in front of me in traffic the other day. I knew it belonged to a business owner because there was a decal on the back window of the cab that advertised the owner’s business. Actually, it advertised the owner’s two businesses.

Behold:

“[Owner’s last name] Professional Auto Detail & Landscape [phone number]”

Okay, what’s wrong with this picture?

If you’re looking for a landscaper for your yard, are you going to choose one that also does auto detail or will you keep looking and hire a specialist?

Correct.

It’s okay to own more than one business. But you have to be careful about how you market them.

If you’re a lawyer and a licensed as a real estate broker, for example, stifle the urge to mention both in the same breath. Or ad. Or car decal.

In fact, consider not telling anyone you’re also a broker. You’ll scare away prospective clients who want to hire someone who is dedicated to practicing law and successful enough at it that they don’t have to do anything else. Mentioning you’re also a broker will also scare away prospective real estate broker referral sources who see you as a competitor.

You know where I’m going with this. If you have more than one practice area, be careful how you promote yourself.

Clients prefer to hire a lawyer who specializes. If they’re looking for a divorce lawyer, for example, the fact that you also handle criminal defense doesn’t help, it hurts. Clients think you might not be as good as a lawyer who only handles family law. (Some clients may stay away because, “ew, she has criminals in her waiting room. . .”)

Does that mean you should have separate websites, brochures, ads, presentations, and other marketing collateral for each practice area? Unless your practice areas are a natural fit, you should consider it. Personal injury, workers’ compensation, and med mal, go together. Small business transactional and litigation are fine. Estate planning and elder law work. Other mixes, perhaps not so much.

Think about it, okay? Especially when you order your next truck decal.

Make sure you don’t send out a mixed marketing message. This will help

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Specializing

You wonâ€™t know for sure unless you try it (again)

September 12, 2016 by David M. Ward

You say you donâ€™t like networking but have you given it a fair chance? Maybe youâ€™ve been doing it wrong. Maybe you havenâ€™t met the right people. Maybe you havenâ€™t done it enough to get good at it.

So how can you say itâ€™s â€œnot for youâ€?

I thought network marketing wasnâ€™t for me until I found something I couldnâ€™t refuse and made a fortune with it. I learned that I could do it without compromising my values or being someone I am not. And, whereas I didnâ€™t stick with it in the past, this time, I gave it the time it was due and itÂ made all the difference.

There are a lot of ways to market legal services and you should try as many of them as you can. If youâ€™ve tried them once and they â€œdidnâ€™t workâ€ or you â€œdidnâ€™t like them,â€ try again. You may find that things have changed, or that you have changed. What was once off the table may become a valuable practice building tool for you.

Start by learning as much as you can. If advertising has always been distasteful to you, for example, or you havenâ€™t considered it because your bar rules forbid it, keep learning. You may discover a way to do it that â€œyou never thought ofâ€. Hereâ€™s an example: instead of advertising your practice, your services, or yourself, advertise your book, report or seminar. Sell it or give it away and let it sell readers on you.

Next, find some practitioners who use these methods and study them. What are they doing? How are they doing it? Can you make some changes that better suit your style and market?

Finally, if youâ€™re still not crazy about a marketing method, consider other ways you can get the benefits of that method without a lot of personal involvement. Delegate to staff or to VAs or hire an outside company to do it for you.

In other words, you donâ€™t have to love something to profit from it.

Donâ€™t be like many attorneys: stubborn, closed-minded, stuck in your ways. The world is changing and if you donâ€™t change it with it, you may be left behind.

Start or restart your marketing with a plan

Filed Under: Advertising, Marketing legal services

Itâ€™s hard but itâ€™s worth it

September 9, 2016 by David M. Ward

I watched a movie the other day that featured a young man who earned his living playing the violin in the subway. One day, the violin was stolen and just like that, he was out of business.

I thought about how lucky I am that I earn my living with my brain. Steal my computer and, thanks to the cloud, Iâ€™d be back in business in a flash. If push came to shove, I could be okay with just my phone.

And I like that. I like that I donâ€™t need a factory or a store or inventory. I like that I can earn my way with my knowledge, skills, and words.

But itâ€™s not just what I know, itâ€™s also who I know. Or, more particularly, who knows me. People like you, for example, who read what I write and buy what I sell. And the people who interview me, promote my products and services, and send me referrals.

I appreciate you.

I went to law school not so much because I felt compelled to be a lawyer but because I didnâ€™t know what else I wanted to do. The idea of being paid for talking and writing appealed to me, as did the idea of helping people, but when I opened my own practice and struggled to pay my rent, I thought Iâ€™d made a mistake.

I kept going because I didnâ€™t know what else to do.

Being a lawyer is hard work. Building a law practice is a pursuit meant for crazy people. But Iâ€™m glad I didnâ€™t know what else to do because today, Iâ€™m thankful for what Iâ€™ve got.

It was hard but it was worth it.

If youâ€™re in a bad place right now and you have something else you can do, do it. No regrets, just get out and start the next phase of your life.

But if you donâ€™t know what else to do, be thankful for what you have. Your skills and knowledge and contacts are valuable and can take you wherever you want to go.

You can build a successful practice if you know the formula

Filed Under: Inspiration

Build a better practice with a better file closing checklist

September 8, 2016 by David M. Ward

Most attorneys do a good job of onboardingÂ new clients. They have a processÂ for obtaining the information they need and explaining things to the client.Â They have documents ready for the new client to fill out, review, and sign. They have a routine for calendaring dates and follow-ups, and a set ofÂ form letters they mail to get the case started right.

They do these things to protect themselves from omissions, to save time, and because it givesÂ the client a good first impression.

Unfortunately, not as many attorneys are asÂ disciplined or detailed-oriented about how they close their files. But how you close a file is as important as how you open it.

What you do or donâ€™t do at the end of the case can determine whether the client will hireÂ you again,Â post positive comments and reviews, and refer other clients your way.

Of course, you lay the foundation for these thingsÂ at every appointment and with every email or letter you send. But the final appointment is your last and best opportunity to â€œsellâ€ the client and warrant your time and attention.

Your final appointment/file-closing process should includeÂ things that are too often taken for granted. You should have a checklist that addresses

What you say (e.g., asking if they have additional questions, cross-selling your other services, advising them about possible future needs, etc.)
What you give them (e.g., â€œafter-careâ€ instructions, marketing collateral, checklists, reports and other â€œadded value,â€ etc.)
What you do (e.g., scheduling follow-up letters and calls, enrolling them in your newsletter, final billing/accounting, contacting them a few days later to make sure all is well, etc.)
What you ask them to do (e.g., asking for referrals and/or to pass out your information, asking for a review or testimonial, asking them to fill out a survey,Â etc.)

It should also include a review of the file to seeÂ what went right and what could be improved.

These things should be planned in advance. You should know who will do them (you, staff) and when. They should be a regular part of your routine and you should continually seek to improve them.

Because how you close a file is as important asÂ how you open it.

How to get more referrals from your clients before, during, and after the engagement: here

Filed Under: Law office management, Referrals

Is this the cure for procrastination?

September 7, 2016 by David M. Ward

Youâ€™ve got things you need to do but you donâ€™t want to do them. You may even have things you wantÂ to do but for some reason, youâ€™re putting them off. I just heard about a simple way to overcome procrastination, courtesy of the late Raymond Chandler.

As a full-time novelist, Chandler believed that he should maintain a schedule of 4 hours of writing each day but he sometimes struggled to stick with it. He decided to do something about it by creating a simple rule to follow, and itÂ helped him do the job.

Chandlerâ€™s rule was simple: either write or do nothing.

And nothing meant nothing.

By giving himself a choice, he avoided the guilt of not writing and thus didnâ€™t force himself to do it, something he was sure would lead to poor results. He quickly found that when you donâ€™t do anything, you get bored and getting back to work feels like a much better alternative.

Chandler’s rule applied to writingÂ but is equally applicable to any task.Â If you want to try it, schedule a fixed time limit for your work and, perhaps, a fixed time of day. This should make it easier for you to choose the work, knowing that while there might be some unpleasantness, it won’t be never-ending.

In addition, eliminate all of the usual distractions. Close your browser, turn off your phone, and ask your staff not to disturb you. For some tasks, you might consider getting out of the office and going to the library.

Or, do what I did when I was faced with a big stack of files on my desk I had been avoiding for several weeks.

These were problem files and I didnâ€™t want to look at them. I knew I had to but kept putting it off. I was getting anxious about what might happen if I put them off any longer and had to find a way to do it.

I got some help.

I had my wife come to the office and sit across the desk from me. She didnâ€™t do anything or say anything, she just sat with me, silent, giving me the choice of either sitting quietly and doing nothing or digging into the files. I chose the latter and got through them in less than an hour.

Itâ€™s amazing what you can when you have a choice to not do them. Itâ€™s also amazing what you can do when you haveÂ your wife in the room watching you squirm.

Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: procrastinating, procrastination

The simplest way to beat your competition

September 6, 2016 by David M. Ward

Youâ€™ve heard me pound on the importance of creating a profile of your ideal client. I hope you have files set up for notes, ideas, articles, lists of key websites and blogs, sample emails, and everything else there is to know about them and their world.

Because the more you know about your ideal client, the easier it will be to attract them and show them why they should hire you instead of any other lawyer.

Your file should include information about their background, problems, and goals. It should detail their likely legal issues and the circumstances that precede them. It should note the books and magazines and blogs they read and where they network or hang out online.

You should become an expert on your ideal client and know more about them than any other attorney in your market. When you do, youâ€™ll be able to write to and speak to them using examples, terminology, and stories that resonate with them and show them that youÂ have helped many others like them.

It’s the simplest way to beat your competition.

If you have more than one practice area, you should do the same thing for your ideal client in each practice area. Marketing a divorce practice is very different from marketing a personal injury practice.

You should also set up research files about your referral sources.

This takes time but it makes marketing easier and more effective. Your superior knowledge can help you dominate your niche. Your ideal clients will see you as the best choice. Theyâ€™ll pay you higher fees, stay with you longer, and recommend you to others.

On the other hand, if you donâ€™t have this knowledge and arenâ€™t aligned with your ideal client, your marketing will be unfocused and look like every other lawyerâ€™s marketing. Instead of creating content that speaks to your ideal client and the people who can refer them, youâ€™ll create generic content that speaks to nobody. Instead of seeking out and networking with the people you want to work with, youâ€™ll waste your time networking with â€œanyoneâ€.

Jim Rohn said, â€œIf you want to be successful, study success.â€ I say,Â “If you want to attract your ideal client, study your ideal client–and the people who can refer them.â€

This will help you create a profile of your ideal client

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: ideal client, target market

Want more clients? Try this.

September 2, 2016 by David M. Ward

Hereâ€™s the thing: no matter what you do, some of the people on your list wonâ€™t hire you. Even though they know they need your help, even though they have the money, they still wonâ€™t pull the trigger.

You can send them more information. And more success stories. You can remind them about their pain and the consequences of doing nothing about it. You can explain the steps you take working with your clients so they can see how thorough and caringÂ you are. You can rhapsodize about the benefits your clients get that other lawyers donâ€™t offer.

And you should do this. Give your list a steady diet of information about why they should hire you and you will get more clients.

But youâ€™ll still have holdouts.

Should you bother with them? Of course. Just because you have to do more work to get them on board doesnâ€™t mean theyâ€™ll be a bad client.

SoÂ what else can you do? You can do something most lawyers never do. You can offer them a free service.

Thatâ€™s ridiculous, you say. Giving away free information, sure. But giving away free services makes no sense. You sell your services, after all. You canâ€™t earn a living working for free.

Hold on. I’m not proposing treason. Hear me out.

A free service, even a very small and limited one, allows people to â€œtryâ€ you. Even though they donâ€™t pay you, they are now a client. They get to meet you and your staff. They get to see you in action.Â They come to trust you. And theyâ€™re happy they decided to “hire”Â you.

So when you offer them another (paid) service they need, there is almost zero resistance.

Think of it like advertising. You give away $300 of your time (your advertising or marketing cost), in return for $3000 in revenue. And letâ€™s not forget referrals which can multiply that number.

Isnâ€™t this the theory behind free consultations? If you donâ€™t mind, Iâ€™ll answer my own question: yes it is.

You donâ€™t have to offer a free service to everyone, nor do you have to offer it all of the time. Try it once or twice, with a limited group of prospective clients, and see how it goes. Maybe a â€œyear-endâ€ or â€œholidayâ€ special, just for first-time clients. And if you don’t want to offer a free service, offerÂ a discount.

Your objective is to bring in new clients and this is a proven way to do it. What they pay you over their lifetime is far greater than what they pay you on the front end.

How to get more clients to give you more referrals

Filed Under: Marketing legal services Tagged With: free consultations, special offers