David M. Ward, Author at The Attorney Marketing Center

How to use ProWritingAid to improve your legal writing

March 10, 2021 by David M. Ward

The other day I mentioned I use and recommend the grammar app ProWritingAid (PWA). This article, “6 Reasons Attorneys Should Use ProWritingAid to Write Legal Documents,” has some helpful information about the app and how to use it.

The author isn’t an attorney and most of what she says applies to any kind of writing, but she does a good job of highlighting some of PWA’s important features that should interest every attorney.

Note that PWA doesn’t have a “legal module” or dictionary, but it allows you to “teach” it legal words or phrases so it won’t continually flag them as errors.

The article makes a good point about why lawyers should use a Plagiarism checker. If you quote a legal opinion, for example, search engines may consider it plagiarism and penalize you. Using a plagiarism checker will alert you to anything that might be a problem.

PWA has a built-in plagiarism checker, but note there is an extra cost.

PWA works on your desktop or in your browser and offers integrations with Scrivener, Word, Docs and other writing apps.

Most of the apps we use for writing check spelling, and many also check grammar and usage, but these apps usually aren’t as thorough as a stand-alone app.

I checked this post with PWA before publishing it, and it suggested a couple of improvements. No matter how good we think we are, there’s always room for improvement.

If you’re looking for an app to improve your writing, or want to compare what you’re using now, consider signing up for the free version of PWA and giving it a go.

Filed Under: Writing

How much is a new client worth to you?

March 9, 2021 by David M. Ward

Over their lifetime, a new client is potentially worth a fortune to you. Their repeat business and referrals will certainly be worth many times what they pay you initially.

At least that’s how you have to look at it.

The “one time” client who pays you $1,000 could come back with bigger matters, or a series of smaller ones. They could refer other clients, tell their contacts about you, share your content, promote your event or blog or channel, or provide a testimonial or positive review, all of which can bring you more business.

Of course those new clients are (statistically) likely to provide you with more of the same.

Your next new client might provide you with enough business to pay your monthly mortgage or your groceries for a year. They might bring you your next multi-million dollar case or client.

Hold on. That’s a new client. An established client, someone who already knows you and your work, may provide you with even more.

When you realize this and embrace it, you know how important it is to make getting and keeping clients your priority.

The time you spend blogging, networking on social media, or writing a newsletter isn’t wasted time, it’s an investment with the potential to provide a massive ROI.

The money you invest in advertising, webinars, or other paid marketing methods, the time you invest in staying in touch with your subscribers and clients, and the resources you devote to hiring and training good staff, are time and money well spent.

So is your investment in personal development. Becoming a better lawyer, a better communicator, and a better marketer is worth it.

Because that’s how you get and keep good clients.

Ready to take a quantum leap in your marketing? Here’s how

Filed Under: Client loyalty, Increase your income, Marketing legal services Tagged With: lifetime value

How much do you charge?

March 8, 2021 by David M. Ward

When you hear from a prospective client who’s first question is, “How much do you charge?” that’s not a good sign.

A prospect who is more focused on price than value, on your fees rather than your solutions to his problem, means you may be dealing with someone who’s going to question everything you do for them and every bill you send them.

So don’t answer that question.

Instead, ask them questions, to learn more about their problem (and pain), to find out what they’re doing now or have done before, and to find out what they want from you, so you can tailor your answer to their situation.

And so you can control the conversation.

You want them to sell you on accepting them as a client, instead of you selling them on hiring you. You do that by asking questions.

When you know enough to quote a fee, you can give them a number or present their options, e.g., Service A or Service B, Package A or Package B. Do this in person or on the phone, if possible, so you can read them, respond to any objections, and close the deal.

Or you can turn the conversation over to a surrogate. “My office manager handles all the fees and billing. . .”

Because someone else can edify you and your capabilities in ways you can’t.

Before any of the above, make sure you have a page on your website that provides general information about your fees and billing practices. No, don’t post your fees. That invites price shopping and discourages prospects from contacting you.

Keep it general. Tell them you bill by the hour or offer flat fees or contingency fees and encourage them to contact you to learn more.

Whatever you do, don’t say “low fees” or “competitive” fees or otherwise suggest you charge less than other lawyers.

Because you don’t (or shouldn’t). And because that’s what attracts people who’s first question is, “How much do you charge?”

How to quote fees and get clients to pay them

Filed Under: Attorneys fees, Fees and Billing

I’m a professional quitter

March 5, 2021 by David M. Ward

In eighth grade, I joined the wrestling team. I gave it a semester and quit when I realized I wasn’t good enough and didn’t like it.

But isn’t quitting for losers?

Everyone says

Work harder
Give it time
You’ll get better with practice
You’ll learn to like it
If you quit, you’ll never know how good you could be
Do it anyway, it’s good for you

Well-intentioned advice, I’m sure, but is it right?

Ozan Varol says that sometimes quitting might be the best thing we can do:

Iâ€™m a professional quitter. After serving on the Mars Exploration Rovers mission, I quit rocket science and went to law school. After practicing law for a few years, I left to join academia. Most recently, I decided to quit that as well and give up the security of tenure to double down on popular writing and speaking.
I quit things I donâ€™t enjoy. I give up on ideas that fail to live up to expectations. I jettison projects that no longer serve me or my mission in the world.

He acknowledges that many people quit too soon and never find out what they might have accomplished. “Yet many people persist when they should quit,” he says.

If you continually fail at something, or resist doing it, it might be a sign that you should stop doing it.

Varol notes that when we continue doing things that aren’t working for us, aside from being unhappy, we pass up the opportunity to do something else, something we might be great at and love.

Those of us who have changed careers and found success doing something else know this is true.

And what’s true for careers can also be true for work projects, marketing methods, and marriages. Quitting may not only be a viable option, it might be the best one.

So, what would you like to quit today?

Filed Under: Personal development, success

How to use email to build your practice

March 4, 2021 by David M. Ward

I had a new desk pad delivered yesterday. Today, I got an email from IKEA asking for feedback about my purchase. The kind of emails we’re all used to getting.

The kind of emails we should all be sending.

Do you send your clients a “how did we do” email at the end of the case? You should. Their feedback will help you improve what you do, but even if they don’t respond, your email shows your clients that you care about doing a good job for them, you’re organized, and you don’t want the case or matter to be the end of the “conversation”.

Here are a few more ways to use email to build your practice:

Thank someone. Look for opportunities to say thank you to the people you know and meet. Send them to clients for choosing you, being easy to work with, for their patience, for their referral or for telling someone about you.

Send them to prospects who considered you, the adjuster or lawyer who was pleasant to work with, to the blogger or podcaster who interviewed you or mentioned you on social.

Saying thank you shows people you noticed them and appreciate what they did. It makes them want to continue to know you and work with you.

Send news or information. Share articles and links with people in your network, even if they’re not subscribed to your newsletter. Share case updates with clients, in addition to your regular reports, telling them something you did for them or you’re about to do, and say something positive about their case or situation.
Praise someone. When you read an article or book you liked, write to the author and tell them so. When you hear about someone in your niche or local market who got an award or another accomplishment, send a note and tell them “good job”. When you hear about someone you’d like to know, write and tell them something you admire about them or their work.
Say hello. Write to a former client, an old friend, a former co-worker, or someone you haven’t seen or spoken to in a long time. Say hello, you were thinking about them, and ask how they’re doing.

Emails like these can lead to phone calls, which can lead to new clients, repeat business, referrals, and friendships.

Get in the habit of sending emails like this each week and watch your practice grow.

For more on email and newsletter marketing, get my email marketing course

Filed Under: Email, Marketing legal services, Networking

How to say no without coming off as a jerk

March 3, 2021 by David M. Ward

Your inboxes and ears are filled with requests from clients, friends, family, co-workers, subscribers, people in your social network, and others who want something from you but can’t or won’t hire you.

How do you say no without feeling guilty or appearing to be a jerk?

First, make sure you’re clear about your areas of responsibility, so you can focus on what and who are important. If building stronger relationships with your clients is important to you, giving a client 30 or 60 minutes of your time without charge might be a very good use of your time.

Second, do what you can to manage the expectations of the people in your life. Your new client kit or welcome letter should spell out things like how you bill, when you will respond to calls or emails, and what to do in case of emergency (and what constitutes one).

Make sure your website has answers to FAQs and tell visitors you can’t respond to every comment or request.

If you have partners or work on projects with other people, clarify who handles what, deadlines, and other agreed standards.

Third, understand that you don’t have to respond to every request. You can (and should) ignore spam, and just because someone asks you a question doesn’t mean you have to answer it.

If you feel the need to respond, do it in a way that validates the other person but makes it clear that you can’t drop everything to give them what they want. Respond with one or two sentences, to let them know you’re not ignoring them, but don’t lead them to believe there’s more to come.

Fourth, tell them “not now” instead of no. Tell them you need more information or time to think about what they’re asking, or you’re not sure when you’ll be able to do it because of your other commitments. They may find other ways to get what they need, or realize they no longer need it.

Finally, when you turn someone down, do what you can to direct them to another person or resource that might help. Refer them to another lawyer, give them a website or two, or a book you recommend.

The key is to make people feel that while you can’t help them, you heard them and support them and invite them to contact you again.

How to get your website to bring in more business

Filed Under: Client relations, Law office management, Relationship marketing

Do you make this mistake in writing your newsletter?

March 2, 2021 by David M. Ward

You may have thousands of subscribers to your newsletter but when you send your list an email, remember to write to one person at a time.

Don’t write as if you’re speaking to a group. Unlike social media, email is an intimate medium, sent from one human to another, who reads your message as if you sent it to them and them alone.

Don’t address your readers in the collective. Don’t say things like, “Some of you. . .”. Don’t even hint that there is anyone else reading your message.

A writer I follow put it this way:

“I just got an email today with the line, “I can’t wait to see you guys in the webinar!”
The comment was innocent enough, but it was enough to snap me out of the one-to-one conversation this person’s email had with me.”

Your readers no doubt get other newsletters. They read yours, or read yours first as many of my subscribers tell me, because you don’t just deliver useful information, you speak to them as a friend or colleague.

And people crave personal relationships.

Your readers know there are other people getting the same message. They also know they can reply and ask a question or continue the conversation, and they like knowing that a real person will read what they write.

Take advantage of email’s greatest strength and use it to build a relationship with your readers. At first, it may be a simulated relationship. Eventually, it can turn into a real attorney-client relationship.

How to write an email newsletter that brings in clients

Filed Under: Communication, Content creation, Email, Newsletters, Writing

How to make an effective ‘today’ list

March 1, 2021 by David M. Ward

Last week we talked about the value of making a list of tasks for today (or tomorrow). Here are some tips for doing that.

Give yourself a few more minutes than you think you need to prepare your list. 15 minutes planning might save you an hour of doing.
Your list should include important tasks, eg, goal-related, and less important but necessary tasks like errands and admin.
Consider your day. What’s on your calendar? Will you need travel or prep time? Have you overbooked? Is it mentally or physically demanding work, or does the day look relatively light?
Look at your projects and goals lists before you plan the day. What do you need to work on to advance your projects? What’s coming up soon that might need some attention now?
Don’t overwhelm yourself. We’re often too optimistic about what we can do in a day. 5-10 tasks is a good number for most people. If you finish early, you can always find more to do, or call it a day.
Consider how you feel. If you’re sick or dragging, schedule a lighter day. Also consider how you feel about the tasks you’re planning to do. If you don’t like something (and can’t delegate it), consider moving it to another day, or schedule it first to get it over with.
If you find yourself consistently unable to finish the tasks on your list, break them up into smaller, easy-to-do steps, and/or reduce the number of projects you’re currently working on.
Prioritize. Do your most important tasks first. Put them on the top of your list, when you have the most energy; errands can wait.
Allocate more time than you think you’ll need. I schedule one hour to do my blog, even though I usually get it done in less than 30 minutes.
Allow buffer time between tasks or appointments, in case you need more time than you thought, or you need a break.

In sum, an effective ‘today’ list is not too hot and not too cold. It’s a list you feel drawn to start, and drawn to complete, and when you’ve completed it, you know you’ve had a good day.

Filed Under: Productivity

Will you be ready for year-end?

February 26, 2021 by David M. Ward

I was scrolling through my backlog of unread articles when I found this Year-end Law Practice Checklist It has some good advice about things to do or review at the end of the year that might be easy to forget, like archiving closed files, tax prep, CLE, and updating your processes (client intake, billing, etc.)

I’m sure you use checklists in your work, as do I; I want to encourage you to use more.

My goal is to use a checklist for almost everything, especially for recurring tasks.

I recently revised my daily schedule checklist and set up a new checklist for a certain project I frequently do. I also revised my weekly review checklist.

These checklists help me get the job done more quickly, avoid errors or omissions, and provide peace of mind that once I’m done, I can put the task or project out of mind until the next time I do it.

Checklists can be useful for

Your morning routine (so you get everything done before your workday begins)
End of day shut down process (so you remember to plan tomorrow before tomorrow begins)
Travel packing (. . .that time I went to a convention and forgot to pack neckties. . .)
Blog/newsletter (Where to find ideas, what to include, where to share it)
New client intake (What to ask, what to tell them, what to give or send, when to follow up)
File closing process
Preparing for arbitration, negotiation, or settlement conference
Preparing the client for deposition, etc.
Demand package checklist
Scheduling and conducting a Zoom conference (don’t forget to wear pants)

Start by brainstorming a list of checklists that might prove helpful and schedule time to flesh out a new one, or revise an existing one.

I often edit my checklists on the go, adding additional steps, removing steps I don’t use, and re-arranging the order to streamline the process.

What checklists do you use? Which new ones are you going to work on?

Filed Under: Productivity

The (second) best way to get a reply to your letter

February 25, 2021 by David M. Ward

It’s frustrating to send a letter or email to someone who doesn’t reply.

Did they get my email? Did they read it? Maybe I said something wrong. Maybe I’m not important to them. Maybe they’re out sick.

I’ve got a situation like that right now. I need to know if my accountant got my email and it’s been over a week.

I wrote again, but in the past, my emails have gone to his spam folder and he has a bad habit of not checking.

It’s about a tax matter and I really need to know, so today, instead of gnashing my teeth, I’m going to do the unthinkable. I’m going to call.

Talk to him or his staff, tell them what’s up.

Yeah, I’m going old school. Simple, isn’t it? Problem solved.

Unless I get his voicemail and he doesn’t check that.

I know a lawyer who is having a similar problem with an adjuster. He’s emailed, called and left messages, but the adjuster hasn’t contacted him and the Statute is coming up.

In that case, I’d recommend the number one way to get a response: file and serve.

Filed Under: Communication, Law office management