Bedside manner for attorneys

August 3, 2018 by
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According to a recent study, a majority of doctors give their patients just 11 seconds to explain the reason for their visit before interrupting. Only one third gave them enough time to describe what’s bothering them.

I don’t know if doctors interrupt to ask questions or because (they think) they’ve heard enough to issue a diagnosis but it doesn’t matter. A visit to a doctor isn’t just about getting well.

Patients want to feel like they made the right decision in choosing a particular doctor. They want to feel that they are in good hands and that everything will be okay. They want to know the doctor cares about treating them and not just the disease.

It’s been said that “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much they care.” It’s said because it’s true.

Do I even have to say that it’s also true for attorneys?

Let your clients talk. Look them in the eye. Don’t take calls during the appointment. Say please, say thank you, and go out of your way to show them you appreciate them, you care about what they’re going through, and you are committed to helping them get better.

Take care of the client, not just their legal problem.

Client relations made simple

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Filed Under: Client relations

Maybe you should stop networking

August 2, 2018 by
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Some folks don’t listen. They know they shouldn’t discuss politics and religion but they can’t help themselves. They’ve lost friends, relatives no longer speak to them, and who knows how many clients will never come back.

The problem is, in today’s political climate, when we meet new people–at parties, at formal networking events, or going out for coffee with a prospective client or professional contact–politics inevitably comes up.

You can (and should) change the subject. But that’s often easier said than done.

Therefore, I propose that you give up networking, at least for now, at least until the craziness dies down. Build your practice without it.

I’m serious. There is just too much at stake. If you go to an event and word gets out that you support someone or something that a preponderance of the group or someone with emotional problems does not, you risk being ostracized, shamed, even physically harmed.

Better to keep people guessing.

Unless most of your clients come from one side of the spectrum and you’ve made a decision to forgo business from the other side, what do you have to gain by flapping your gums in public?

I know, we shouldn’t have to keep our mouths shut. So what? That’s the way it is.

The last time I brought up this subject, I heard from a lawyer who told me he says whatever he wants, he doesn’t care what anyone thinks, and anyone who disagrees with him “can go f*** themselves.”

I didn’t like his attitude so I removed him from my list.

Here’s how to network without leaving your office

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Filed Under: Networking

Most decisions should be made quickly

August 1, 2018 by
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One of the lessons of the 80/20 principle is that a few things matter but most don’t. “A minority of causes, inputs, or effort usually lead to a majority of the results, outputs, or rewards,” according to Richard Koch, author of The 80/20 Principle.

Figure out your 20% activities and do more of them. Spend less time doing everything else.

Now, every day we all make lots of decisions. What to do, what to read, what to say, how to make a point, what to buy, and many more. Unfortunately, many of us spend too much time making decisions about things that don’t matter or matter much.

We should train ourselves to make quick decisions about most things.

Where to go to lunch, what car to buy, whether or not to upgrade our computer–these are not “20% decisions likely to lead to 80% of our results”. Where to take a prospect to lunch, for example, shouldn’t take more than a minute or two. It’s just not that important.

On the other hand, opening a new office, starting a new practice area, getting in bed with a partner–decisions that require research, thought, weighing of risks and rewards–are 20% decisions that can indeed lead to 80% of our results.

In the course of a day, you might make dozens of relatively unimportant decisions. Make them quickly and move on. You might make an important decision once a week. Take your time and do it right.

Plan less, do more

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Filed Under: Productivity

Is your list getting stale?

July 31, 2018 by
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Does your marketing currently look something like this?

YOU: “Here’s what I do and how I can help you”
SOMEONE: “Yeah, I know. You told me that three years ago.”

YOU: “Check out my new article”
SOMEONE: “Just read it. Kinda like the article you did on the subject last year.”

YOU: “Come to my free seminar.”
SOMEONE: “Is it any different than the one you did last month?”

Your list is getting stale.

Sending the same offers and content to the same people can eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. The simple solution is to get your existing content and offers in front of some new people.

AKA, building your list.

When you do, the conversation will look something like this:

YOU: “Here’s what I do and how I can help you”
SOMEONE: “I need to talk to you” or, “I know someone who could use your help”

YOU: “Check out my new article”
SOMEONE: “Wow, I never knew this. Could I ask you a question?”

YOU: “Come to my free seminar”
SOMEONE: “What time does it start?”

Your existing list can be a rich source of repeat business and referrals. Never stop communicating with it. But new people, who don’t know what you do and have never heard what you have to say, provide you with a very profitable lake for you to fish in.

In fact, most of your “external” marketing should be designed to get new people to opt-in to your list. If you have new people signing up every day, you’ll never run out of fresh fish.

Build your list so you can make the phone ring

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Filed Under: List building, Marketing legal services

Have a nice day

July 30, 2018 by
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I don’t know about you but court days were always stressful for me. No matter how good the case or simple the appearance, I always felt something I didn’t feel on other days.

No doubt a good part of it was anticipating freeway traffic and getting nervous about being late for court.

I just read about a study that shows that how you think about your day is pretty much how it will turn out. If you think your day will be stressful, “you’re going to feel those effects even if nothing stressful ends up happening.”

Poop.

Not only that, the study shows that when you anticipate having a stressful day, your memory, focus, and productivity also suffer.

More poop. Streets-of-San-Francisco-level poop.

Anyway, what can we do about this?

Settle more cases? Send someone else to make the appearance?

Eliminate the cause of the stress and, voila, less stress.

For everything you can’t eliminate, exercise helps. And so does distracting yourself from whatever it is that’s got your panties in a knot.

It seems that this is supported by the study: “Results showed that those who worried about stress in the morning performed worse on [tests they gave the subjects]. The effect wasn’t the same, however, for people who anticipated stress the previous night, but woke up feeling more optimistic.”

So we’re supposed to do our worrying the night before? How does one do that, pray tell?

Here’s what I do:

I plan my day the night before. That way, when I wake up, I don’t have to think about what to do, I just do it.

That and not having to go to court anymore mean I’m usually a happy camper.

Get more clients and increase your income. Here’s how

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Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With:

A simple way to enhance focus

July 27, 2018 by
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My wife and I just closed out the storage unit we’ve had for decades. We brought a handful of boxes home and got rid of the rest.

I recently donated several hundred books to the library bookstore. I’m down to one bookcase.

I’ve lost weight in the last year and recently got rid of about half of the clothes in my closet.

I thought I was just getting rid of junk but I find I’m actually practicing minimalism. I just figured out why that appeals to me.

Minimalism makes it easier to focus. Focus creates clarity. And clarity helps you become more efficient and effective.

You’re more efficient because fewer options (e.g., using just a few apps or a few marketing strategies) reduces distractions and the loss of momentum occasioned by switching from one option to another.

You are more effective because you’re able to spend more time getting the right things done which helps you accomplish your most important goals.

There’s also an esthetic quality to minimalism. A cleaner desk (and desktop), for example, helps me feel relaxed and in control.

If you like the idea but resist doing it, start slowly. Put most of your apps into one or two folders and leave only a few on your desktop. Clean out one closet or one drawer. Give yourself just one hour this weekend to gather up stuff to give away or throw away.

And if that’s too much, don’t get rid of anything yet, just make piles or lists of giveaway “candidates”. When you’re ready, you can take the next step.

I guess you could call that a minimalistic approach to minimalism.

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Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: ,

No friends, no problem

July 26, 2018 by
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Yesterday, I said the best way to network is to have your friends introduce you to some of their friends. But what if you don’t have many friends? Or the friends you have don’t know anyone in your target market?

You go to plan b. You do everything you can to meet some people (without an introduction or endorsement) and do your best to turn them into friends.

Yeah, it’s work. It’s not easy. It takes time. But you do what you’ve gotta do.

Yesterday, I heard from someone who has started a professional networking group in Manhattan. He’s looking for a few lawyers to come to their upcoming event and check out the group. He asked me to let him know if I knew anyone.

I assume he’s already invited all of his professional contacts and asked them to extend the invitation to their professional contacts. (If he hasn’t, he should.)

But that’s not all he can do.

He can get on the phone and call lawyers in his market, introduce himself, and invite them to the event. If they can’t/don’t want to come, ask them to pass along the invite to their lawyer friends.

If they say yes, they’ll come, offer to allow them to invite their contacts to come with them.

Spend an hour or two, call enough people, make the event sound sexy, offer free food, and you’ll get some folks showing up. Oh yeah, start your calls by reaching out to the contact persons at professional networking groups out of your immediate area. They may know people who are looking for a networking group that’s closer to their home or office.

What else?

He can post the event on his social media channels. He can post the event in appropriate Facebook and Linked In groups. He can do a mailer or advertise in professional journals. He can email his clients or customers (because everyone has a lawyer in the family). He can knock on doors in office buildings near the event and invite the occupants or pass out some flyers.

He doesn’t have to do this every week. Just long enough to get the group going and make some new friends.

Thing is, everyone he invites to his event who doesn’t come is someone he might be able to network with anyway. Call them again, remind them who you are, and get to know them. Who knows, they might become a friend even if they never come to your event.

The attorney marketing formula

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Filed Under: Networking

Friends first

July 25, 2018 by
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Networking isn’t just about meeting new people. It’s about how you meet them and what happens after you do.

The best way to meet new people is to be introduced to them by a mutual friend. The operative word is friend. Not an acquaintance or a casual business contact, a friend. Someone who knows, likes and trusts you.

When a friend introduces you to another friend, magic can happen. The number one rule of networking, then, is to make friends first.

Friends enjoy each other’s company. They do things for each other and are willing to ask each other for help.

Look at the list of people you know. How many are friends? It might be only a few but you only need a few to start.

Your friends can introduce you to their friends. You can gain access to their groups and meet influential people in them. When you do, look for ways to make new friends by finding out what they need or want and looking for ways to help them get it.

Networking isn’t just a tally of transactions. It’s about friends helping each other because they want to, not because they are obligated to.

If you want to grow your practice or build your career, go make some new friends.

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Filed Under: Networking

Sometimes, you should let them see you sweat

July 24, 2018 by
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Seth Godin said something I’ve mentioned before. He said there are two ways to provide your service. The first way is “with drama”. Let the client see how hard you’re working. Make a big deal about all the additional effort you’re expending on their behalf.

In other words, let them see you sweat.

The other way: “Without drama. Make it look effortless.”

Godin says both ways can work and you should choose the approach depending on the client and the situation.

I agree that both approaches are viable but there’s a third option. You can let the client know you’re working hard for them or giving them extra effort or value without being dramatic.

If you’re providing extra services or other freebies, for example, list them on your invoice followed by a “courtesy credit” or other indication that you’re not charging for those extras.

You can also provide invoices with lots of details about your work instead of the more typical invoice that omits most of the details. Let them see all that you did behind the scenes to get the job done.

You can also involve them in the natural drama of the matter by sending regular reports about your work and progress and by cc’ing them on correspondence. When you speak to them, you can use body language and tone of voice to provide subtle clues about the magnitude of your effort, no sweating required.

At the end of the day, you want clients to know that what you do is hard but you have it under control.

Invoices that get paid

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Filed Under: Client relations, Fees and Billing

Productivity made simple

July 23, 2018 by
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Stephen R. Covey says “Start with the end in mind.” This is sometimes referred to as a “top-down approach.” You start with the long-term, big-picture and work downward (or backward) to the medium-term, followed by the short term, and so on until you get to today.

Let’s say you want to retire in ten years with $4 million in cash and investments. That’s the long-term vision or goal. Working backward, you figure out how much you need to save each year and what you need to do to earn it, followed by what you need to do each month, each week, and today.

It’s like following a map. You need to know your destination before you start the trip or you won’t wind up where you want to go.

The “bottom-up” approach, advocated by David Allen, acknowledges the big-picture and long-term but advocates starting with the short-term. He suggests we first get clarity and control of our current situation, then plan for the future.

Both approaches say it’s not about managing our time it’s about managing our priorities. As Covey puts it, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.” That’s a simple way of saying that we should be pulled by our vision instead of pushed by our circumstances.

Look at your calendar and task list. Are you prioritizing your schedule or scheduling your priorities? Are you being pulled by your vision or pushed by your circumstances?

Your top marketing priority: referrals

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Filed Under: Productivity Tagged With: ,
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