Referrals for lawyers who want more referrals

September 5, 2014 by
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You’ve got a client list. A list of people who hired you once and will hire you again if they need you. But what if they don’t? What if your clients don’t need your services ever again?

Is that it? You invested time and money to attract them and persuade them to hire you. You worked hard to do the work and make them happy. Your clients know, like, and trust you. But if they don’t need your services, is that it?

No. Your clients can send you referrals. And they will if you stay in touch with them. They’ll send more if you ask for referrals.

In fact, for each $1,000 in fees a client pays you there may be $5,000 or $10,000, or more, in additional fees waiting for you via their referrals.

Your clients can help you in other ways. They can send traffic to your website. They can promote your content or seminar or newsletter to their social media connections. They can introduce you to other professionals they know who could become new referral sources.

And. . .

. . .they can buy products and services from professionals and businesses you recommend.

Perhaps they need legal services you don’t provide. Do you think they might hire an attorney you recommend? I think so, too. In return, you might earn referral fees from that attorney, or their referrals.

Tell your clients you know other lawyers and if they need legal services of any kind, they should call you first.

(Note to self: go meet attorneys with different practice areas.)

Wait, what else do your clients need?

An accountant? Financial planner? Real estate agent? Mortgage broker? Insurance broker?

Would you like to receive more referrals from people like this? You’ll get them. As soon as you start referring your clients to them.

Referrals for lawyers who don’t want to ask for referrals. Go here.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Referral sources, Referrals, Relationship marketing

You’re never scared? That’s a shame.

September 4, 2014 by
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If you’re never scared, you’ll never reach your potential.

You may be successful and happy but you could do more. You could do better. But only if you step outside of your comfort zone.

The most successful people in the world don’t rest on their laurels, they continually try new things, things that make them uncomfortable. They risk failure often, and often do fail, but they are successful enough to live extraordinary lives.

John Wayne famously said, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” Face your fears and push through them. Take on new projects that you have been avoiding.

The things that scare you the most are often what would allow you to grow the most.

For the record, I’m not advocating that you live every day in discomfort or that you continue to do things you hate. I’m saying give things a try. If you’ve been second chair on a jury trial or two and you are convinced it’s not for you, so be it. You felt fear, saddled up, and realized that it isn’t your path. Go try something else.

What could you try before this year ends? What new skill could you learn? What have you always dreamed about doing but never had the courage to try?

Don’t die before you find out.

Yoda said, “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” That may be true when The Force is with you, but for the rest of us, it’s “Try. Or try not.”

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Filed Under: Inspiration, success Tagged With: ,

Do you re-read good books?

September 3, 2014 by
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My grandfather used to read a lot of paperback novels. Mysteries, detectives, thrillers and the like. When he was done with a book, he would write a number on the cover, to signify his rating. He would know the best books to re-read or recommend (loan) to a friend.

He used a scale of 1-5, along with pluses and minuses. A good book might warrant a 4 or a 4-plus, a great book would get a 5, and so on.

I hadn’t thought about his system in a long time. But then I got an email from blogger James Clear with his fall reading list and his book rating scale and I was reminded of my grandfather’s system.

Although similar, Clear’s rating system is more appropriate for non-fiction:

Book Rating Scale

5 – Top-notch writing, thorough research, and highly valuable or interesting content.
4 – Often great writing or excellent content, but not necessarily both.
3 – It may have a chapter or two that are excellent, but the book is average overall.
2 – Perhaps you will find an idea or two, but there is little value inside.
1 – Do not read.

His current reading list can be found here.

You might want to subscribe to his blog. He always has something interesting to say about, well, interesting things.

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Filed Under: Law office management, Personal development, Productivity Tagged With: ,

Why “Be Yourself” is NOT Good Advice

September 2, 2014 by
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“Be yourself,” we are told. There’s just one problem. What if we’re not good enough?

Whatever you are right now, whatever it is that defines you, was created by you. You took what God gave you and made yourself into the person you see in the mirror.

As long as you continue to be that person, you will continue to produce the same outcomes.  Be yourself only if you don’t want anything to change in your life.  If you want something better, however, you need to change.

If you want to be a better lawyer, you need to improve your skill set. If you want a bigger income, you need to change your habits and attitudes and activities to match the income of someone who earns what you want to earn.

You can’t say, “When I earn more I’ll change.” It doesn’t work that way. Change comes first. You can’t change your future until you change your present.

How do you change?

You read good books. You study them. You apply what you learned.

You associate with people who have what you want. You listen to how they speak and look for insights into how they think. Most of all, you watch what they do and you emulate it.

You get help. A mentor, coach, or accountability partner. A mastermind group.

You master the mundane. You practice. You get better and better at what you do.

As you become better, you attract better opportunities. Because you have grown, you’re able to capitalize on them.

Change doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t go from earning six figures to earning seven figures in a few months. But in a few years, you can accomplish just about anything.

But only after you stop being yourself and start being the person you want to become.

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Filed Under: Personal development, success Tagged With: ,

Holiday planning for lawyers

August 29, 2014 by
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The holidays will soon be upon us. What’s your plan? What will you do to market your services and set things up for a good start to the new year?

What’s that? You don’t have a plan? Thank you for being honest. Grab a piece of paper and write at the top, “My plan for the holidays and beyond”.

First item on the list: “Come up with some ideas”.

Now you have a plan! Not a great plan but way better than no plan. At least you know what you need to do.

Time to put on your thinking cap and visit Uncle Google or Aunt Bing. Do a search for ideas related to the holidays, Christmas cards, year end planning, holiday parties, gift giving, and the like. You’ll come up with a bunch of ideas, most of which you will hate or can’t use, but you might get one or two that work.

Put them on your list.

Now you’re cooking.

What’s that? You want me to suggest something?

Okay. Here’s an idea for you. It’s simple, but very powerful.

Whether or not you plan to send Christmas cards (or some other politically correct variation), write a “year end letter” to your clients. Tell them how much you appreciate them. Tell them how much it means to you to be able to serve them. Say thank you.

Review your practice for the preceding year. Mention important cases or milestones. Mention changes and growth. If there were problems, talk about how you overcame them.

Then, talk about the future. If you have news to announce (an office move, new hire, new practice area, etc.), share this or hint at it if you’re not ready to go public. Tell them how this will positively affect them.

Add a personal comment or two, something about your kids or grand kids, or about something else you do that you are proud of. Give your clients a glimpse into your personal life.

(A glimpse. I’m not saying you need to invite them to the house for dinner.)

At the end, encourage them to contact you with any legal question or issue. You may not handle that type of issue but you know other attorneys you can recommend.

Why write this letter? Because it’s important to say thank you to your clients. You can’t do that enough. When you share your accomplishments for the year and plans for the future, you’re not just saying thank you, you’re showing them what your relationship with them means to you. They matter. You wouldn’t be where you are today without them. They’re not just names in a file folder and billing ledger.

The holidays are a time for giving thanks and this is an effective and memorable way to do that.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Marketing Plan, Thank you letters, Writing Tagged With: ,

The best advice I can give you about building your law practice

August 28, 2014 by
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Care to guess which of my emails and posts get the most passionate feedback?

It’s not posts about how to do things. It’s not about marketing, productivity, or anything else substantive. The posts that bring the most passionate, emotional feedback are, by far, those that are inspirational.

It’s when I talk about “big picture” themes that apply to all of us human folk. Or when I share something personal about how I’ve changed. The posts that share ideas that make people feel good about themselves and the future.

There’s a lot of bad things happening in the world. People are scared. Hurt. Looking for answers.

We all need a bright spot. We all want to feel hopeful.

That’s where you come in.

When you email your list, post on your blog, or talk to an audience, with everything you do in building your law practice, your number one job is to make people feel good.

When people feel good about themselves and the future, they associate those good feelings with you, the bearer of that good news and those prognostications. They will like you for it and want to continue hearing from you and being around you.

People want to associate with people who promise to lead them towards a better future. That can be you.

This doesn’t mean you can’t scare them with dire warnings. Fear can be very motivating. It doesn’t mean you should no longer try to educate them. Among other reasons, conveying information is important to building your credibility and trustworthiness.

But at the end of the day (speech, article, interview, etc.) give people hope. Let them know they aren’t alone on this journey, you’re right there with them, and things are going to be just fine.

They will never remember what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Client relations, Communication, Inspiration, Public Speaking, Writing

How to get clients to like you

August 27, 2014 by
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I went to a doctor once who was highly recommended. One of the best in the area, I was told. When I got to his office and went up to the desk, I was handed a clipboard and asked for my insurance card.

No greeting. No smile. No eye contact.

I said something to her. Probably something like, “Would it hurt to say good morning?” Because that’s how I roll.

When I saw the doctor, he lectured me about not being abusive to his staff.

Guess what? I didn’t stay with that doctor. It didn’t matter how good he was at his job, I didn’t like him.

So there.

The question is, do your clients like you?

It’s not difficult to get clients to like you, even if you lean towards the grouchy side. But you can’t phone it in. You do have to make some effort.

Start by avoiding things that clients DON’T like:

  • Don’t make them wait. If their appointment is at 2 PM, 2:01 is late.
  • Don’t take phone calls when the client is in your office. That goes double if you bill by the hour.
  • Don’t brag. Clients want to know you’re good at what you do, they don’t want to hear you go on about it.
  • Don’t curse or use inappropriate humor.
  • Don’t delay billing. Don’t send vague bills. Don’t nickel and dime on costs.
  • Don’t fail to keep them informed about their case.
  • Don’t fail to call back when they leave a message.

There, that wasn’t hard was it? Pretty basic stuff.

Now a few things you should do:

  • Make sure your staff makes them feel welcome. Hello, is this on?
  • Smile. Firm handshake. Eye contact. Remember their name.
  • Talk about your weekend, but make it something they can relate to. You took the family to the beach, great; leave out the part about the yacht.
  • Show them you’re not perfect. Admit you’re a terrible cook or throw like a girl.
  • Be a good listener. Ask questions and let them talk. Take notes.
  • Talk about your kids and/or pets and ask about theirs.
  • Send thank you notes.

Yeah, it’s about treating people like you would like to be treated.

You’ve probably hired professionals who don’t get it. If you’ve ever had to wait forty minutes after the time of your appointment, you know what I mean. (Be honest, were you tempted to leave and send them a bill for your time?)

Anyway, don’t be that guy or that gal.

How to get clients to like you (and trust you): get this

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management

The best way to end an email

August 26, 2014 by
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What’s the best way to end an email?

The same thing you do at the end of any closing argument, presentation, meeting, pleading, report, blog post, or other persuasive communication.

Tell the reader what to do.

Tell them to buy. Sign up. Click here. Remember these three things. Go here. Do this.

When you tell people what to do, more people do it.

Can’t they decide for themselves? Sure. And they will. You’re not forcing them to do anything, you’re just pointing the way. Instead of leaving things up in the air and asking the reader to figure out what you want, you’re telling them.

And guess what? People want you to tell them. The judge wants to know what you want. The audience wants to know what you’re selling. The client wants to know what you advise. When you tell people what to do, you’re making things easier for them.

Of course somewhere in your opus you should tell them why. You have to back up your call to action with some substance. Tell them how they benefit, why it’s the right decision, what will happen if they don’t.

The call to action doesn’t literally have to be the last thing you say. You could tell them what to do and follow that with a memorable quote, a short story, or additional bullet points in support of your request. But don’t walk off the stage or sign your letter until you’ve told them what to do next.

You’re not in the entertainment business, you’re in the persuasion business. Do your job. Tell people what to do, and why.

Like this:

If you want to get more clients and increase your income, go to this page and buy everything.

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Filed Under: Closing the sale, Communication, Copywriting, Writing Tagged With:

Removing the obstacles to success

August 25, 2014 by
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Instant manifestation. You think it and it appears. You write it down and it becomes reality. Sound good? Actually, it would be a nightmare. Your life would be a jumble of confusing and conflicting thoughts and you would be continually fixing mistakes and apologizing for transgressions.

Thankfully, there is a buffer of time between first thought and manifestation that protects us and keeps us sane. We want something, we think about how to get it, and then we do the work. It takes time and reason and effort to get from first thought to fruition.

And it’s a messy process. There are lots of failed attempts, unsolved problems, and abandoned ideas along the way. That’s part of the buffer, too. These obstacles help us clarify our objectives and ultimately, get better results.

But sometimes these obstacles get the better of us and stop us from getting what we want. How do you overcome obstacles that keep you from achieving your goals?

You could power through the problem. Drink another cup of coffee, burn the midnight oil and do what needs to be done.

When we do this, we acknowledge the obstacle and then defeat it by refusing to give up. When we do, we’re often the better for it. Tired, but victorious!

But there’s another way and it’s a lot less taxing. Instead of fighting the problem, eliminate it.

Make a list of obstacles that are keeping you from achieving your goals. Your list might look something like this:

  • I don’t know what to do/don’t know how
  • I’m not good at [whatever]
  • I don’t have enough time
  • I don’t have enough money
  • I don’t like doing what I have to do
  • I lack confidence
  • I procrastinate (actually, this is a symptom; the obstacle is one of the other things on this list)

Then, make a list of ways you could remove those obstacles:

  • Get help doing the things you’re not good at or don’t like doing
  • Money: Sell something, save, use credit, find vendors who will barter
  • Eliminate or postpone other tasks and projects to free up time (prioritize/learn to say no)
  • Talk to someone who has done it and get their advice
  • Read, take a class, and learn how to do it or how to do it better
  • Hire an expert to advise you
  • Outsource all or part of it
  • Change the rules. Modify the goal or objective to suit your present situation
  • Ignore the problem and let your subconscious mind solve it while you’re doing something else

You can either work harder (power through the problem) or work smarter (eliminate or dilute the problem).

And if neither of these works, you can confess your sins to your wife, mom, partner, or client and have them make you do it.

Hey, whatever works.

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Filed Under: Personal development, Productivity, success, Time Management Tagged With: , ,

Networking by intent, not default

August 22, 2014 by
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If you do any networking, either in person or online, you know that most of the new business you get through networking comes from a small percentage of the people with whom you network.

Wouldn’t it be great to know in advance who they are? Wouldn’t you like to know who will refer business, hire you, or promote you so you could focus your efforts on them?

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how to do that. But I can tell you how to increase the odds in your favor.

Instead of going to networking events and talking to whoever shows up, or adding and following people online who pop up in your dashboard, figure out who you would like to network with and then find ways to meet them.

Who are the centers of influence in your community or in your target market? Who are the players, the market makers, the ones who know everyone? Who could send you lots of business, give you advice, or introduce you to people you need to know?

Once you have answered that question, reach out to them. They may not give you the time of day, but if they do and you can build a relationship with them, it could allow you to take giant leaps in building your practice.

How do you reach out to them? You find someone they know and approach them first. Then, ask for an introduction.

Or just pick up the phone and call. You’re not some joker off the street. You have credentials. Smart people (the kind you want to meet) know that lawyers can be valuable contacts. They want to meet us as much as we want to meet them.

You’ll often find that the higher up the scale you go, the more approachable people are. It may take some time and you may have to go through other people first, but with a little effort you can meet just about anyone.

Of course that’s when the real work begins. Once you meet these people, you need to bring value to them. This too will take time, and effort, but you’ve already decided that it’s worth it.

Do you know the formula for building a successful law practice? 

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Networking
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