Creating an operations manual for your law practice

October 1, 2013 by
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Early in my career I rented space from an attorney who had a very lucrative high volume personal injury practice.

He had half a dozen employees, including one attorney, and everything ran very smoothly. The office was busy but quiet. Everything was orderly. They never seemed to miss deadlines or suffer a major crisis.

One reason why the office was so successful was that the attorney had prepared an operations manual. Every aspect of the practice was documented. Every employee knew what they were supposed to do.

He created the manual, I was told, so that if someone quit or went on maternity leave or got sick, the new hire or temp would be able to quickly get up to speed.

The manual explained how to open a new file, how to close a file, and everything in between. There were forms and checklists for every stage of the case, and fill-in-the-blank form letters, too. The calendaring procedure was spelled out in detail.

As a result, nothing fell through the cracks. The cases got worked and settled or tried. Things moved quickly. Mistakes were rare.

I never saw the actual manual but hearing about it inspired me to create my own. I started by making extra copies of every letter I wrote and putting them in a separate file. I created checklists for repetitive tasks. I asked other attorneys I knew for copies of their forms and form letters and re-wrote them to suit my style and work flow.

I was also able to build a sizable practice with a relatively small staff, in part, because of my manual.

One of the benefits of going through this process is that it forces you to think about everything you do, allowing you to find ways to do them better. You find holes in your procedures, places where mistakes can happen, and you can patch them. You find wasteful tasks and can eliminate them. You see opportunities for doing things faster.

You also find ways to improve client relations. For example, you may discover gaps in communicating progress to clients about their case, or find ways to make their experience less stressful. Repeat business and referrals will increase because you always send welcome letters and thank you letters and remember clients’ birthdays.

The bottom line is that creating an operations manual for your law practice will save time, save money, help you avoid errors (and malpractice claims), and make your practice run more smoothly and more profitably.

If you don’t have an operations manual for your practice, I encourage you to start one. If you have staff, enlist their aid. If you do have a manual, make a note to review it periodically, so you can update it with changes in the law, new forms, and new ideas.

You’ll thank me later.

For more on creating an operations manual, see The Attorney Marketing Formula

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Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Increase your income, Law office management, Marketing legal services, Productivity Tagged With: , , , , ,

When was the last time a client made you cry?

September 27, 2013 by
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You say you care about your clients but is this really true?

Do you comfort them when they are afraid? Do you offer a shoulder to cry on when they are in pain? Do you offer them hope for a better future when they despair?

Many lawyers go through the motions with their clients, saying things that need to be said but not really meaning it. I know, you can’t do a good job for your clients if you fall apart emotionally. But I also know you can’t do a good job for your clients if you don’t feel anything.

Being a lawyer is about getting results, but even more, it’s about making people feel that you will do everything you can to help them, not because they paid you to do so but because you truly care about them.

You can’t fake it. Leadership author John C. Maxwell said, “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Personal development

Word of mouth referrals

September 16, 2013 by
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I saw a movie last weekend about an ethnic restaurant on the brink of bankruptcy. The manager met a quirky man, driving a taxi, who claimed to have been a great chef in the old country. Desperate to turn things around, he hired the man and crossed his fingers.

Turns out the chef really was good and business started to pick up.

One customer, an older woman, told the manager she loved the food and would tell everyone about the restaurant. Her husband added, “. . .and she knows everyone”.

Apparently, the woman did know everyone because the restaurant suddenly got very busy. When a food critic gave the place a glowing review, there were lines around the block, two hours before the place opened.

The woman was a connector. She was influential. And because she knew a lot of other influential people, if she thought you were good, the world would quickly hear about it.

What if you had a client like that, a connector who really loved what you did for them? Before you knew it, word of mouth referrals would bring you a waiting room full of new clients.

The thing is, people don’t wear a sign to identify themselves as a connector. It could be anyone. It could be that unassuming older lady sitting in your waiting room right now. If she likes you, your practice is made.

Okay, you may never have a client like that. Or, you may have someone next week. So you do a great job for everyone, because you never know who they are.

Yes, I know you would do that anyway. Because it’s the right thing to do and because it’s who you are. You don’t treat big shots any differently than regular folks.

Here’s the thing. Regular folks can also bring you a lot of business. They may not be connectors who can tell the world about you, but they can refer you a new client, and that client can do the same.

I often took small, unprofitable cases. I didn’t make any money on those cases but my business model was based on serving clients, it was not based on the viability of any one case. I helped my clients with small cases and they came back with big ones.

In a sense, every client is a connector. You may never get a five star review, there may never be a two hour line to get into your waiting room, but treat everyone right and you will have a never ending supply of new business.

Get more clients. Get The Attorney Marketing Formula.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Marketing legal services, Referrals Tagged With: , , ,

How often should I write to my clients and prospects?

September 13, 2013 by
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When it comes to writing clients and prospects, many lawyers are worried about writing too often. Instead, they should be worried about not writing often enough.

You need to stay in touch with people on your lists, to remind them that you are still around, and still available to solve legal problems. They need to continually see your name and think nice thoughts about you, so that when they have a legal problem, or know someone who does, you’ll be “in their minds and in their mailboxes”.

The more often you write, the more business you’ll get.

Is there such a thing as too much or too often?

Sure. If you write boring, self-serving crappola, once is too much.

On the other hand, if you send interesting, helpful information that your clients and prospects want to read, you almost can’t write too often.

Let’s not make this more complicated than it needs to be. Make a vow to send high quality information, interesting stories, and valuable resources to the people on your list. Then, pick a schedule and stick to it.

Write often. It doesn’t have to be long. A few paragraphs is enough if that’s all you have to say. Link to an article or video you thought they would like to see and tell them why. Tell them about a change in the law that might affect them. Give them a few tips.

Instead of a monthly newsletter with several articles, send one article once a week. That gives you four opportunities to connect, and shorter articles probably have a better chance of being read instead of set aside “for later” and never opened.

Actually, it really doesn’t matter if they read what you write. What’s important is that they see your name. Better once a week than once in awhile.

If you want hundreds of ideas for articles, blogs posts, and emails, get this.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Client loyalty, Communication, Email, Marketing legal services, Newsletters, Online Marketing, Referrals Tagged With: , ,

What are you NOT telling your clients?

September 12, 2013 by
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There are no little things in marketing or client relations. Everything is important.

I just spoke to someone who went to his dentist expecting to pay $80 for a cleaning but when he went to pay the bill, he had to fork over $128. It seems that when he called to inquire about the cost of the cleaning (he’s on a budget and wanted to make sure he had enough in his account), he was told it would be $80. He was NOT told that there would be an additional charge for the exam.

It is a lot of money (to him). It is a big deal (to him). When he called to ask “how much,” the dentist should have made sure he was told what the total charge would be.

A professional (or any business) cannot be sloppy about details, especially when it comes to money. People notice. Any trust they had for you before will be in jeopardy.

“What else aren’t they telling me?”

Never assume your clients know anything. If you’ve told them the fees and costs, tell them again. If there might be extras, make sure they know and get their okay before you go ahead.

I’m not suggesting you get all paranoid and lawyer-like, (wait, that’s redundant) and get their initials on everything, in triplicate. Just be aware. And sensitive.

Your client is your mother, and trust me, you don’t want to mess with Mom.

Marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients. Everything. 

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Fees and Billing, Law office management, Marketing legal services

Fracking your law practice

September 3, 2013 by
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You’ve waited long enough. It’s time to finally open the floodgates of untapped resources that lie beneath your feet. New clients, better clients, and an abundant and fulfilling lifestyle await you. All you need to do is go get them.

Every law practice has natural resources that aren’t being accessed. What are these resources?

Your client list that could easily bring a steady stream of repeat business and referrals but is all but ignored in favor of expensive and time consuming efforts to find new clients.

Your knowledge and experience that could be packaged and presented in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd and be seen as the best lawyer for the job but instead, is shackled by the chains of conformity.

The passion that drove you to choose a legal career but has been dulled by low margins and mindless work could be rekindled with new ideas, if only you would slow down long enough to learn them, and loosen up enough to try them.

These and other resources, if allowed to surface, could transform you from struggle to success, from success to untold wealth. All you have to do is embrace these resources, develop them, and allow them to deliver their bounty.

Why aren’t you developing these resources? Adherence to tradition. Not wanting to admit there is a problem. Fear of what others will think or what might happen if something goes wrong.

Yes, there are dangers. If you start a blog it might take up too much time. But what if it doesn’t? What if it takes up much less time than you thought? And what if it brings you lots of prospective clients who see why they should hire you instead of anyone else, and do?

If you get started with social media, your unhappy clients and crazy clients may smack talk you and harm your reputation. But what if they are few and far between and your happy clients set the record straight and build up your reputation and increase your following?

If you stay in touch with your clients and former clients, you might waste time that could be spent getting work done. But what if staying in touch brings you so much work you can afford to hire staff to do most of it and you can get home before the kids are in bed?

There are dangers to doing things you’ve never done before. You might be embarrassed. There may be costs. Things could go wrong. But the greater danger is that you will never discover what was possible, never realize your potential, and never have the time or financial resources to make the world a better place.

If you’re ready to tap into your natural resources, this and this will show you what to do.

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Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Client loyalty, Increase your income, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Productivity

My clients are driving me crazy

August 13, 2013 by
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I got an email from an attorney who said, “my clients are driving me crazy”. Apparently, many of his clients don’t appreciate him. They are rude and think they know better and he is finding it difficult to maintain his composure.

What do you do in a situation like that?

The first thing I would suggest is to take a look at yourself. Why? Because your law practice is a reflection of you–your attitudes and habits. If you have a preponderance of clients who don’t appreciate you, that may be because you don’t appreciate them.

We don’t attract the clients we want, we attract the clients we deserve.

Do you appreciate your clients? More importantly, do they know it? Do you show them by your words and deeds that you care about them and will do whatever you can to help them? In what ways do you show them? How often do you show them? Is it sincere or is it something you do because you think you have to?

You can’t fake this. People know.

But you may not know. You may not be able to see yourself clearly. So, ask your staff what they think. Ask other professionals who know you. And ask your clients. Send them a survey they can respond to anonymously and leave room for their suggestions.

The other thing I suggest is that you focus on the clients who do appreciate you so you can attract more like them.

What’s different about them? What services do they hire you to perform? How did they find you? (Clients who come from referrals are often better than clients who come through the Internet or advertising).

Are they at the high end of the fee spectrum or the low end? Are they first time clients or repeat clients? What is their background or occupation? Age? Income level?

Survey them as well and see what they like best about you.

Look for patterns and create a profile of these better clients. Then, work on attracting more like them by focusing your time, energy, and resources marketing to people who fit that profile. Start with your existing and former clients who fit that profile. They will lead you to people like themselves.

And, as soon as possible, start pruning your client garden. Get rid of the clients who don’t appreciate you, first, before you have found clients to replace them. Scary? Yes. But you will feel great getting rid of all that negative energy and soon, the void you create will be filled with the clients you want and deserve.

This shows you how create a profile of your ideal client.

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Filed Under: Career satisfaction, Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Personal development Tagged With: ,

How to write a thank you note

August 6, 2013 by
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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, people used to use a pen to write thank you notes. When someone did something nice for you, or even when you just wanted to acknowledge that you enjoyed meeting them, a hand written note was de rigueur.

Today, not so much. Email is the new standard. Therefore, if you really want to make an impression on someone, take a few extra minutes to write a note, on a note card, and put it in the mail.

What do you say? I found a great article about how to write a thank you note. The author, who sent a gift (books) after his conversation with a subject matter expert who generously gave of her time and information, made sure to include in his note specific details about the conversation and about the expert.

He used a G.R.E.A.T. format:

G stands for Grateful: Express appreciation for the other person’s time or graciousness or other contribution.

R stands for Reference: Tell them what you got out of your conversation –what you learned or what you will remember.

E stands for Explain: He told her he was sending her a book related to the problem their conversation helped him solve.

A stands for Action: If you talked about working together or the next time you might meet, mention this “next step,” but don’t focus on it.

T stands for Thanks: End your note with “thanks again” or something similar, followed by your signature.

You can see the actual note the author sent, using the above points, in the article.

Your thank you notes don’t have to include all of these points, nor are you obligated to send a gift. But when someone does something especially nice for you, such as providing a referral or taking extra time to provide advice, you should do everything you can to acknowledge their help.

Think about the last time you received a heartfelt thank you note. It felt good, didn’t it? Like you made a difference in someone’s life? You make others feel that way when you send them something similar.

Sending a thank you note is not just an act of courtesy, it’s good for business. It makes people remember you and want to see you again or help you again because they know you appreciate them and what they have done.

Thank you for reading this post and sharing it with others.

Marketing is simple. Say please and thank you and in between, try not to mess things up.

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Communication, Law office management, Marketing legal services, Thank you letters, Writing Tagged With: ,

Do you have complaining clients? That’s good!

July 19, 2013 by
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The other night my wife and I went to a well-known Mexican restaurant. We ordered the fajitas “combo” which was billed as having chicken, steak, jumbo shrimp, and scallops.

Yummy.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t yummy, it was just okay.

I could accept that. What I couldn’t accept is that there were only two pieces of steak, two pieces of chicken, two (small) shrimp, and no scallops. None.

I told the waiter I was not happy and he went to summon the manager. He came back and said the manager couldn’t come over, he was busy talking to some customers.

I’m a customer! An unhappy one! He should be talking to me!

The waiter said he’d had other complaints about the size of the portions and offered me a free dessert. I declined and asked for the check. I told him I wouldn’t be back and I would tell everyone I knew not to come.

And I will.

Because I can.

What kind of manager won’t come to talk to a customer with a complaint? An idiot, that’s what kind.

When a customer (client) has a complaint, you must talk to him, validate him, and offer to fix the problem. You do not want a customer going away angry, ready to tell dozens of other customers about his bad experience.

You must do this, because it’s the right thing to do.

You must do this because it can stop a dissatisfied customer from spreading negative messages to other prospective customers, which will lose business and generate ill will.

You must do this because when you turn complaining clients into satisfied clients (through validation, apologizing, and various make-goods), that client often turns into one of your biggest advocates, spreading the word about how you took care of him properly when something wasn’t right.

Customers (clients) don’t expect perfection. They expect to be treated right. When there’s a problem, they don’t want it to be ignored.

And so if you own a restaurant (law firm), you definitely want to know when a customer has a problem because it is an opportunity for you. You should welcome complaints, and embrace clients who have them. They are doing you a favor by telling you how to improve.

Unfortunately most clients who are unhappy don’t complain. They just stop calling. You don’t want that to happen. You want to know if they are unhappy with your services, your staff, or you. You want to know so you can make things right for them and so you can fix the problem that is probably causing other clients to be unhappy.

At the very least, give your clients an “exit survey,” asking them to rate and review your performance. Ask them what you did well and what you could improve.

In addition, put a form on your website with language that encourages visitors to share feedback anonymously.

And, if you forget the scallops, make sure you don’t ignore the client. There are too many other lawyers who offer a good fajitas combo.

Marketing is everything you do to get and keep good clients. Here’s The Formula.

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

You screwed up. What are you going to do about it?

July 11, 2013 by
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My wife ordered vitamins online. The wrong order came. No, it’s not a tragedy, just one of life’s little annoyances. She has the hassle and expense of shipping it back and then waiting for the correct order to arrive.

She called the company to ask what to do.

“No problem,” she was informed. The rep explained that they company has a “one time courtesy policy” for situations like this.

My wife immediately got a 100% credit for the purchase.

No need to return the vitamins sent in error. My wife could use them, give them to someone, or throw them away.

The correct order was shipped out that day. No charge for shipping. And the 15% discount she got on the original order would be applied.

Yes indeed, no problem. In fact, a very nice experience, all things considered.

For a nominal one time cost, the company not only prevented the loss of a customer (they have to assume that an unhappy customer will leave), they made a fan. My wife will indeed use them again and, as she often does, recommend them to others.

But it wasn’t just what the company did that mattered, it was what they didn’t do.

They didn’t suggest that my wife was the one who had screwed up. (It is possible. Maybe she did click the wrong box.) They didn’t even ask. They gave her the benefit of the doubt and they did it immediately.

That’s their policy.

So, do you have a similar policy?

You know you’re going to screw up something. You’ll forget to return a call, there will be an error in your bill, or something will go wrong on a case and the client will blame you.

Law happens.

The question is, what are you going to do about it?

You need to think this through and decide in advance.

How will you handle it? How will you make it as pleasant and beneficial for the client as possible?

Take some time to consider this. Meet with your partners and staff. Brainstorm problems and solutions and make some decisions.

Then, when something does happen, you can surprise and delight your clients with your own “client courtesy policy” and keep those clients coming back and recommending you to others.

Marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients. It’s easier when you know The Formula

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Filed Under: Client loyalty, Client relations, Law office management, Marketing legal services
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