The secret to success in the courtroom, boardroom, and new car showroom

May 30, 2013 by
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If you want to win more trials, negotiate better deals, and make lots of money so you can buy new cars, the secret has just been revealed.

According to a study of over a billion Tweets during sporting events, being confident makes you more popular than being right. “The more opinionated [the tweeters] were, the more influential and trustworthy they were perceived to be,” the study found.

I’m not surprised. People are attracted to confident people. They listen to them and want to follow them.

I am a little surprised, however, by the researcher’s correlation of “loud” and “confident”. “Despite professional pundits and amateur fans making a similar amount of correct and incorrect predictions, the tweeters who ‘yelled’ louder were seen as more trustworthy and had more followers,” they said.

I don’t know about you, but when I hear people “shouting,” I see it as a lack of confidence. When you have the facts on your side, you don’t need to shout. But maybe that’s not true on Twitter where you have to make noise so you can be heard above the incessant chatter.

In the real world, I have occasionally raised my voice slightly to emphasize a point in a negotiation or in oral argument. It is done sparingly and it is very brief, no more than a word or two. Mostly, I rely on a calm and sober recitation of the facts. I’ll bet you do, too.

Maybe that’s why many attorneys aren’t loving social media. We’re too self-conscious. We want to win friends and influence people but we don’t want to shout to do it.

Fortunately, there is another way to be popular on social media. According to another study, referenced on the same page, “Twitter users who posted positive, easy-to-read messages that contained news and other factual information, gained 30 times more followers than grumpy, self-centred [sic] tweeters.”

So, if you want more friends and followers, and you want to win more arguments and more trials, be confident, stay positive, and share valuable information. And if you are inclined to shout, make sure it’s not about you.

Want to attract more good clients? Click here to learn how.

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Filed Under: Communication, Image, Personal development, Presentations, Public Speaking, Social media Tagged With:

The most important second opinion a lawyer can get

May 29, 2013 by
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Every day lawyers make lots of decisions. Big ones and little ones. And we’re pretty good at it. We usually make them quickly and we’re right most of the time.

But what do you do when you don’t know what to do?

You’ve weighed the pros and cons, you’ve IRAC’d the facts and reasoned out all the “on the other hand”s and you still can’t decide. What then?

You can do more research. More information often helps. But sometimes, it does just the opposite. More information makes it harder to decide because there’s too much to evaluate, too many things that can go wrong.

So, you get a second opinion. You ask your partner or a colleague. You talk to your mentor or bring it to your mastermind group. You ask your wife.

Sometimes I ask people like Aristotle or Albert Einstein what they see about the situation and what they would advise me to do. “What would Abraham Lincoln do in this situation?”

Hearing what other intelligent, informed people say on the subject often helps us to know the best course of action. But just as too much information sometimes makes it harder to decide, too many opinions can do the same thing. Too many cooks often do spoil the broth.

When you have collected enough information, sought out second and third and fourth opinions, and still don’t know what to do, the only thing you can do is to ask yourself for a second opinion.

Put away everything you know and have learned about the subject, all of the information and opinions of others, and after a reasonable period of time, come back to the subject with fresh eyes. Just like editing a paper, the passage of time will allow you to see things you could not see before and give you clarity about what to do.

It is your decision, after all. The most important second opinion a lawyer can get is his or her own.

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Filed Under: Personal development Tagged With: ,

If you only had $100 a month for marketing, how would spend it?

May 14, 2013 by
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If you only had $100 a month for marketing, what would you do? Would you spend it on advertising? Join a networking group? Improve your website?

Want to know what I’d do? I’d spend it on myself.

I’d buy books and courses and takes classes and learn everything I could about marketing. Because the best investment a professional can make is an investment in themselves.

And, when I was a young pup of an attorney, just starting out and clueless about marketing, that’s exactly what I did.

I scoured the shelves of libraries and checked out everything I could find on marketing and small business. I visited bookstores once or twice a week and never came home empty handed. I talked to more experienced attorneys and asked them what they did to bring in business.

Of course learning is only part of the equation. If you want to bring in business, you actually have to do something. And so I did that, too. I tried all sorts of things and found out that I wasn’t very good at most of them. But because I tried lots of things, I found some that I was good at and actually enjoyed.

And that’s when things took off.

I found out I was good at writing and getting referrals from my clients, and that’s what I focused on. If I was starting out today, I would be doing the very same things but I would add one more: I would learn everything I could about marketing on the Internet.

So, learn everything, try lots of things, find one or two you like and are good at, and keep doing them.

But never stop investing in your education. Learn about advertising, even if you never advertise. Learn about sales, even though you are not sales person. Learn about networking, even though you’re shy.

Because while you may not DO what you learn, you will USE what you learn, somewhere in your marketing.

Continue (or start) your marketing education with this.

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Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Marketing Plan, Personal development Tagged With: ,

The only good lawyer is a dead lawyer

May 3, 2013 by
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In case you haven’t noticed, a lot of people don’t like lawyers. Hey, a lot of lawyers don’t like lawyers.

But why?

Because we help bad people get away with bad things? Because we’re mean? Because we earn a lot of money for doing nothing?

I guess there are lots of reasons. Most of which we can’t do anything about. But there’s one reason we can do something about.

A lot of people say they don’t like lawyers because we can’t be trusted. We lie. We don’t keep our promises. We say one thing and do another.

A lot of people think this. As long as they do, the legal profession will continue to be looked down upon and lawyers will have a harder time winning our clients’ trust.

What can we do about it? We can start by making sure we always keep our promises.

The other day I had a phone appointment with a lawyer. I called at the scheduled time, as we had arranged. The lawyer was “in with a client”. I was told the lawyer would call me back.

But he didn’t.

An appointment is a promise. Two people agree to meet or talk and they schedule it in their calendar. When someone doesn’t show up, they break that promise.

So, here’s the thing. If you want people to trust you, you have to do what you say you’re going to do. If you have an appointment, you keep it. If you say you’re going to call someone or you say you’re going to do something, you do it.

There is no gray area. There is no best efforts. As Yoda says, “Do, or do not. There is no try.”

If there is an emergency, okay, people understand. But you’ve got to tell them.

If you need to re-schedule, okay, that happens a lot. But you’re got to tell them.

Otherwise, they think, “flake”. “Doesn’t keep promises”. “Can’t be trusted”.

And people don’t want to hire lawyers that can’t be trusted.

Have you noticed how a lot of Texans who use the word “lawyer” intentionally pronounce it “liar”?

Now we know why.

If you want to learn more ways to build trust, get this.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Image, Legal industry, Personal development Tagged With: , , ,

I hate my clients

April 30, 2013 by
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You: I hate my clients. They’re angry, stressed out, demanding, and impatient. They blame me for everything and are making me miserable. I don’t know if I can do a good job for people I can’t stand to be around. Do you have any advice?

Me: If you are delivering a perfunctory service–preparing a document, a few court appearances, basic work where you don’t have to see the client that often, just focus on the work. Or, focus on the money they’re paying you.

If you’re talking about an ongoing relationship, where you have to deal with the client closely over a long period of time, a difficult client is more challenging. The way I see it, there are three things you can do:

1. Be honest. Tell the client you need to talk to them about something important and ask permission to be candid. Then, tell them how you feel. Explain that you understand what they’re going through, but when they take out their anger and frustration on you, it makes it more difficult for you to do a good job for them. Remind them that you are on their side and that you need to work together. Once they agree, establish some ground rules so you can move forward.

2. Get a buffer. Have someone else in the office deal with the difficult client. You step into the picture from time to time, briefly, and then step out.

3. If you can’t change your clients, change your clients. If you still find it difficult to work with an individual client, despite your best efforts, ask them to find another lawyer. If you find it difficult to work with most of your clients, you need to consider a new practice area (or new career).

You don’t have to like your clients to do a good job for them, but it helps. If you do like your clients, they’ll be more likely to like you, and that is always a good thing.

Marketing is everything we do to get and keep good clients. Here’s the formula.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Personal development

7 Reasons You Should Write More

April 29, 2013 by
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I know, you already do plenty of writing for work. You should write more.

Love it or loathe it, writing more (and getting better at it) is good for you and good for your practice. In fact, if I were making a list of essential skills for attorneys, writing would at or very near the top.

Here are 7 reasons:

  1. You learn things. Writers are readers. In reading deeply in your discipline, and broadly outside of it, you accumulate knowledge. That knowledge makes you better at spotting issues and finding solutions. It helps you understand other people and relate to them. It makes you more well-rounded, interesting, and likable.
  2. You find out what you think. Writing forces you to clarify your thoughts and priorities. Clarity leads to better decisions; better decisions leads to better outcomes.
  3. Writing more makes you a better writer. You get better at asking questions, doing research, and sorting information. You get better at the mechanics of writing. You get better at communicating your ideas and persuading others to your cause.
  4. Writing makes you a better speaker. Writing helps you consolidate, organize, and present your ideas. You develop a better ear for words and become a better story teller. Not surprisingly, speaking more makes you a better writer.
  5. Writing helps you meet new people. You can approach other experts, to interview them, invite them to do a guest post for your blog or an article for your newsletter. Through them, you can meet other people you would like to know.
  6. Writing helps you build your practice. The more you write, the better you get at showing people what you do and how you can help them. The more articles, posts, reports, and other documents you create and distribute, the more opportunities there are for clients to find you.
  7. Writing more helps you become a better attorney. For all of the above reasons.

To get better at writing, write something every day. A journal is a good place to start.

If you don’t know what to write, open a blank page, set a timer for 15 minutes, and write whatever comes. Keep your hand moving (or fingers typing) and don’t stop until the timer sounds. If nothing comes, write about how you don’t know what to write, but keep going.

Write something every day and your writing will improve. So will your thinking. So will you.

Get more clients and increase your income. Get The Attorney Marketing Formula.

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Filed Under: Communication, Personal development, Writing

How to invoke the law of reciprocity to get more clients and more referrals

April 23, 2013 by
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A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I had a termite inspection. Just routine. It had been awhile and it was time. We got the all clear once again, and once again there was no charge for the inspection.

However, we now have a pest control maintenance contract with this company and told our previous company adios.

We had been with the other company for 15 years and we were satisfied with their work. They showed up when they were supposed to and were reasonably polite. They always called the day before, to remind us they were coming and to ask if there were any problems they needed to address.

So why did we switch?

No, it wasn’t price. Our previous company had never raised their rates and the new company actually charged a bit more (but was willing to match the first company).

Actually, there were two reasons.

The first reason we switched is that while we were satisfied with our first company, we were only satisfied. They didn’t do anything to tip the scale from satisfied to delighted.

Of course we didn’t realize what was missing until we had the new company come out. They were more organized. And cleaner. And more thorough. The man who came out was articulate and patiently explained everything. You could tell he wasn’t just doing his job, he really enjoyed what he did.

The first company was competent. The second company made us feel like they cared about having our business.

The second reason we switched? We’d had this company out twice and it was the same guy both times. Both times, there was no charge. And so when he offered the maintenance contract, the law of reciprocity kicked in and we took it.

The law of reciprocity says that when you give someone something, they have a psychological compulsion to reciprocate. Buy someone lunch, for example, and the next time you go out together they’ll pick up the check. It’s not politeness or friendship. It’s the law of reciprocity.

If you doubt this, the next time someone you know says good morning to you, don’t say anything in return. That awkward feeling you have is the law of reciprocity.

So, did we hire the new company out of guilt? In a way, yes. We had two free inspections and had never given them anything in return. We might have reciprocated by sending them referrals, but we liked what we saw and hired them.

When you offer a free consultation, your prospective client feels like they owe you. So, unless you give them a reason not to, they will be inclined to hire you. If they can’t or don’t need to hire you, they will be primed to send you referrals.

The same goes for anything you do for others. Send a lawyer friend a referral and they will probably send one to you. Give your newsletter subscribers helpful information and they will tell their friends to visit your website. Help a neighbor set up their new computer and they’ll be looking for ways they can return the favor.

The “Golden Rule” says, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Now you know how it works.

The Attorney Marketing Formula shows you how to earn more than you ever thought possible.

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Filed Under: Client relations, Closing the sale, Marketing legal services, Personal development, Referrals Tagged With:

I know you are but what am I?

April 16, 2013 by
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What do you do when someone posts a negative review on Yelp?

When an unhappy client goes on a rant about what a terrible attorney you are, should you respond? When someone publicly criticizes you, says you’re dumb ass, or greedy, or the Devil’s spawn because you defend child molesters.

What do you do?

Do you defend yourself? Fight back? Send them a horse’s head?

The best thing to do about negative comments is to ignore them. There’s nothing to be gained by getting into a pissing match. Even stupid people are entitled to their opinion.

You’re not going to change the mind of the opinion holder, and if you try to explain or defend yourself in public, you’ll only make yourself look worse.

If the negative comment is on your blog or on your Facebook wall, you should respond. It would look weird if you didn’t. But don’t respond in kind, just point out the facts. Your friends and followers will probably come to your defense and neutralize the negative comment, maybe even smother it.

But if someone posts a negative review about you on Yelp or another public forum, or they give your book a one star review on amazon.com, ignore it.

Let it go. Pour yourself a stiff one.

I see lawyers who are afraid to dive into social media or do anything online because they are afraid of what unhappy clients might say about them.

That’s operating out of fear. Maybe guilt.

Life (and the practice of law) isn’t about the complete avoidance of risk. It’s about the intelligent management of it. If you are alive (or open for business) there will always be risks.

You may have some unhappy clients, and they may share their unhappiness publicly, but. . .

they may not.

Are you going to forgo all of the benefits of being on the Internet because of what one or two Bozos might say about you?

How about all of the other clients who think you’re great? You’re going to get good comments, too.

A lot of people are saying negative things about Dell right now. They get tons of negative reviews. But people still buy their products.

Now if someone is posting untruths about you and not just their opinion, if someone is defaming you, that’s different. You may have to do something. A letter from your lawyer, perhaps. Or a horse’s head.

I say you “may” have to do something because sometimes, it really is better to ignore things like this. Yes, even when they are untrue and causing harm. Life is too short to get all worked up about everything.

Probably the smartest thing to do is to stop reading your reviews. The bad ones will only upset you and the good ones, well, you’re an attorney. You don’t need an even bigger ego.

Marketing for smart attorneys. The Attorney Marketing Formula.

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Filed Under: Blogging, Client loyalty, Image, Online Marketing, Personal development, Social media Tagged With:

Don’t let your reason why become your excuse not to

April 11, 2013 by
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You say that one of the reasons you want to increase your income is to have more free time. Time for family, hobbies, travel, fun.

Those things are important to you but you’re always working and don’t have enough time.

More free time is the “reason why” you want to earn more.

But then I hear you say you don’t have time for marketing. You’re too busy.

Do you see the problem here? You want time (your why) because you don’t have time (always working) so you use the fact that you don’t have time as your excuse for not marketing, even though marketing is what will eventually give you more free time.

It is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

You’re letting your reason why become your excuse not to.

“But I have to do the work,” you say. You can’t slow down. It’s a Catch 22.

You could hire someone to do some of the work.

“I can’t afford to hire anyone,” you say.

Okay, now you’re being difficult.

You hire someone so you can work less so you can have more time for marketing so you can earn more so you can have more free time.

Try saying that ten times really fast.

It’s called leverage. Working smart. Treating your practice like a business.

You can’t wait for more free time to appear before you start marketing. You must start marketing to create more free time.

You can make money or you can make excuses, but you can’t make both.

I can teach you how to leverage your time. Click here.

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Filed Under: Increase your income, Personal development, Productivity, Time Management Tagged With:

Give up good to go for great

April 8, 2013 by
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You can do anything you want to do in life; you just can’t do everything.

You have free will. You have unlimited choices. But you don’t have unlimited time. So you can do anything, just not everything. You must choose.

As you choose what to do, you also choose what not to do. The word “decide” means to “kill the other option”. When you chose to go to law school, you also chose not to go to medical school.

If you want to accomplish great things, you must focus on great things and let go of things that are merely good. Give up good to go for great.

What is important to you? Family. Faith. Career. Community. It’s probably not a long list. What’s important to you is where you will find your greatness. Get those things right and you’ll have a happy and fulfilling life.

—

Quick note: Today is the last day to get Cash Flow for Attorneys and The Quantum Leap Marketing System (at 50% off). I’ll be taking down these two products tonight and they will no longer be available.

Get the details here.

Is marketing important to you? It should be. Here’s a good place to start.

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Filed Under: Personal development, success
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