What Are You Doing To Improve Your Practice This Summer?

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us here in the U.S. It's the official unofficial beginning of summer. For many lawyers, that means that their practices will be slowing down shortly. Do you have a plan for the summer, or for other slow periods in your practice?

Here are just a few suggestions for how to effectively use that 'down' time in the summer if you're in a practice that takes a bit of a break during the summer months:

Get paid. Just because you're not signing up new clients doesn't mean you can't make money. If you're still using an hourly billing system or any billing practice that means you only collect money from your clients after the work is done, you've got accounts receivable. That means you've got money coming to you. But too many lawyers aren't diligent about following up on their accounts receivable. The longer you let you clients get away with not paying you, the less likely it is that you'll ever see that money. This summer, review all of your accounts receivable and start following up with clients. Even if you have a system in place, if you're not getting paid, it's time to get on the phone.

Consider firing some clients. Review your client list. Do you have 'bad' clients - ones that don't pay, that don't respect you or your staff, etc.? If you've already done step 1, this will be even easier. Clients that consistently fail to pay you or don't respect you are probably clients you could do without. Getting rid of your worst clients may be the best thing you could ever do for your practice - it will free you up to do higher value work for better clients.

Get in touch with former clients. When was the last time that you contacted your former clients? Satisfied clients are a great source of referrals. If you aren't keeping in touch with them, you're probably losing out on business. This summer, make yourself a schedule to catch up with old clients - make a phone call, write a note, schedule a time for lunch or coffee, send them an article or some information that would be useful for them or their business. Get back on their radar.

Update your current clients. It's much easier to get more work from existing clients than it is to sign up new clients. Keeping your clients happy is one of the single most important things you can do for your practice. That means more than just doing great legal work - it means actually taking care of your existing clients. Most clients don't hire a lawyer unless they have to - which means that they're probably emotionally involved in their case. As their 'trusted advisor,' you've got to deal with their emotional needs as well as their legal ones. Make sure you're keeping them up to date on the status of their matter - even if there's nothing happening.

Do something special for your clients. Following the logic of the previous tip, a happy client is a good client - not to mention a source for referrals and/or future business. The happier they are, the better off you are. Take some time this summer to think of ways that you can provide 'over the top' service to your clients. How can you surprise and delight your clients? Don't limit your thinking to ideas that relate directly to your law practice.

Keep up with your referral sources. What do you do to thank your referral sources? You should always thank them, but is there more that you can do? When was the last time that you did something to help their business? Even if you aren't in a position to refer them business, perhaps there's something else you can do to help them. Just like clients, referral sources need to be reminded that you're still out there and you're still looking for new business.

Re-examine your marketing efforts The year is halfway over. Is your practice where you'd like it to be? Were there things you 'intended' to do, but never got around to? Are you taking full advantage of the marketing opportunities that present themselves? Why not review your marketing plan and see where the gaps are? Maybe there's a marketing tool that you think might work for you, but you haven't had the time to learn about it or try it out. Do some research this summer about a new marketing tool or tactic. Review what you've done so far and see whether there's a way you might re-use or re-purpose it.

Do something for yourself If your practice is slow, instead of fretting about it, take some time to re-charge your batteries. Do something that you enjoy. Getting too wrapped up in your practice and not taking time for yourself and your family doesn't help you or your clients. Getting away provides a fresh perspective and new inspiration. And sometimes doing what you love is what makes the best connections. You never know where your next best client is going to come from - you may meet them when you're on vacation, at the gym, or getting involved in your community - and often, those connections are stronger and last longer than your 'business only' connections.

Comments

[Allison Shields]

Robert:

Thanks for your comment. This was obviously not a comprehensive list of all of the possibilities, but I'm glad you brought up employees. Too many lawyers and law firms forget that their employees are people, too - and that they're an important part of what happens at the firm, whether the firm is comprised of one attorney or many. Employees, whether they're lawyers or other staff, are integral to the success of any practice, and summer may be a good time to re-evaluate your employment practices, to determine whether you're taking advantage of your employees' best skills and talents, and whether they have suggestions about how to improve your practice.

Allison

[Robert Fligel]

I did not see any mention above about employees. What I would add to the summer project is to find out what the current state of the art best employment practices are and compare that to what you do with the idea of perhaps an upgrade.