Legal Ease Blog

Holiday Networking Time Has Arrived Again - Do Something! Network Effectively

Last week at a meeting of one of my networking groups, a question was posed about what changes we've seen in networking as a result of the current economic slowdown. Many people in the room - all of whom were active 'networkers' - stressed the importance of networking in general, but particularly when the economy is slow. In a difficult economic climate, it's more important than ever to maintain your existing relationships and continue building new ones.

Others pointed out that those seeking to cut costs should avoid making the mistake of cutting their marketing budgets to the bone and eliminating or cutting back on networking and related expenses. History has shown that those who cut their marketing efforts - particularly where those efforts revolve around creating and maintaining relationships - are the ones who fail to survive the slowdown, or who are behind the curve when the economy picks up.

I have noticed some new faces at the events and activities I've attended over the past several months and am sure that it is, at least in part, due to the economic slowdown. Lawyers who may not have felt the need to market themselves or to network in the past have realized that the changing economy requires a change in habits. So for those who are new to networking or may just be a bit rusty, I offer these thoughts for effective networking:

First, know yourself
Before you can network or market yourself effectively, you must know what you're marketing. As a lawyer, YOU are the product. Know yourself. Who are you? What are your strengths and passions? What do you and your firm bring to the marketplace? How are you different?

Know your clients and potential clients
Who is your target? What is your best source of business? What do those people need? What is important to them? How can you help them?

Communicate effectively
Be ready to talk about yourself and your firm in a way that communicates value to your audience. Although you'll be talking about what you can do, you must speak about what your audience believes is important and how you can help them. Don't just do an information dump. Listen more than you speak, and when you do speak, be sure to speak in terms your audience will understand. Ask questions to draw the other person out.

Think first about what you can give, not what you will get
For some, networking is awkward because they see it as bragging or begging for business. But networking should be neither. Attend events and make contacts from a position of someone who can be of service to others and make connections that will benefit others, rather than with a mindset that you are looking for others to give you business.

Remember that the real networking happens outside the room
Networking is about building relationships, and relationships don't emerge overnight. They take time to develop. People do business with people with whom they are comfortable - people that they can trust. Those kinds of relationships aren't built through a five minute conversation and a quick exchage of business cards. Trust is built over time and by getting to know others. The real networking is done through the follow up after the initial meeting. Be proactive and set up one on one meetings for coffee or just to chat and learn more about those you meet at "networking" events. You might be surprised at where new business comes from and when.

Finally, be yourself and have fun!

Do Something! Give Thanks

Seriously. About everything. You'd be surprised at the changes gratitude can make in your practice and in your day to day life. Sometimes we need to be reminded that no matter how difficult things get (or seem to be), we have an awful lot to be thankful for.

When I woke up this morning, I decided that, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I was going to try to be as consious as possible of all of the things I have to be thankful for as I encountered them throughout the day. The following is a partial list (all before 7 a.m.):

• A roof over my head and a warm place to sleep;
• Electronics (and electricity) that help me wake up in the morning;
• Hot water in the shower;
• Clean clothes to wear;
• Food on my table;
• Loved ones to kiss goodbye before I leave for work;
• The education that helped me to become a lawyer and an entrepreneur;
• My parents and the teachers who helped me to get that education;
• A career I enjoy;
• A reliable vehicle that provides my transportation;
• Paved roads, traffic lights and the infrastructure that makes travel to work if not exactly pleasant, than infinitely more efficient and bearable than it could otherwise be;
• Music that keeps me company during my trip to work;
• Friends and colleagues whose company I enjoy and who keep me intellectually stimulated (not to mention sane);
• Clients who respect my work and pay bills on time;
• Sufficient money and credit available to me to cover my necessities and quite a bit more;
• A country/government/legal system which provides me with the freedom to choose all of the above;
• All of my God-given gifts including intelligence, persistence and resourcefulness that have helped me to keep going even during the tough times; and of course
• My health, without which all of the above would be infinitely more difficult.

Many, if not all of the things on this list are things I encounter within the first few hours of every day. They're overlooked or taken for granted routinely, and yet there are many in this world who would give all they had for any one of the things on the above list.

My challenge to you this week: articulate what you have to be grateful for, whether you do so in writing or by telling another person. You may be surprised at the shift that occurs.

Do Something! Highlight staff members in your newsletter

If you are sending out  a firm newsletter, either by regular mail or email, you’re already well on your way to establishing ongoing relationships with clients, potential clients, strategic alliances and referral sources. (See my earlier post about sending out a firm newsletter).

I'd like to expand a bit on one of the points from my earlier post:

Include news about your firm and its members. Even if your clients are businesses, it’s people within those businesses that are hiring you. And those people have relationships with all of the people in your office - not just the lawyers. People do business with people they know, like and trust. The more you highlight the staff members with whom your clients interact, the more your clients will feel a strong bond with your firm and with the individuals that work there.

As a practical matter, many clients interact more frequently with staff than with the attorneys handling their files. They see your receptionist when they bring documents to the office or come for a meeting. Your receptionist or secretary greets the client on the telephone each time the client calls. Your secretary calls the client to confirm appointments or follow for receipt of documents and information. The billing department sends out invoices and follows up for payment. Perhaps you have a calendar department, or a paralegal who may also have relationships with your clients.

People hire people, and they're much more likely to be loyal to those they know than to those they don't know. Your staff is important to your clients. To generate even more firm loyalty, highlight non-professional staff in your newsletter, along with your professional staff.

Liked this post? You might be interested in an old post: Why Your Receptionist May be the Most Important Person in Your Office.

Do Something! Send out a firm newsletter

Getting business is all about building relationships. Think about the relationships in your life. With whom do you feel you have the best relationships - the people you're in touch on a regular basis, or those you don't see or speak toi very often? Relationships only grow when they’re nurtured, and when you’re in touch on a regular basis (which is the reason some people tell me that Twitter has become so popular, although I’ve yet to jump on that bandwagon).

Your firm’s newsletter is your way of staying in touch with clients, potential clients, strategic alliances and referral sources. 

Here are some  tips for creating your firm newsletter:

1. Give it some personality – make sure your firm newsletter reflects your firm’s culture and individuality.

2. Include news about the individuals in your firm. Even if your clients are businesses, it’s people within those businesses that are hiring you. And those people have relationships with the people in your office (for more on this see my upcoming post Do Something! Highlight staff members in your newsletter) Did someone in your office have a baby, move to a new home, or get recognized in the community? Include this news in your newsletter for a personal touch.

3. Use the newsletter as an opportunity to cross-sell. Highlight a different lawyer or a different practice area in each issue so that clients know the other services you provide

4. Highlight business accomplishments of the firm and its members. Was someone recognized for pro bono work? Is your firm involved in the local bar association? Did you win a big case recently or save a client some money? Was someone published? Have your lawyers or staff attended training programs or conferences that will aid in their representation of clients?

5. Use case studies and testimonials to demonstrate the benefits your firm provides to its clients. Stories and case studies illustrate the concrete way you help your clients and helps potential clients identify themselves, while giving referral sources a 'taste' of what you can do for others.

6. Include photographs. If you’re highlighting a lawyer or staff member in the newsletter, include a photo. If you’re a solo, include a photo of yourself in each issue. People respond to photographs and it reinforces the ‘know, like and trust’ factor.

7. Keep it short and conversational – don’t overpower your readers with big words and legal jargon – remember to speak your clients’ language.

8. Include your contact information in a prominent place (or several prominent places).

9. Invite comments and feedback from your readers. Readers who are engaged are more likely to hire you or refer you business

10. Include offers for special reports or other information to get readers to your website

11. Don’t forget to check your newsletter for the ‘so what?’ factor – read  every issue from the perspective of your audience to ensure that you’re answering the question foremost in their minds: What’s in it for me? Make sure you're providing value, not just pitching your firm.

As always, remember to follow your jurisdiction’s ethical rules when sending out newsletters, whether online or off.

Need help deciding what to do with your firm newsletter or how it fits into your overall marketing plan? Contact me to see how I can help.

Do Something! Take the Test - Is Your Message Clear?

When someone asks you, "What do you do?" what is your response? Are you sure that you're being understood?

I went through law school and I've been practicing law for 15 years, and yet many times when lawyers introduce themselves or tell me what they do, I have no idea what they're talking about. I can only imagine what others who don't have any legal background or experience at all think when they talk to lawyers about what they do.

Too often, lawyers get used to using the technical terms and legal jargon associated with their practice area and automatically use that language when they talk about what they do. While this may work with other lawyers that practice in their area, it may not work with your target market(s) - including potential clients and referral sources, and even your existing clients.

As a lawyer, you need to speak the language of your target audience. If your existing clients can't understand you, it will have a negative effect on your relationship. Don't assume that if a client doesn't tell you they can't understand what you're telling them, it means that they understood (yes, I'm aware of the multiple negatives in that sentence). People don't want to seem stupid or unintelligent, so they may not admit that they aren't following what you're saying.

If potential clients or referral sources can't understand you, they'll never be able to identify whether they (or others within their circle of influence) can use your services. Bottom line? If your audience can't understand you, you're losing business. It's that simple. You want to make sure that your message conveys what you do, who you do it for, and the value that you provide in a way that allows those that need your services to identify themselves immediately.

To test whether your message is understandable, practice with people that you know aren't intimately familiar with what you do every day. Give your introduction to laypeople such as your parents, grandparents, children and/or friends. After you've given it, ask them to explain to you, in their own words, what you do. You'll get a good idea of whether you're being clear - and perhaps even get some ideas about how you can improve your message.

Finally, listen to your clients. How do they talk about the problems you solve for them? What words do they use to describe the services you provide? Knowing how your clients describe their problems and needs will help you to create a message that speaks their language.

Need help creating a message that speaks to your target audience? Check out the audio series, "How to Grow Your Law Practice on a Shoestring Budget", with segments on identifying your ideal clients and creating marketing messages tailored to those ideal clients.

(Don't) Do Something! Don't nickel and dime your clients!

I'm writing this post from the NACBA (National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys) conference on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I arrived here via plane, and the ridiculous airline fees I encountered on the way here inspired this post. I flew via US Airways, and not only do they charge for every checked bag, but you can't even get any kind  of beverage on US Air without paying a fee. Sure, it's a nominal sum - just a couple of dollars - but that's not the point. The point is that traveling has become more and more of a hassle, and having to pull out your wallet for an extra fee at every turn certainly doesn't make a customer feel 'warm and fuzzy.' This is especially true because these added charges aren't for 'new' services - they're for services that have always been included in the base air fare.

Rising prices are affecting all businesses - airlines and law firms included. That's understandable. Sometimes rates need to be raised. But I suspect there would be less grumbling and less bad feelings if the airlines just added the $15 first bag fee plus an additional $5 or $6 to every airline ticket for a total hike of about $20 rather than asking customers to pay a nominal sum here, there and everywhere. Most customers probably wouldn't even know the difference in the regular fare.

So what does this have to do with your law practice? Don't make the same mistake that US Air is making (and other airlines are considering). Don't nickel and dime your clients, adding charges to their bill for faxes, long distance phone calls, postage, or other 'incidentals.'

If you must raise your rates, raise them. But don't antagonize clients by adding fees or charges, particularly for services that should be included or that clients expect to be included in your regular fees (or that have been included in your regular fees in the past).

Do Something! Network: You never know where it might lead

Last week I had the pleasure of re-connecting with someone I met almost three years ago. We met only once, at a seminar, and I don't believe there was any follow up at the time. But Dean Mercado was reviewing his LinkedIn contacts and saw me connected to one of his connections, Mark Bullock. Dean emailed me to ask if we'd met, and we had coffee last week.

Dean is a marketing coach and consultant, specializing in internet marketing. Not only do I think that Dean could be a great connection and strategic alliance for me, but talking with him last week about my business got me re-energized about what I'm doing and the services I want to provide for my clients.

The moral of this story? Network - you never know where it might lead. Sure, social media and internet marketing is great. Without LinkedIn, Dean and I might not have re-connected. But the reason he remembered me - and contacted me - was because he remembered meeting me in person at the seminar several years ago, before Legal Ease Consulting became a reality.

While working and serving your clients is important and the internet has made it easy to 'connect' with people while sitting behind your desk, business is all about relationships, and the best way to create those relationships is to get out and meet people.

So, what are  you waiting for? You don't have to go to a 'networking group' or 'networking event.' Meet someone for coffee. Check in with a client or former client and see what's new in their business. Get involved in your community. Attend a seminar or CLE presentation. Join a gym. Have dinner with an old friend.

For more ideas about strategically marketing your practice, go to my website, LawyerMeltdown.com.

Do Something! Enjoy your practice more by defining your values

The underlying key to enjoying the practice of law is your values; first, identifying what those values are, and second, ensuring that your activities are in alignment with those values. Discontent occurs when there’s a disconnect between your values and where you focus your energy on a daily basis.

The key steps to breaking this cycle are:

• Identifying your values; and
• Assessing the alignment of those values with your activities.

For example, if your top value is family but you leave early every morning for work, get home after your family is in bed and work most weekends, you’re setting yourself up for unhappiness both at home and at work; when you’re home you’re anxious about what needs to be done at the office, and when you’re at work, you’re concerned about what you’re missing at home. The result is that you aren’t focusing on either and you aren’t sufficiently “present” at any time.

This kind of discontent isn’t always just a function of time. Let’s assume that one of your top values is the environment and the ‘green’ movement. If those values aren’t reflected by the clients you represent or the firm you work for, the result can be a lack of motivation or focus at work.

These may be extreme examples, but they demonstrate clearly how the disconnect between values and day to day activities can breed unhappiness. You need to find the balance that works for you and ensure that your values are reflected in the work that you do.

Do Something! Write Out Your FAQs

Do you want to:

• Streamline your intake process?
• Provide valuable information to your clients?
• Pre-qualify clients and avoid spending time with problem clients?
• Create marketing materials for your website, prospective clients, etc.?

Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQs can help with all of the above issues, and more.

Why FAQs?

There's a lot to discuss with a client at an initial consultation, and much of the information you provide to clients is provided over and over, to every client. Sometimes once you've had the initial consultation and educated the client about the process and the legal issues involved, the client decides that they can't afford you, or even that your services aren't right for them. You know that being helpful and providing information to potential clients promotes goodwill and may result in referrals at a later time. FAQs can help by providing the potential client with the information they need and freeing you up to meet only with those clients that are serious about retaining your services.

Many clients are reluctant to speak with an attorney and need some other way to determine who to call. Providing FAQs helps clients get to know you and your services in a less frightening way.

How do you create FAQs?

Most clients in your practice area probably have the same questions and concerns when they come to see you for the first time. What are the 10 most popular questions that clients ask during your initial consultations? What are the most important aspects of your service that need to be explained to every client at the time of the first engagement? What legal issues must clients be aware of? What common misconceptions or misperceptions about lawyers, the law, the legal process or your services have you encountered? Write out those questions and your answers, and you'll be well on your way.

• Remember to write the FAQs in the language that your clients use when they speak with you, and to provide information in terms that they can understand.
• Use the FAQs as a way to sell your services by explaining in your FAQs why you're the right lawyer/law firm to handle their matter.
• Write your FAQs in such a way as to educate clients up front about how you work and to begin defining their expectations for the engagement.

How can you use FAQs?

• Send a copy of your FAQs to potential clients after they first inquire about your services, but before they come to your office for the initial consultation. This will provide clients with valuable information and help them to decide whether your services are right for them.
• Post the FAQs on your website. If you don't yet have a website or are working on your website and marketing materials, FAQs are a good place to start, because they help you get 'into the heads' of your clients and focus on the clients' wants and needs and how your services benefit the client
• Give new clients an additional copy of the FAQs to refer to throughout the engagement
• Add FAQs to informational packages that are sent to vendors, strategic alliances, potential clients, seminar attendees, etc.
• Include FAQs in your regular firm newsletter

Do Something! Implement

The hardest part of making any change is taking the first step. Lawyers commonly suffer from ‘analysis paralysis’– getting stuck in the planning phase or wanting to make sure that conditions are ‘perfect’ before taking action. Or they fail to focus on activities that fall into Steven Covey’s “important but not urgent” category.

By definition, the “important but not urgent” doesn’t have a set deadline. But if you’re committed to making a change, the secret is in creating external deadlines and taking action one step at a time. Here’s how:

• List your goals;
• Choose an outside deadline for each goal;
• Write down the smallest possible next step that needs to occur in order to move things forward;
• Schedule a specific appointment with yourself to accomplish that next step;
• Share the deadline with someone else, and ask them to hold you accountable for meeting it;
• Where possible, publicize your goal deadline more widely (for example, announce that your new website will be launched by September 1, or schedule a seminar and invite clients in advance).

External deadlines use the power of peer pressure; once you share the goal and the deadline, you’ve made a commitment to others, even if the only one that really benefits is you. External deadlines also work because when you share your deadlines with others and ask them to keep you accountable, you’ve created a cheering section – and perhaps even an offer of help. And finally, external deadlines force you to get over your perfectionism and take action.