All posts by : Lawyers With Purpose

I’m a stickler (PITA – aka "Pain In The A–") about providing a time and place for “conversations” in the workplace. I am all for connection, team building, sharing personal victories and working through where you are stuck in your life. I feel I am by nature a heart-centered person. I spend most of my free time on the yoga mat, hiking, camping or spending time with my dear friends and family. I’m all about connection and conversation. My Language of Appreciation is Quality Time and I lead with WHOO on the Strength Finder 2.0. However, I have strong convictions around limiting “conversation” during dedicated meeting and reporting times.

I’ve heard rumblings of the team saying, “She cuts me off mid- sentence sometimes,” or “She gets irritated easily during department meetings when we XXXXX.” When my director of operations shared some of this feedback with me recently while measuring the effectiveness of our department meetings, none of it surprised me. I feel exactly what they are feeling. I lead my department meetings like a boardroom meeting, always anchoring to the agenda and standards, story-stopping and data-seeking. I always hold the team members’ feet to the fire around consistent tracking, measuring and reporting versus stories about what it all does or doesn’t say.

Weekly team meetings, quarterly internal team retreats, unscheduled water cooler meet-ups, impromptu phone calls, team building events, etc. – ALL of these are excellent places for conversation and connection. But if you're allowing your weekly department meetings to be a place for coffee klatching, you will quickly find people dreading meetings because they are ineffective, and possibly useless. People thrive on structure and accountability. (And yes, you must hold separate department meetings even if you are a team of 1.5. HINT: Revisit The E-Myth.)

“How are things going? What’s occurred since our last call?”  That is how I started the monthly CCI call with a firm this past week. The attorney: “I’m not getting my reporting and have no idea what is working, what’s not working and where we stand with conversion rates right now. I know we are really, really busy, but I’m uncertain if any of this business is connected to revenue. I don’t know what is going on day in, day out because I am behind closed doors counseling, solving or convincing people of why we are worth our fees.” The client services coordinator instantly became defensive and spouted all the reasons why the reporting is or isn't occurring from her perspective. I really didn’t matter at that point; we were having a conversation about what we thought and felt was the state of the business. The reports weren’t doing the talking.

The attorney was really trying to communicate one simple thing with the story-stopping and desperate plea for consistent reporting. Business owners need (not necessarily want) the consistency of weekly meetings that are led and run by someone else. Every business owner needs weekly reporting and tracking so we know if we are shooting in the dark or aiming true north. Business owners are typically secretly walking around scared to death that today is the day “the other shoe will drop.”

You undeniably must create time and space in your workplace for conversation and connection. But if your weekly department meetings lack the unrelenting standards of a boardroom meeting and are instead weighed down with casual conversations, you can guarantee you're crushing your future revenue.

To learn more on how to effectively run your weekly department meetings, contact mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com. 

Have you registered for our Practice With Purpose Program yet?  If you want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose, register today and spend 2.5 day with us learning all you need to know about Asset Protection, Medicaid & VA.  Click here, check out the agenda, and register today!  

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.

This week I was involved in a discussion between a 90-day-into-the-job Client Services Director, and the attorney/business owner.   The attorney voiced his deep frustration that the new CSC was not keeping the Five Key Focusers.  The CSC felt she had been tossed into the deep end of the pool with very little training, had inherited an extremely disorganized office from the departed and disgruntled CSC, and had worked hard to bring order to the firm, while simultaneously learning the processes and mastering the tools.

Both of them were tired, discouraged and felt unheard and under-appreciated. 

Does this sound familiar to you?

The interesting thing, from my perspective, is that they were both right.

I’ve been the tired and discouraged CSC, trying to find time to get everything done that needed to be done, with constant interruptions.   So I could totally relate to her story.

On the other hand, I understand what keeps the attorney from sleeping at night …

Let me tell you a true story …

Years back, my husband’s friend’s wife took the family checkbook and went shopping.  She was young (and perhaps a blonde – I never asked) and did not fully understand the concept of a checking account.  She thought that as long as she had checks, she could just write them.  She actually had no idea that you actually had to have money in the bank to cover the checks.  True story, I promise!

She wanted to surprise her husband by sprucing up their home, and “purchased” new carpet, flooring, drapes and decorative items. 

By the time her husband discovered what she had done, not only had she written out checks, but she had not documented the amounts nor identified to whom she had written the checks.   She simply wrote checks until she ran out.  It was a few days before her husband knew anything about her “surprise” so when he found out; it was too late to stop payments and cancel purchases, etc.

Back in the days before you could just log into your bank account online Peter, the friend, had no way to know his actual balance, nor to control or plan for the consequences.  It was a total mess and, as I understand it, seriously stressed their relationship for quite a while.

Am I trying to say that the CSC acted in the same way as this newlywed?  Not at all!  But she didn’t realize that by not capturing critical business data her boss, the attorney, feels that he has no way to do damage control or to ensure that her salary check will clear the bank at the end of the month.  He needs to know who is calling the firm, how they heard about the firm, and see the birds-eye view of what is going on with prospects, conversions and cash flow.  He must be able to depend upon her capturing this information, because he himself is not in a position to do so.  She is the only one in a position to be able to document this information, and if he cannot rely upon her attention to detail it will send him into a panic mode.

Which is exactly what happened!

In so many areas of life we tend to pay attention and care for urgent matters, too often at the expense of critical matters.  Yes, it’s urgent that the phones be answered.  It’s urgent that prospects receive quality and painstaking care.  It’s urgent that documents get drafted and clients get scheduled … but it is CRITICAL that the business side of the firm is tended and cared for.

If your firm is not documenting through the Five Key Focusers, or some other means, and you would like more information on how to take control and sleep better contact me at ncatale@lawyerswithpurpose.com.

If you aren't a Lawyers With Purpose member, but want to experience first-hand what we have to offer, join us October 20-22nd in Phoenix, AZ, for our Practice With Purpose Program.  Just click the link to review the agenda chalk full of all you need to know to run an efficient and effective estate/elder law practice.  

Nedra Catale – Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

You've heard the quote a million times – “Ninety percent of life is showing up.”  You may be saying “I show up every day.  I work my tail-feathers off.  I feel as though I am swimming upstream with cinder blocks tied around my ankles.  If only I could get an assistant on board.  I just need the phone to ring more.  I just need …”

“Showing up” is not about the day-to-day grind.  It’s not about “time to make the donuts.”  “Showing up” is about stepping out of your everyday world and stepping onto a plane, getting into a room with like-minded folks and taking the risk to close your firm for two and a half days when you have every reason in the world why you should not.  But you do it because you have faith that the very thing you need to get over the hump is waiting on the other end.

Hear firsthand from your colleagues on how this is more than true:

“The knowledge you will take away will be very beneficial to the success of your firm.” – Jessica K.

“It’s an amazing program!  Helps keep things focused and moving.  If you’re going to attend, bring the whole team so everyone can gain info & be empowered.” – Jordan S.

“It was outstanding!  Well worth the time and money to attend!  Why weren't you here?” – Frank M.

ACT by Friday, August 29th to get in on the Early Bird opportunities to support you with your trip to Phoenix:

• $150 Airline Gift Card (2)
• 1 Night stay at the event hotel (2)
• $150 Food & Beverage voucher at the event hotel (1)

This is the last Practice Enhancement Retreat of 2014.  If you are on track for meeting annual goal, feel your team is running consistently on all cylinders, have a great work/family life balance and see no areas in need of growth, refinement & efficiency…CONGRATS!!!  

If that’s not the case…STOP waiting for “X” to be in place before you make the commitment to have the practice you know you’re close to creating.  There’s not a business owner that we know of who got over the hump magically, or on his or her own.  

Consider the possibility “X” is on the other side of the Practice Enhancement Retreat and you can still end 2014 with record numbers.  But you MUST show up to uncover the possibilities.

Contact Kyle Russ at kruss@lawyerswithpurpose to register today!

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process. 

At LWP, whether we're on an implementation call or at our Tri-Annual Retreat – or serving elsewhere, we're getting questions about marketing. It seems to be the No. 1 concern. So, we created a bi-weekly marketing roundtable call to give you the space to ask questions or get your marketing needs met. Our last call was all about your marketing plan. Where do you get started? How do you get it started? These are areas we facilitate and talk about on the call, so I encourage you to show up – and participate! I promise, you’ll get something out of it if you do.

You may or may not even be serving in a marketing role in the firm, but it’s something you know you need to focus on, so let’s dig in. So often when I’m on implementation calls I hear that people will table their marketing plan review at their weekly team meeting. Or they have a weekly marketing meeting but they only look at the RMS reporting, not consistently at the marketing plan. So I want to get everyone back on track as we are headed into end of August, with only four months left after that, to make sure you reach your goal.

We have a theory at LWP that goes like this: “What gets measured, gets results!” So, if you’re not looking at your marketing plan weekly – start! Even if it’s blank, look at it. I can promise you that, if you just spend two hours a week to make progress on your marketing plan action items, you will increase your revenue. The best plans I’ve seen started right there – blank. But they eventually grew until every space was filled out and completed. And that didn’t happen overnight. Also, they almost all start with the attorney in the “WHO” (responsible for) section – but they eventually change to the RMS coordinator landing in the “WHO” section, and that’s when things really start rocking and rolling.

If you commit only two hours a week, I promise you – with time management and deciding as a team that, come hell or high water, you're going to dedicate time to your marketing plan – you WILL double your revenue. It just takes time, discipline and determination. One of the most common roadblocks I come across on implementation calls is apprehension about that term “marketing.” People tend to clam up a little. And if you have that feeling where you hear “marketing” and you get apprehensive and find yourself shying away from it, I challenge you to think of it differently. Because what you're actually doing is building and nurturing relationships by counseling your clients and advisors. Don’t even use the term “marketing” if it doesn’t sit well with you. Don’t let anxiety paralyze you when it comes to marketing. Make a mental shift and approach it in a way that works for you. Make it your own and interact with it in a way that feels like you are making a difference. Don't think about it like you are “selling” but rather like you are communicating your value in the marketplace.

So, with all that, let’s look at the three different areas on the marketing plan:

• Retail: This is anything you write a check for. It has a slower ROI and has to be consistent and constant, because consistency is the key to your retail marketing. This is ads in newspapers and radio spots, for example. The best thing you can do here is to create a budget. (We do have a call that addresses creating a budget too.) When creating your budget, be honest and realistic. If you only have $500 a month for the next six months, that’s OK. Figure out what you’re going to do with that money and do it consistently; don’t bother if it’s a one-shot deal. Members have said to me so many times, “I ran an ad and no one called or showed up.” The problem is not the page your ad appeared on or the circulation it’s in, it’s the consistency. If you want to brand yourself as the expert in your area, they have got to see you over and over again. Bottom line. In the long haul, your retail marketing does pay off, but you must be patient and stick to your budget. Quitting is a mistake. It takes people seeing you 5-7 times before they take action. Retail takes money and consistency for 6-12 months to work. It’s not a magic bullet. People get so frustrated with their efforts in retail marketing, but branding is important and drives your wholesale marketing. It may take some research to find out the best placement or circulation, but eventually you will identify your ideal market and client, and then you can put your marketing dollars towards that with confidence.

• Wholesale: This is all about your relationships. When starting out in marketing to build your referrals, wholesale is the bulk of your marketing efforts. It’s your blood, sweat and tears, your starting path. It drives business quicker. It’s your face-to-face synergy, strategy, and relationship-review meetings. It’s you showing up, being present to them and demonstrating the value you create. If you have unlimited time and little money, do this and the money will come! Then, once you get it going and you need to hire, LWP can help. The greatest resource you have in this area is your time, and the follow-up is crucial. It won’t be successful if the conversations that you're having don’t have a next action attached to them. I can’t stress that enough! Don’t look at it like it’s transactional, because if you do, I promise you will sound that way and they will feel it. I like to say it’s like you're dating them. You have to realize it takes time to build the relationship, much like dating. Show them that you're interested in a long-term “committed” relationship, and prove yourself! Get into their perspective and create power in partnership.

• Community: This really combines your wholesale and retail. It’s consistency and branding, but it’s not just you donating money. Everyone does that. What community means is bringing the wholesale and retail together and having your face attached to your name/brand, and getting involved. Have the entire team do a walkathon together. Do something like that every quarter. It doesn’t mean just throwing a check at a sponsorship, it means getting involved. It’s being in the community AND developing your relationships. It’s your FIRM participating, making it fun and, at the same time, letting your community see you.

So start bringing your marketing plan to your next team meeting. It may be a mess, it may be outdated and it may even be a blank one that you print from the website. But have it there. And be the firm advocate for making it a living document. This isn’t just another document you’ve got to bring into the room to make your team or marketing meeting longer or more difficult. It’s the revenue generator for your business, and you must have a conversation around it regularly and be focused and intentional with it. Declare who in the office is going to own it, and I strongly encourage you to assign someone other than the attorney because those are the plans that are the most successful.

Take it seriously for the months of September, October, November and December. And you only have to take it one step at a time. If you just take two hours a week to work on one item per quarter from either your wholesale, retail or community plan, it will make a huge impact on the revenue in your firm. So my challenge to you all is to send me your current marketing plan – rdrotar@lawyerswithpurpose.com. I’m happy to review it and give you feedback and really support you with implementation of your plan before the end of the year.

If you want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose check out our Practice With Purpose Program in October.  Click here to look at the full agenda or contact Molly Hall for more information – mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com

Roslyn Drotar – Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose