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VA Approval – Now What?

June 30, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Technical Systems & Processes VA

Congratulations! You received approval of your VA Pension with Aid and Attendance claim. Your job is done, right? Well, not quite.

Once you receive an approval letter, there are three steps your firm should follow: Review for accuracy, identify next action, and then inform your client of the results and what to do next.

Review for accuracy

Just because you have an approval does not mean there are no errors in the decision. The two main issues to check are (1) the effective date (payment start date) and (2) the monthly benefit amount. You should already have a pretty clear understanding of the eligibility date and the expected amount when you file the formal claim. The payment start date should be the first day of the month following the month in which you submitted the informal claim/intent to file or formal claim. For example, if an intent to file was submitted and received by the VA on May 20, 2015, then the eligibility date would be June 1, 2015. The monthly benefit amount, assuming that the financial information you had was accurate, is the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (divided by 12) minus Income for VA Purposes (IVAP). For example, the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) for a married veteran who needs the aid and attendance of another person with activities of daily living is $2,120 per month. The gross income of the veteran and the spouse is $4,500 per month. After deducting the veteran’s assisted living facility costs of $5,000, the IVAP is $0. Thus, the difference between the monthly MAPR of $2,120 and $0 is $2,120 and the veteran would be paid the maximum.

When using the Lawyers with Purpose copyrighted VA Benefits Qualification Worksheet, these figures are automatically calculated for you. On the approval letter from the VA, this information is generally found on the first page in the form of a table. This table will have at least three columns for “Monthly Entitlement Amount,” “Payment Start Date,” and “Reason for Change,” and as many rows as there are changes in rate.

Identify next action

If there are errors, then you should identify the deadline for your response. Responses may include a Request for Reconsideration (RFR) and/or a Notice of Disagreement (NOD). You should also identify what further information you may need in order to document the grounds for your RFR or NOD. The NOD must be filed within one year of the date on the decision letter. More information regarding this process can be found in the blog post, “What To Do With A Denied VA Application – Part 2”

In contrast, there is no real deadline for the request for reconsideration, as it is not a formal VA adjudication process. The RFR is essentially the request that the original adjudicator reconsider his/her original decision because you can provide new information or enlightenment regarding previously submitted information that the VA failed to interpret per their regulations. It is always worth filing a request for reconsideration, even if you plan to file a Notice of Disagreement, because the former process is much quicker than the NOD route. If there are no errors in the approval, the next action may be simply to inform the client. However, the VA may propose a finding of incompetency on the basis of the physician’s statement (VA form 21-2680) provided with the claim. You will immediately know if there is an incompetency proposal because there will be two extra columns in the table already mentioned, titled “Amount Withheld” and “Amount Paid.” There is also an additional section in the letter called, “We Have Withheld Benefits.” Sometimes the VA includes a simple response form to complete and return, but even if it does not, you should respond by returning a 21-4138 Statement in Support of Claim that acknowledges and accepts the finding of incompetency and nominates a fiduciary, usually a family member.

Inform the client

Once you identify the next action, you must inform the client – preferably in writing – of the accuracy of the approval letter and explain the next step(s), if any. This can be as simple as confirming the approval and the monthly benefit amount. It should also explain when to expect the first monthly deposit as well as the receipt of any lump sum retroactive benefits. If applicable, you would also describe what to expect during the fiduciary process or appeal. Finally, be sure to be specific in any requests for further documentation to expedite data collection and your responsiveness to the VA. Getting an approved VA claim can be a challenge. You should celebrate each one! However, don’t overlook these three essential steps. Incorporate them into your firm’s processes. Congratulations!

If you would like to learn more about creating the estate or elder law practice of your dreams, join our webinar "Having The Time To Have It All" on July 23rd at 2 EST and learn about how Lawyers With Purpose can help get you there. Click here to register and reserve your spot today.

By Sabrina A. Scott, Paralegal, The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC and VA Production Coordinator for Lawyers With Purpose.

Victoria L. Collier, Veteran of the United States Air Force, 1989-1995 and United States Army Reserves, 2001-2004. Victoria is a Certified Elder Law Attorney through the National Elder Law Foundation; Author of “47 Secret Veterans Benefits for Seniors”; Author of “Paying for Long Term Care: Financial Help for Wartime Veterans: The VA Aid & Attendance Benefit”; Founder of The Elder & Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, PC; Co-Founder of Lawyers for Wartime Veterans; and Co-Founder of Veterans Advocate Group of America.

Marketing Roundtable with Special Guest Dan Lear of AVVO: “Statistics that Prove Prospective Legal Clients are Online”

June 29, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Marketing

Stats:

175K monthly searches on google for “Estate Planning".
The market for bundled and unbundled documents and services delivered online by “virtual” law firms or legal services companies, is valued at approximately $4.1B.
Avvo generated $8.5B in revenue for lawyers last year.

The pace and nature of technological change in the last two decades is remarkable. Not only has technology rapidly transformed or wiped out entire businesses or even industries in the course of a few years (Blockbuster or land-line telephones, anyone?) but it has done so in ways many either refused to or simply could not possibly have foreseen.

Whether or not you believe that technology will transform the law it’s indisputable that consumers of legal services (just like consumers of other services, and really, just like lawyers both in their professional and personal lives) will continue to use the internet more, not less, in the future.

Just as they’re now investing, ordering food and groceries, streaming music and movies, banking, hailing rides, and booking plane tickets and hotel rooms, people will likely at least begin to research a lawyer or a legal topic online. But you don’t have to take our word for it. The “10 Statistics” webinar will give you 10 solid reasons backed by data that shows not only that consumers are increasingly using the internet to understand and consume legal services but, exactly how they’re doing it.

Members! To join this conversation with Roslyn Drotar and Special Guest, Dan Lear from AVVO, hop on the Marketing Roundtable Friday, July 10th at 12 EST. Space is limited so register today by logging into the members website and view upcoming events on the homepage.

We'll "see" you there!

Roslyn Drotar – Online Marketing Strategist, Lawyers With Purpose

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Five Essential Roles For A Successful Practice – Part Four

June 24, 2015

by David Zumpano with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Team Building

This is the final post of a four-part series outlining the five key roles to a thriving, purposeful law practice: entrepreneur & visionary [Part One], transformer [Part Two], performer [Part Three], and leader. Today, we will distinguish the significance of the final role, the leader(s). We have established that the entrepreneur, visionary, transformer and performer are all needed to create a successful business, yet it is this final role, that of leaders, that can make a successful company exponentially more successful. Leaders take the ideas of value identified by the entrepreneur and the vision of the visionary to turn those ideas into achievements. Leaders work with the skills of the transformer, who transforms the idea and vision into something tangible that can be delivered by the performer to consumers to derive the intended benefit. Leaders expand the capability of these four key roles beyond that of the individuals who are performing them.

It is critical in any organization to have leaders, but there are different types of leaders. In smaller organizations, each of us must be self-led. Most small businesses (or law firms) actually start with one individual, the entrepreneur (or frustrated technician, as Michael Gerber declares in E-Myth). But as the sole person in the company, the entrepreneur is also required to be the visionary, the transformer, and the performer, or face almost certain failure. By default, they naturally become the leader of themselves. As the company grows, they hire their first employee, typically a performer to take some of the “performer” role off of them, and the company continues to grow. Eventually, enough employees are hired so each role is handled by separate individuals. This increases the capacity of the business, but requires each of the employees to communicate effectively and work “together” to achieve the intended result. Being self-led is essential to an individualʼs personal success, but successful organizations need two types of leading – self-led individuals and those who lead others.

A leader is one who is accountable to those they report to for the performance of others who are accountable to them to accomplish the stated objective or goals. In smaller companies, all employees are accountable to one leader who is typically the owner (entrepreneur); he or she is not always the person best suited to lead the organization, but often the role is “delegated up” by default. Even if the entrepreneur is capable of leading, they soon discover their talents are better utilized on “higher impact” matters. As the number of people in a company increases, the true test of the business's viability is determined. Leaders become essential to ensure that the multiple roles continue to work together to achieve the outcome anticipated by the owner, envisioned by the visionary, created by the transformer, and delivered by the performer. As the entrepreneur is “freed up” from these other roles, they are able to pursue other opportunities for the company.

The typical structure of leaders in a successful company or law firm is, first, the leader of a role. For example, this might be a performer who leads client services, drafting, funding, or even the attorney. Each must lead themselves in their individual role. When a certain role has multiple performers (i.e. several client service personnel), then the company needs a leader of the performers in each role (a.k.a department). That is typically referred to as a department head, or in Lawyers with Purpose, a “coordinator.” A client services coordinator, funding coordinator, drafting coordinator or the like are examples.

The next level of leader is a leader of department heads. A leader of those who lead the individual departments leads the company and coordinates all departments to ensure the intended success is achieved. The leader of departments is typically referred to as the director of operations (a.k.a D.O.). They coordinate all the different departments that are coordinating all the different performers within those departments. Additional leaders to successful companies include the leader of the future, who is otherwise known as the visionary, and the leader of the business, who is the entrepreneur. Finally, it is the role of the CEO (often the entrepreneur) to lead the director of operations and the visionary to ensure that the business remains relevant, viable and thriving.

In each of these roles, the individuals must be self-led. So the critical question is, is a leader also a performer, a transformer, a visionary or an entrepreneur? Obviously, the answer is yes. In each role of an organization, each can have multiple roles. For example, the leader of client services can transform the way the company delivers client services to the consumer to ensure they derive the intended benefits more efficiently. The distinction between the client service role and a transformer client service role is the impact of creating new ways to deliver the role. The same could be said of those in the marketing department, lawyers, or those in other critical roles in a small law firm. Once an individual is clear on their most effective role, it enables them to provide the greatest value to their organization. In fact, it is essential to identify what we do naturally and embrace it!

The next logical question is, I know my role, but am I stuck there? I would much rather restate it from the perspective that, once you identify what role you belong in, you should celebrate it because it provides you the greatest opportunity to thrive and have impact in the organization and affect its ability to perform successfully. To have a thriving, purposeful practice you need an entrepreneur to identify the value needed in the marketplace. You need the visionary to identify how to deliver the value to the marketplace. You need the transformer to transform the ideas and visions into something that can actually be deliverable to the individual and you need the performer to actually be able to deliver it in a way for the consumer to derive the benefit. And, as your organization grows, you need leaders at every level and in each role to continue to expand the reach of impact that your company can have.

So it's not a question of being “stuck,” it's a question of “celebrating” your unique skill that creates the greatest value inside a successful organization. At Lawyers with Purpose, we empower each team member to embrace their role and set the standards to interact with the other roles with the necessary reporting for the leaders to lead effectively. As a result, our members experience thriving, purpose-driven law practices.

If you aren't a Lawyers With Purpose member and want to know more about creating a purpose-driven practice, join our webinar Thursday, July 23rd at 2 EST "Having The Time To Have It All" to learn more about joining. Mark your calendar and register today to reserve your spot.

David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center

Five Essential Roles For A Successful Practice – Part Three

June 23, 2015

by David Zumpano with No Comment Coaching & Implementation

In our previous posts, [Part One] and [Part Two] we outlined the five essential roles of a successful business as that of the entrepreneur, the visionary, the transformer, the performer, and the leader. We have already clarified that the entrepreneur identifies the value in the marketplace to be delivered and gets it delivered in a way that benefits the world, with his or her direct involvement (Level One entrepreneur) or without (Level Two entrepreneur). The visionary, as a distinction, is someone who thinks about or plans future pursuits with imagination and wisdom and is able to envision how to create the value the entrepreneur identified. The transformer is the one who, with their own skills, knowledge and resources, transforms the idea that is identified and envisioned to benefit the world into a product or service that is deliverable.

The role of the performer continues and completes the process by utilizing their individual talent to excel at delivering to the recipient the intended benefit identified by the entrepreneur, envisioned by the visionary and created by the transformer. Performers are critical to the success of the entrepreneur, visionary, and transformer. Without them, the value that has been identified and created is not delivered to anyone who can benefit from it.

When we think of a performer, we often think of an actor. An individual actor performs and makes the consumer imagine the role that the performer is portraying. The risk to performers, however, is that their role can be relegated to technology or commoditized. An example is when a high-level actor in a theatrical play on Broadway becomes commoditized to an extent by a TV show that recreates the role in a studio, and with technical assistance that increases the volume (number/time of production) and, ultimately, reduces the skills needed (with special effects). You can take this even further when you consider that some of the newer, most popular shows don’t even involve humans, but are cartoons that have largely eliminated the performer.

In a Lawyers with Purpose law firm, the individual performers are the differentiating factor because they create a user experience that cannot otherwise occur. Think of some examples in your practice of peak performers. You may be a peak performer; that is, an exceptional lawyer who uses your technical skills and abilities well. In that role, you are serving as a performer by delivering the value identified (legal options) to the consumer. Another example of a performer is your client service coordinator. They manage the client from the initial call to your office, through the entire process until the work is done. In your experience you can recall employees who are exceptional at this and others who were not – therein lies their level of “performer.” Performers solidify the value created by the transformers and envisioned by the visionary and solve the need identified by the entrepreneur. Businesses need performers at every level, from client services to legal technical to drafting to relationship management with allied professionals.

But be clear – performers are meant to interact with the ultimate beneficiary of the service or product. At Lawyers with Purpose, we are very clear on the role of the performer, and we have even set the standards for performers to thrive.

So there you have it – four of the five essential roles to have a thriving, purposeful practice, which will enable success that will be the envy of many. The distinction of the final role – that of leader, which will be discussed in our next and final post on this topic – will identity the potential exponential impact a leader can have on the first four roles.

If you want to learn more about what it means to become a Lawyers With Purpose member, join our webinar "Having The Time To Have It All" on Thursday, July 23rd at 2 EST. All you have to do is click here to reserve your spot today and we'll "see" you then!

David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center

Five Essential Roles For A Successful Practice – Part Two

June 22, 2015

by David Zumpano with 2 Comments Coaching & Implementation Systems & Processes

In our previous post (Five Essential Roles For A Successful Practice – Part One), we identified the five key roles that must be filled for your business to be successful: the entrepreneur, the visionary, the transformer, the performer and the leader. We distinguished the differentiating factors between the entrepreneur and the visionary and clarified how they can be the same person, but need not be. Today we will focus on the role of the transformer. The transformer is the most essential role in creating a business that operates without you.

So what is a transformer? As a successful Level Two entrepreneur, I can confidently say, it was not until I understood the role of the transformer that I was able to actually separate myself from the businesses I had created. Even if you do not intend to achieve Level Two status, to succeed as a Level One entrepreneur, you will need a transformer. The only distinction is the level of authority you ultimately give them. For those who intend to create value beyond their individual capabilities, coming to know and identify transformers to whom you are willing to give authority is essential to reaching Level Two.

The definition of a transformer is one who, with their own skills, knowledge and resources available, transforms an idea (vision) that benefits the world into a product or service that is deliverable. So what are the essential elements of this role? The first and most important is that transformers need no one else to perform the role. As a distinction, they do need others to get the job done, but transformers, with their own skills, knowledge and resources, are able to take a vision or idea and make it real. A transformer utilizes available resources, which can include other individuals, the Internet or any other source of information the transformer identifies as necessary to turn the vision into a reality.

The other key distinction of transformers is this: What they create is deliverable, even though they typically are not responsible for delivering it. To illustrate, many people have a vision or a “great idea.” The world is full of people with great ideas. The challenge is that there are skills required to take an idea and make it something that another individual is actually able to benefit from. The art of being able to take that vision and turn it into a deliverable product or service is what transformers do! Interestingly, transformers are not typically visionaries or entrepreneurs, and they do not need to identify that the idea is valuable in the marketplace. They are just building the deliverable identified by the entrepreneur and guided by the vision of the visionary. Transformers make ideas real.

So how would you recognize a transformer in your organization? In my experience, it’s simple. If there is a challenge in your office and you need to “get it done,” whom do you go to? Transformers are the ones who, when you go to them with your idea, you are able to step away and later find the idea implemented and delivered with minimal input. Transformers can also apply their talent to various elements of the business with ease. The level of transformer will dictate the reach of your ultimate success. The essential need for transformers is resources; the more resources they have access to, the greater the impact. Lawyers with Purpose has tremendous resources for the transformers in your law firm to help create products and services that can be delivered to clients easily and with tremendous value. In our next post we will discuss our final two roles, that of the performers and leaders.

For more information on becoming a Lawyers With Purpose member consider joining our FREE webinar "Having The Time To Have It All" on Thursday, July 23rd at 2EST.

In this one hour webinar, you will learn how all entrepreneurs have the same amount of time in the day and how they use it differently.

Here's just some of what you'll discover in this practice-transforming event…

How to effectively utilize your time to enroll your team to help as many people as you choose and profit from it too;
To work effectively with your team;
How to balance your work life and your personal life to ensure you are able to create the maximum amount of value in both; and
How to have sufficient time to market consistently which will ensure consistent cash flow and free up the time you're currently spending chasing dollars.

David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center

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Social Media Guide For Lawyers

May 27, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Marketing

Let’s talk about lawyers getting social. What does that mean, and how can it support your marketing? Social media is an umbrella term for programs that connect individuals through an online platform (such as Facebook or Linked In). Social marketing is more of an approach to connecting with your audience for their “social good,” not necessarily for financial reasons.

One of the biggest challenges faced by small law firms is how to get started in social media. Where do you start? Which platform should you focus on? What and when should you post? How do you get followers and fans? It can be overwhelming!

There is so much to think about and so much to distract you, because researching this is like going down a rabbit hole. Information and opinions are everywhere. It can also be a moving target – the best practices of last year are often today’s don'ts. But one thing remains consistent: It’s not going away. So let’s do something with it.

One of my favorite quotes sums the situation up perfectly: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Start where you are: Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting your practice or already have an existing client base, just start now where you are so it can begin to grow and evolve. Don’t worry about where it should be a year from now. Get started, because if you don’t, it can’t go anywhere.

Use what you have: You might not have a budget for social, or employees to support it, and you probably think you have no content. Remember, it’s social. So just showing your personality and your law firm brand, and sharing your moments, is enough. And, you have resources right there in your office, and you have opinions, so share them. That’s what’s valuable to your audience. I bet each person reading this has content sitting on their desk they could share and comment on.

Do what you can: If you can only post one time a day on one platform, start by blocking out the time in your calendar to make sure it gets done. Once you get the hang of Facebook, for instance, it won’t take as much time to add Twitter or LinkedIn after that. Don’t try to post three times a day if once is all you can commit to in the beginning.

Remember that quote: “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”

If you’re still stuck on why? The reason you should use social marketing is that it has become an integral part of our world and continues to evolve. The new theory with social marketing is that it is more than just a channel or tactic, it’s a strategy that should be present in your marketing plan. The question is no longer whether you should do social; it is, simply, why wouldn’t you do social?

Social marketing is really beyond your website and participating in social platforms. Statistics confirm that having a social presence (whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter) can boost your career and build your reputation. Prospective clients are Googling you and your name after hearing about you through word of mouth. And Google archives social pages! So 9 out of 10 times if you Google someone’s name, you’ll find a social profile on Facebook or LinkedIn along with their website – and it's typically the top result!

Think of social as lead nurturing, touching, top-of-mind awareness, further defining hot leads – or those that want to “think about it” to be sent to conversion at a later date. You are creating connections and showing up in their world.

How to Get Started:

It’s important to decide which social platform you want to start with and what your objective is. If the plan is to provide workshop information, Facebook is probably the best channel for that, and it’s a good place to start if that’s where you’re most comfortable. If you want to work your RMS, then the best platform would be LinkedIn.

If you already have your social going but it’s not active, then allot enough time to decide what you will post, create that content, and make at least one post two to three times a week. That will probably take you two hours if you include time to respond to conversations.

The content you want to contribute is valuable content or insight for prospective clients. Ask yourself, what’s in it for them? Why would they want to “like” your post? What do they get out of it? It’s not all about you!

Suggestions for Posts:

Have a sense of humor
Share pictures or photos of fun times within the firm
Relevant information and insight on estate planning – think educate to motivate
What do they want to know?
Share the most common questions you get asked, and answer them
Current events

Do’s & Dont's

Do:

Focus on the people
Experiment and have fun. It’s social!
Answer any questions posted, tweeted, etc.
Participate in conversations
Discuss the passions of your audience
Anchor to the 80/20 rule – only 20% about you and your offerings/selling props – 80% valuable content
If you have published work – a book you authored – share the content
Post photos of you at your workshop, or of you participating in community events

Don’t

Focus on making money
Do the same thing over and over again
Go dormant – ignore your audience
Be afraid to connect with others who do what you do
Don’t just talk about you and your practice

Best Times to Post:

Facebook – Best from 1-4 p.m.; peak time Wednesday at 3 p.m. Facebook is a good platform for engaging with your prospects, so you’ll want to run content relevant to them.

Twitter – Best from 1-3 p.m. or 5 p.m.; peak Monday through Thursday. Twitter is great for B2B. You’ll find a lot of other estate planning attorneys already on Twitter, along with marketing companies, power partners and other relevant connections.

Linked In – Best from 7-9 a.m. or 5-6 p.m.; peak between Tuesday and Thursday. LinkedIn is best for wholesale marketing. You’ll get a good array of referral sources.

Google+ – Best from 9-11 a.m.; peak during work hours. Google+ is good for SEO and authorship.

Reporting:

Do the best you can with tracking and reporting your social reach, but be aware that the reporting you get from the different platforms is all over the place. People don’t tend to always chime in or react when they see something they like. It’s like if you were to do something funny at a dinner party. People don’t come up to you and congratulate you, or pat you on the back after.

We all see things on social that we think are funny or interesting, but we don’t click “like” or “retweet” for every little piece of wonderful content we come across. So do not gauge your ROI on the likes, shares, etc., that you get.

I read an interesting anecdote on Lexblog that really illustrated the return you get. Dan Goldman, chair of Mayo Clinic’s business law practice group, was at a conference for legal marketing and business development professionals. When they began discussing the need to measure the return on investment on their social efforts, he chuckled a bit.

Goldman explained that Mayo’s 43 in-house lawyers taught him that people tend to hire the lawyers they know, like and trust. So the ones who got hired were the ones who use social media. Mayo’s in-house lawyers became known and trusted through their social efforts.

Goldman cited recent studies showing that lawyers who don’t use social media are becoming increasingly irrelevant to the people who would hire them, especially, as he put it, “when they’re just not connected.”

Here’s hoping the info above might help you avoid the same fate.

If you don’t nail all of this right out of the gate, don’t worry. It’s social; give yourself permission to just show up at the party and have fun!

Roslyn Drotar – Internet Marketing Strategist, Lawyers With Purpose

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Today at 5 p.m.

May 15, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Marketing Legal Technical

Real quick, I want to make sure you know the DOORS ARE CLOSING at 5 p.m. sharp today on registrations for the Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat, which happens the week of June 1 in St. Louis.

If you are remotely considering making the event happen, you MUST reserve your seat (and hotel) today. The hotel has extended our room block TWICE, and there are only a few rooms left before the entire hotel is SOLD OUT. We honestly will not be able to work our magic after 5 p.m. TODAY.

To recap what the “Retreat Week” has in store:

A boot camp on Medicaid, asset protection, VA and all things estate and elder law
Speakers school (the first in three years and not slated to be held again until 2017)
Creating your Money Plan law firm retreat
Nine different 90-minute focus sessions on legal technical, marketing, law firm operations, team training, trust drafting, cloud-based CRM workflow systems and MORE!
A personal and professional development day led by Dave Zumpano

Just to name a few items.

Don’t fool yourself and say (possibly yet again), “I can’t afford (time, money or both) this one, but I definitely will get to the next one.” In my experience, when the timing couldn’t be worse, that is the very reason why you need to be in the room. Maybe your business is booming and you’re drowning and you don’t know when that will stop, or maybe a team member just quit, or possibly you have a team member you’re on the verge of firing, or cash flow is down, etc., etc., etc.

“Reasons are the cemetery of your dreams.” Reasons that emerge from any rendition of the above are the very reason why you need to be in the room.

This WILL be our last invite. No more reminders or captivating blog posts tempting you to take the leap of faith and say, “It’s now or never.”

To reserve one of the last seats, just click here.

Can’t wait to see your name on the “A List.”

In your corner,

Molly

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Not Signing Enough Appointments From Live Events? 3 Quick Fixes & Training For You!

May 8, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Legal Marketing

Have you ever been invited to speak to a group, or hosted your own event, where a majority of the attendees failed to request an appointment at the end of the presentation?

Of course, everyone can have an “off” day where your presentation doesn’t go quite right or the event itself is a dud. But, if this is happening to you consistently, something is MAJORLY wrong.

You should be booking appointments at EVERY event that you do—whether you are invited to speak in front of a networking group, or you are hosting your own estate planning workshop, or presenting for a referral source.

At LWP’s Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat, happening June 1-5, we have included a high intensity boot camp known as “Speakers School” where we teach lawyers the art of speaking to not only educate, but to SELL estate planning or elder law services right on the spot.

If you are struggling right now to turn more attendees of your presentations into paying clients, or you are not doing as much speaking in the community as you would like to, I would encourage you to go here NOW and reserve your space.

We are hosting Speaker School because it works. Past attendees often tell us how they are now forced to carry their calendars with them or bring staff to handle scheduling because people are so anxious to get their appointment on the books after the talk (…don’t worry about what to say or do to make this happen… we’ll teach you our entire presentation outline and success formula!) If you can follow a recipe, you can host a 5 figure ROI event!)

This event is limited to 20 attendees, and spaces are filling up. If you are even remotely curious how Speaker School can help you boost your results and make speaking the most profitable thing you do in your practice, view our agenda and reserve your space HERE.

Until then, here are three areas to investigate if you are hosting a ton of workshops but failing to fill up your calendar with fresh appointments from your efforts:

1. Your marketing– If you are hosting your own events or handling the promotion of events for referral sources, it is possible that your marketing materials are attracting the wrong prospects. Try tweaking your invitations, flyers, etc. to help prospects better “prequalify” themselves or tweak the demographics of where your materials are being sent.

2. You are not speaking to SELL- Anyone can give a lecture; speaking to sell is an art. If your presentation is not designed in such a way to “seed your offer” from the start of the talk and lead your prospects down a funnel where the only obvious choice at the end of the workshop is to schedule an appointment with you, you are wasting your time, effort and resources.

3. Zero or Insufficient Follow Up– Some people need a few days to digest all that you’ve taught them before they make a buying decision. If you did not cleverly capture their email or phone number during your workshop, you will have no way to contact those people who are still on the fence a few days later. Talk about leaving money on the table!

Of course I am here to chat if you have specific questions about Speaker School or any of the other workshops we are hosting this year at our Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat. Just email me and let me know how I can help.

Best Regards,

Molly

Do You Have Your Purpose Story Down?

May 8, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Legal Marketing

Are you using the same dull biography to introduce your workshop, synergy meetings, and presentations and generally what you do and how you tell people. When they feel connected to you, they trust you more, and when they trust you more, they’re more inclined to hire you. Your Purpose Story will help you create the know, like and trust triad.

What you will take away from “Master Your Purpose Story” Training on MONDAY, May 18^th:

• The Ability to Instantly Connect with Any Audience, Anywhere, Anytime
• The Unstoppable Combination of Credibility and Vulnerability - The Trust Factor
• The Ability to Be Vulnerable with Any Audience Without Losing Credibility
• An step-by-step Structure to Create Your Purpose Story with Ease
• You'll Know Exactly Where to Insert Your Purpose Story in your Presentations
• Your Conversion Rates Will Increase as a Result of Mastering Your Purpose Story

If you’ve registered for the TAPER Specialty Program “How To Protect Your ‘Stuff’ In Three Easy Steps” on June 3^rd OR are planning on attending Jeff Bellomo’s focus session on “Comparing The Three LWP Workshops” you’ll want to make sure to get this 90 minute session on your calendar (and show up!) as this is a vital piece of your homework to make your attendance at these Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat events effective for your practice.

The LIVE May 18^th 90 Minute Training Workshop “Master Your Purpose Story” takes place on MAY 18^TH at 4pm EST. Members, to reserve your spot email Amanda at aross@lawyerswithpurpose.com. Seating is limited to the first 100 that register. The registration link has also been posted to the LWP ListServ.

Congratulations To Sean Curran, LWP Member Of The Month

May 8, 2015

by Lawyers With Purpose with No Comment Coaching & Implementation Estate Planning Drafting Software

What is the greatest success you've had since joining LWP?

My greatest success has been the compressed time frame of launching from scratch to a viable practice. When I was considering whether I was going to join, I remember Molly Hall telling me the range of what I could expect in revenues within a certain time frame if I followed the system. I have tried to do everything that Nedra, my implementation coach, told me to do – even when I really didn't want to do it and experienced success because of it. Everything is there to start a viable practice, develop into a mature firm and ultimately have the lifestyle you want. Even though I am still building, I have a clear vision of where I am going to be and I know LWP will take me there.

What is your favorite LWP tool?

When I first started, I looked at the tools as separate and distinct from each other. I now look at them as elements of a single system because they all work together in a very tight process. That said, I love the Synergy meeting for client development; the Estate Planning Audit/Vision Clarifier for creating trust through understanding; and the Coaching to keep my practice on the right path. However, the most impactful tool has to be the asset protection analysis opinion letter. I have gotten financial advisors to refer clients based on the demystification of asset protection. Clients generally don't want to engage attorneys because they think they have to explain their situation which will result in expensive legal bills without adequate understanding of what we are doing with their stuff. This tool creates immense value to the client and the financial advisor because it is an immediate, no cost answer that gives them clear guidance and understanding. The first impression of you is that you have already solved a problem – it is the foundation of the value proposition.

How has being part of LWP impacted your team and your practice?

Beyond the systems, processes and resources (including the Live Listserv and Talk with Aaron relating to CCS) which have created a high confidence level and is the foundation of the growth of the firm, I have benefited greatly from other LWP members and their teams. I particularly want to thank Jeff Bellomo, and his team members Tammy, Liana, and Amber. From the time I attended one of Jeff's workshops as part of my evaluation before I joined to the numerous questions to him and his team which are promptly answered, Jeff and his team made me realize that I am part of a supportive organization that is there to help me realize success.