Archive for the ‘tips’ Category

Ten Ways to Stand Out in Your Career By Being Unique

May 7th, 12 / 0 Comments

Stand out from the crowd.

 

The job market has been very competitive.  Depending on the field you are in it may stay that way for a long time. To keep on the top of your profession it is important to have something that others are attracted to and that makes you unique.  Standing out is a way to be recognized and remembered.

  1. Become a well-known expert in your field.  As an acknowledged thought leader you will be respected in your field and have many opportunities to work for and with others.
  2. Become proficient in a skill that is new and that others are just learning.  It helps if the skill is one that is valued by others and needed in several industries.  In today’s job market those who are skilled in social media have many opportunities to move their careers forward.
  3. Have a memorable story.  The reason you want to have something unique about you is to be memorable.  People remember others because there is something unusual about them.  Having a great story to tell sets you apart.  The story must be relevant to your career and/or job.  Tell a story that lets others know what makes you care so much about the work you do.
  4. Have a can do attitude with positive energy.  Someone who is upbeat and positive is someone everyone wants to be around.  Someone who believes that every problem has a solution and he/she will find it is someone who will be a valued member of the team.
  5. Significant accomplishments in your current position.  Be a top performer with measurable accomplishments that everyone values.  If you have created a buzz because of the work you do, you will stand out in people’s minds.
  6. Humor - Some people have a type of humor that sets people at ease.  This can be a wonderful trait especially when things get tense.  Humor is often the only thing that can diffuse a tense situation.  Knowing how and when to use humor is a really wonderful skill that will help you to standout with your employers and potential employers.
  7. Leadership role at work or in association related to work – Successful leaders are always valued.  Take a leadership role on a team, in your work organization or in an association related to work.  Needless to say you must do a good job in managing the team.  Leadership skills are valued by employers.
  8. Great rolodex.  You know everyone and can help anyone who needs to get to the right person. In large corporations it is not always clear how to get something done.  To find your way you look for the person with all the connections who can guide you.  If you are that person, you have a valuable talent.  The person in a smaller company who knows people outside the company to call on also is sought out.  Some combination of outside contacts and inside ones sets you apart from others.
  9. Prestigious awards for work or leadership –Awards from organizations that honor you for your work or leadership qualities make you stand out.  So too will being quoted in the press and any media attention you receive.
  10. Unique and memorable dress – Think about Thomas Wolfe and   Michael Gerber.  Both like white suits and hats.  It does make you memorable.  At first this one seemed a little frivolous to me.  What do you think?  It is pure marketing.  I know a real estate agent and coach who wears red clothes and a red hat.  I do remember her!  Food for thought.

Tom Wolfe                           Michael Gerber

 

 

 

 

 

What do you do to stand out from the crowd?

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10 Ways to Stand Out from Other Law Practices and Make Your Firm Unique

May 7th, 12 / 0 Comments


Stand out in front of the crowd

 

 

 

 

What a competitive environment law practices are in right now!  There is no doubt that potential clients have lots of choices.  What makes them choose to work with you rather than other law firms?  How do you stand out from the others? Perhaps it is the way you run your practice or because of your own charisma.  I’ve written a list of 10 ways professionals differentiate themselves.   My list is a mix of practice related ideas and attorney related ideas.  Some combination of these or others will help your firm and you to standout from other attorneys doing the same type of legal work.

  1.  Great customer service – No one has a successful law firm that doesn’t give acceptable customer service.  To be a standout however you need to go above and beyond.  Returning calls when you have promised them, updating clients on a regular basis, getting the work done when you promise it will be done etc. Ask clients what exceptional customer service is for them and then meet their expectations.
  2. An office with a group of allied services – If you work with clients that regularly need related services, you could provide the services in your office.  You might share space with an accountant, a title examiner, or a social worker depending on your practice area.  I used the accountant my divorce attorney had in his office before, during and after my divorce. That was in over 30 years ago and I still remember the lawyer.
  3. Fixed fee for routine services you offer – Clients like to budget for attorney’s fees so if you can give a fixed fee for the service that you provide clients will remember you. If other attorneys are doing this in your area, then find something to include in the package that makes your offer even more attractive.  Lowest price is not the only way to distinguish yourself.
  4. Compelling story for choosing law – If you have a compelling story about why you chose law or a particular practice area and you publicize that story, it will become memorable for potential clients. The story needs to include something about how it impacts your practice today. As with all these you’ll need to use the story in your marketing and refer to it online and in print.
  5. Well known results that others talk about – If you have won a lot of cases, gotten big settlements, negotiated amicable divorces, you will set yourself apart from other lawyers.  Lawyers and law firms that win awards also standout from other practices.
  6. Humor - Some people have a type of humor that sets people at ease.  This can be a wonderful trait especially when things get tense.  Humor is often the only thing that can diffuse a tense situation.  Knowing how and when to use humor is a really wonderful skill that will help you to standout with your clients and potential clients.
  7. Expert advice on a blog – If you have a blog that is a resource of your clients, this can help differentiate you.   The blog will have to be popular and useful to your target market.  Blogging regularly will make you unique among your peers.
  8. Visible volunteer in a nonprofit – Working for a nonprofit is a great way to meet referral sources.  It becomes a differentiator for you when you are at a high enough level in the organization that you and your firm get mentioned frequently by others.
  9. Your office has a theme related to your interest – Whether you are a sports buff, opera lover, skier or a musical theater enthusiast, sharing that interest with your clients can differentiate you from others.   You can use a bookcase with memorabilia, pictures around the office or a wall of trophies.  I once worked for a VP who had a wall of pictures of himself with famous people.  It made him memorable.
  10. Unique and memorable dress – Think about Tom Wolfe and  Michael    Gerber.  Both like white suits and hats.  It does make them memorable.  At first this one seemed a little frivolous to me.  What do you think?  It is pure marketing.  I know a coach who wears red clothes and a red hat.  I do remember her!  Food for thought.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Michael Gerber                                   Tom Wolfe

What do you do to make yourself or your firm stand out?

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Lawyers, practice management, tips

Time Management Success Through Leveraging

Apr 15th, 12 / 0 Comments


I’ve had a website and an email newsletter since 1999.  My website has enabled me to get new subscribers for my list and  my list has grown over the years.

This is what my first website looked like in 1999.  At the very bottom of the home page there is a link to my newsletter. At that time it was just Road to Success.

1999 Website asparker.com


 

 

 

 

In 2005 the website looked like this.  I had two publications by then, Road to Success and Parker’s Points. You can see the newsletter signup on the top of this home page.

 

2005 asparker.com website

 

 

 

 

 

And here is my website now. I still offer both Road to Success and Parker’s Points on my home page.

Current website asparker.com

 

 

 

 

 

Leveraging is all about doing something once and using it in many ways. Leveraging your successes saves you time and money in your career and work.

For this month’s article on leveraging I thought it might be useful to see the ways that I use leveraging in my practice.  Specifically how I leverage the use of the articles I write for my newsletter.

Here are some ways I do that:

  1. If a client or prospective client asks a question on a topic that I have written, I send the person the article.
  2. My website has all the articles I have written for these newsletters from 2003 on.  Check out my archives.   Articles that I wrote between 1999 and 2003 are on my computer but not available on my website.  I’ve reused them when I didn’t have time to write a new article.
  3. I’ve published my articles on many different websites including Ezinearticles.com and SelfGrowth.com.  That allows others not on my list to read my articles and subscribe to the list if they like what they read.
  4. People have asked me if they can publish one of my articles in their newsletter. I’m delighted to have them do it.  Just recently the Oregon State Bar Professional Liability Fund published an article of mine.  That article came from one I wrote for the ABA Magazine GP Solo in 2008  which was an expanded version of  another article that I wrote “Do You Really Need a Business Plan?,” which appeared in Road to Success in 2002.
  5. Shortly after the first business plan article was written in 2002 I gave a series of teleclasses on business plan writing.
  6. I’ve taken my articles to networking events and given them to people who seemed interested in my work.
  7. When I make a presentation I leave copies of some articles on a table for those who are interested.
  8. My eBooks are often compilations of my newsletter articles and/or tip lists.
  9. Finally when I write on a topic for the second time I reference the first article I wrote on that topic so my readers have the opportunity to read both.  In 2004 I wrote an article for Road to Success on leverage.

How would you leverage your work?  I am eager to hear your ideas.  Do you use leverage in your practice or in your career?    Comments may be written below.

If you have an interest in seeing old websites you can use the Way Back Machine

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10 Ways To Use Leverage In Your Career

Apr 3rd, 12 / 0 Comments

Person pushing the world with a leverThink of leverage as getting the most “bang for your buck”.  With a little effort you maximize your results. It might be investing a few dollars to get more but there are other ways to leverage your efforts. Here are 10 ways to use leverage in your career

 

  1. Leverage your time – One way to leverage your time is to create something you can use over and over.  An example of that might be keeping a running list of your accomplishments each year.  When it comes time to apply for a new job you can pick and choose the most appropriate accomplishments for each job ad you respond to.  Having a resume that you update each year also leverages your time.  With a few edits your resume is always ready to use.
  2. Leverage your strengths – What are the skills you enjoy using?  These are the ones that are usually easy for you and the ones you excel at.  Find ways to use those skills to benefit your job or job search.  For example if you are someone who enjoys  meeting and talking to people you will  do well at networking with people and speaking to groups of people – two great ways to advance your career.  Others who excel at writing can find ways to write articles and books.  In either case with a minimum of your effort you get lots of exposure.
  3. Leverage your network – It is said that everyone knows 250 people.  Now is the time to use those connections to develop a powerful network.  Ask your current network to introduce you to people who are well connected and have the ability to introduce you to mentors and people connected to companies you have an interest in.
  4. Leverage your connections – Partner with people in your organization who you can help and who can help you.  This might be a boss or colleague that you see as having knowledge or political capital that would be helpful to you.  You can leverage the relationship with those partners by sharing information and ideas with them.  I’ve seen people get promoted and within a few months they bring along many of their former colleagues to work with them.
  5. Leverage your manager’s and professor’s good will – Stay connected with managers who know, like and trust you.  Stay connected with professors and college friends too. These people can be useful in a job search and helpful in keeping you current in your profession.  Connection can be by phone, email, or snail mail.  In fact a mixture of all three keeps it interesting.
  6. Leverage your knowledge – Use your expertise to create several different knowledge products on one topic.  If you have written an article to be published, give a workshop on the same topic.  Use a synopsis of the article in your blog or on your website.  Include a link to your article in a Tweet or on your LinkedIn page.
  7. Leverage your technology – Once you have bought into software or hardware and mastered using it then use it in as many ways as you can to get the maximum benefit.  Use your calendar to generate reminder messages for contacting people in your network regularly, for deadline for goals you have set and for birthdays/anniversaries/important occasions.
  8. Leverage your money to invest in support services – This will free up your time to do other important career tasks.   If something takes you an unusually long time to do or if you are dissatisfied with your result, hire someone to help you with it.  Getting your resume done professionally is worth the money if you struggle doing it or worse keep putting it off.
  9. Leverage your money to invest in education and coaching – Taking courses enables you to add the expertise to your resume and it will enable you to qualify for different positions.  One course can open many opportunities.  Choose the course wisely.  If you have difficulty achieving your goals investing in coaching will enable you to achieve success.  Three to six months of coaching will also open many opportunities.
  10. Leverage social media – Social media can be used to follow thought leaders in your field, to find new jobs, and to attract recruiters who are searching for candidates.  It is a double edged sword however.  You can be ruled out permanently if you are not careful what you post.  Used well social media gives you a lot of exposure for a relatively small investment of time.
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10 Ways to Use Leverage in Your Law Practice

Apr 3rd, 12 / 0 Comments

Many people supporting money

Think of leverage as getting the most “bang for your buck”.  With a little effort you maximize your results. It might be investing a few dollars to get more but there are other ways to leverage your efforts. Here are 10 ways to use leverage in your law practice:

 

  1. Leverage your time – One way to leverage your time is to create something you can use over and over.  An example of that might be creating and saving templates for documents you use frequently.  Another might be the creation of an operations manual so that staff and all the attorneys know how all the systems in the practice operate.  I wrote a list in 2004 on ways to leverage your time.  You will find it here: http://www.asparker.com/ppts0604.html
  2. Leverage your strengths – What are the skills you enjoy using?  These are the ones that are usually easy for you and the ones you excel at.  Find ways to use those skills to benefit your practice.  For example if you are someone who enjoys  meeting and talking to people you will  do well at networking with people and speaking to groups of people – two great ways to develop your business.  Others who excel at writing can find ways to write articles and books to attract business.  In either case with a minimum of your effort you get big results.
  3. Leverage your network – It is said that everyone knows 250 people.  Now is the time to use those connections to develop a powerful network.  Ask your current network to introduce you to people who are well connected and have the ability to refer multiple clients to you.  With 20 powerful connections you will get the referrals you need to run your practice.
  4. Leverage by using strategic partnerships – Partner with someone who also comes in contact with your target market for example a real estate attorney might partner with an appraiser and/or a real estate agent in doing a workshop for the purpose of educating new home buyers.  You can leverage your time by doing the same workshop for new buyers multiple times.  You can leverage the relationship with the partners by sharing leads and referrals.
  5. Leverage your client’s good will – Stay connected with clients who know, like and trust you.  They know your work and are likely to refer to you if you are in the top of their minds when someone asks them for a referral.  Connection can be by phone, email, or snail mail.  In fact a mixture of all three keeps it interesting.
  6. Leverage your knowledge – Use your expertise to create several different products from one.  If you have written an article to be published, give a workshop on the same topic.  Use a synopsis of the article in your email newsletter.  Include a link to your article in a Tweet and/or on your LinkedIn page.
  7. Leverage your technology – Once you have bought into software or hardware and mastered using it then use it in as many ways as you can to get the maximum benefit.  Use QuickBooks for your accounting but then generate reports to see how you are doing.  Compare month against the financial goals you set and then compare with the previous year to see the growth.  Check what your expenses were to find waste.  Make a plan for the next month to stay on track or make up for past performance.
  8. Leverage your money to invest  in support services for your practice– This will free up your time to do what you do best (the legal work or practice management and strategy).  If this is a strain on the budget then use the time gained to do some business development so that you can more than afford the service. A Practice Advisor can help you to set attainable business development goals and will insure that you achieve them.
  9. Leverage your money to invest in education and training – Courses for you and/or your staff have many benefits.  For you gaining expertise in an area can bring new business into your practice either from new clients or current clients.  Adding to the knowledge of the staff increases their productivity and enables them to take on new responsibilities.
  10. Leverage your staff – Delegate all the work to them that they are capable of doing.  The more work you delegate the more time you have to work for your clients or to develop more business.   Train the appropriate members of your staff to do all the administrative tasks.  Initially this takes a lot of time but it will save you much more time than you invest if you train the person well.
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10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Buying a Franchise

Nov 8th, 11 / 0 Comments

Buying a franchise is an attractive option for someone who wants to run his/her own business.  It is half way between running your own business and working for someone else.  With a franchise you get support, help and direction and in return the expectation is that you’ll follow their methodology and make a profit.  You have the same profit and loss responsibility as a business owner and so if you lose money that money is your loss!  There is risk involved in buying a franchise so make sure you investigate it thoroughly first.  Here are 10 questions to ask yourself:

 

1.       How much money do I need to invest?  When you buy a franchise you are paying for the time and money the franchisor has spent in developing operating systems for the franchise, trademarks and logos for you to use, and a business name that is recognizable

2.       What kind of a business interests me?  Running a franchise requires commitment.  If you are passionate about what you are doing you will have the energy to do whatever is needed to make your franchise profitable and successful

3.       What experiences do I have that make me the perfect person to run this franchise?  Having prior experience in the industry you are choosing will be very helpful.  The more you know about the industry itself the better you will be able to judge if the franchisor has a well thought out plan.  There is a lot to learn about your new business. It is an advantage to begin with some industry knowledge.

4.       Will I be comfortable following the rules and regulations of the franchise?  Most franchisors impose standards on the franchise limiting the way you can operate the business.  This means that each franchise is uniform and customers know exactly what they can expect when they enter the franchise but it also means the franchisee cannot be creative or cater to local needs or issues.

5.       Will I resent having to pay a royalty to the franchisor each month and having to buy supplies from the franchisor’s designated supplier? You have to pay the royalty even in a slow month and sometimes the supplies cost more than you would pay elsewhere.

6.       Does the franchisor that I am considering give me an exclusive territory?  Some franchisors will sell other franchises in your area (maybe even across the street!) so that you have to compete against both your own brand as well as other brands.

7.       Have I spoken to some franchisees of the franchise I am considering?  Other franchisees might be willing to share their problems and successes with you.  Ask about the kind of support the franchisor gives. (You can get the other franchisees contact information from the FDD – see tip 9)

8.       Is there a demand for the goods and services this franchise offers?  As with every business you want to make sure there is a market for what you offer.  Do some market research on your own to determine the size of the market and who the ideal customer is for the product or service.  Do not assume that this work has already been done by the franchisor.

9.       Have I read the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) and the franchise agreement thoroughly and underlined areas where I have questions for a lawyer to look at?  These documents are important to you and your business.  It is important for you to understand what you are buying.

10.   Do I have an attorney who specializes in franchises to advise me on the franchise and the franchise agreement?  Once you are familiar with the FDD and the franchise agreement you can have an attorney explain the sections you do not understand. The attorney can also advise you as to what the problems might be in signing the franchise agreement.  Most franchisors will not change the agreement but an attorney who specializes in franchises will know what can be changed and how to approach the franchisor.

What’s an Encore career?

If you are in your 50s and have had  a  successful career but feel something is still  missing, you may be looking for an encore career.  An encore career is one where you are connected to a larger vision that gives new meaning to the work that you do.  If you have a longing for more fulfilling work, I can help you to find what you are looking for.  Using assessments to identify your strengths, values, and communication style you’ll find a career or volunteer situation that fits you perfectly and allows you to make a difference in the world.  For more information call me at 781-598-0388 or email me at asparker@asparker.com

 

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Career Changers, tips

How to Generate Leads for Your Practice Using LinkedIn

Nov 8th, 11 / 0 Comments

How to Generate Leads for Your Practice Using LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a social network for professionals.  People use it to find new jobs, connect with potential clients, and to learn from others.  The last time I wrote about LinkedIn was in August of 2008.  You can read the list entitled Networking Magic – 10 Amazing Ways to Grow Your Network Using LinkedIn  One purpose for growing your network is to generate leads for your practice. here are 10 Ways to use LinkedIn to generate leads:

 

1.       Build your network by connecting with all the people you know.  The more people the more potential leads!  Take the time to think about your friends, colleagues, people you currently work with, people you worked with and for in the past and people you do business with.  Be selective and choose the ones with whom you wish to have a business relationship.

2.       Join some groups.  Look for groups that have your target market in them or groups with attorneys and/or others who might refer to you.  Check to see if your college and law school have groups and join them.  Groups give you a platform to engage others in discussions and even starting a discussion yourself. Check to see if there is a group for your practice area.  Think about starting a group yourself.

3.       Ask clients to write a recommendation for you.  You can request the recommendation when you send them a feedback form after you have completed their case.  Now potential clients can go to your LinkedIn profile and read the recommendations. Write recommendations for others!  Social media is all about giving before getting.

4.       Share information with your connections and with the groups you belong to.  This is the best way to get known amongst your connections.  Be helpful.  If you have written an article, post the URL where your connections can read the article.  If you have read something that others may find useful, post the link to that article on your wall or to your groups.  Look for responses.

5.       Answer questions.  You’ll find the questions under the tab “More” at the top of the LinkedIn page.  Click on “Answers” on the drop down menu under “More”.  You’ll see a long list of topics on the right side.  Look for topics that you know something about and that give you a platform to display your expertise.   Engage those who respond in further conversation eventually taking the discussion off line.

6.       Be top of mind for referrals by networking with others.  You stay top of mind by sharing information with them, starting or joining a group that includes them and answering their questions, and talking with them offline.  LinkedIn is only a platform for allowing you to make large numbers of connections.  The actual connecting and referring is up to you and your connections.

7.       Be seen as a thought leader-a subject matter expert in your practice area.  You do that by answering questions, participating in groups and commenting on posts of others.

8.       Use direct ads – LinkedIn offers pay per click ads similar to Google.  You’ll see the ads running down the right side of the page and also at the top.  I’m not a fan of paid advertising but you may find it beneficial for your practice.  The cost is not high so it is worth a try.

9.       Create Polls and ask questions in order to engage potential clients and referrers.  Another way to draw attention to you and your firm is to ask questions.  You’ll be able to connect with the people who answer your question.  A new feature on LinkedIn is the poll.  You’ll need to publicize the poll however to get enough people answering.

10.   Meet other thought leaders and influencers.  By working your networking you can target people that you would like in your network and then get others in your network to introduce you.  You can also join groups that the person you want to meet belongs to and attract his/her attention that way.  LinkedIn gives you an easy way to “meet” people you admire.

Final thought

Once you meet someone that has potential as a client or referrer  stay engaged with the person so you are top of mind.  Referrals are generated because you are considered an expert and your connections remember you and refer to you.

Are you getting the most from your marketing actions?

Don’t spend hours running from marketing event to marketing event in search of new clients. With a list of 20 great referrers you can have a constant flow of clients.  I work with lawyers who want to spend more time doing the work they love in their practice and less time marketing their practice.  I help them to identify their best referrers, find more great referrers and then teach them how to stay top of mind with those referrers.  If you would like a steady flow of clients for your practice, call me at 781-598-0388 or email me at asparker@asparker.com.  I’d love to work with you!

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10 Tips for Writing Accomplishment Statements

Sep 8th, 11 / 0 Comments

Accomplishment statements are the heart of your resume.  I recommend to my clients and newsletter readers that when you are working you document your accomplishments quarterly. That way when the time comes to update your resume you have lots of accomplishments to choose from.  You will want to choose only those that are appropriate for the job for which you are applying.  Tailor each resume to be specific for that particular job.

  1. Document your accomplishments for every job that you have had in the last 10 to 15 years.  This does not mean listing your responsibilities for each job but actual accomplishments that you were responsible for. Accomplishments could be: sales made, awards received, processes improved, projects completed, money saved etc.
  2. Think about the accomplishments that you are going to write about in terms of problems, solutions, results.  For each accomplishment you will need to write down the problem you were solving first.  Then write down what you did to solve the problem.  Finally write the result of your solution to the problem.
  3. Accomplishment statements for resumes are written very concisely. You can leave out words like “the” and “a”. Do not use the pronouns “I” or ”we”.
  4. Sometimes when you write the solution and the result the problem is obvious and you do not have to state it unless it adds to the accomplishment.
  5. The solution is the action you took to solve the problem.
  6. The result is how the company benefitted from what you did.  Most common results are: money saved, money generated, time saved, productivity increased
  7. Start each accomplishment statement with an action word like the following: increased, eliminated, built, taught, wrote
  8. Use specific numerical results if you know them.  Numbers attract attention and stand out on your resume.  If you do not know the numerical result use the words increase or decrease instead.
  9. An accomplishment statement can be more than one sentence but each must be written concisely sticking to just the problem, solution and result.
  10. Choose accomplishments that clearly demonstrate that you have the skills the employer is looking for.  Read the job ad carefully or ask the hiring manager, recruiter or referrer exactly what kind of person would be best suited for the job.  Use the accomplishments that best show the value you will add to the company.

 

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10 Tips for Getting Referrals From Past Clients

Sep 8th, 11 / 0 Comments

A simple way to get business for attorneys is from past clients.  Past clients know you and your work.  If you have done a good job for them, they will be willing to refer business to you or put you in touch with others who have the ability to refer business to you.  Here are 10 tips for getting referrals from past clients.

1.       Keep a database of all your clients.  Besides having the usual information about them like name address and telephone number, rate them as a client.  I use A, B, C and D where A is one you enjoyed working with and who made it easy for you to do your work and D is the client from hell whom you never want to see again.  Obviously you won’t be calling the D clients ever (hope you don’t have many of them!) or the C clients unless there are some extenuating circumstances.  For example: if the client is well connected and has a large powerful rolodex, it might be worthwhile calling him/her.  Since clients tend to refer people like themselves however, beware!

2.       Leave a place in your database for the date of your last contact, how you connected and what the result was so that you can follow up at regular intervals.  Keep your database updated!

3.       Decide on strategy for each client. You might put your client base into groups.  If you have not connected with someone for a while, you may have a different strategy than you have for a more recent client whom you have talked to in the last month or two.

4.       If you do not have a client feedback questionnaire that you routinely send to clients after you have finished their case, now is the time to start.  Listen and learn from any negative feedback. You can acknowledge a client’s response to the questionnaire with a thank you.  This is your first communication to this person as a past client. Write a personal note or follow up with a call which ever seems most appropriate. Of course if there was negative feedback you will need to confirm that you heard what was said and if possible say how you will address the issue. Never argue with client about it.

5.       Create a continuing communication plan for your A and B clients as well as the new clients.  The feedback questionnaire can be the first communication in the plan for recent clients.  Now decide on other ways to stay in touch.

6.       Stay connected on a regular basis by sending articles, books, gifts etc. to the past client.  Your goal is to keep this person as an active member of your network.  Add them to your LinkedIn network too.

7.       Periodically ask the past clients on your list if they know anyone who could use your services.  You might say,  ” I really enjoyed working with you and would love to have more clients like you.  I built my practice on referrals from clients like you who were happy with the way I handled their case and recommended me to their friends.  Do you know anyone that has that kind of a need today? ”

8.       If you have been out of touch with clients for a while, make a special offer for past clients to reconnect.  One possibility if you have several practice areas, offer your past clients a discount for using your services in a different practice area.

9.       Another way to stay connected to past clients is by sending a periodic newsletter updating them on changes in the law, interesting cases you or others have had, or useful tips for their family or business.

10.   Have an open house, holiday party or summer barbecue and  invite past clients. This is a simple one time investment of time to stay connected.  Some attorneys have found this to be such a good way to stay connected that they do it annually.

 

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Lawyers, practice management, tips

Meaningful Work – Is More School or Training the Answer?

Aug 8th, 11 / 0 Comments

My parents thought that taking courses at any time was a good idea.  They felt you never could get too much education.  My take on it is different from theirs.  Too many people default to education when times are tough.  I’d want to be sure my investment was worth the time and the money.  Today many people have huge financial debt and no job.  To decide whether training is the answer for you, you’ll need to research exactly what the training or degree will do for you.  So if your career plan includes getting training or a degree here are 10 questions to answer and some actions to take to evaluate whether the training will in fact lead to the meaningful and engaging work you are looking for.

 

  1. What is the climate of the industry for which you will be studying?  Is it growing?  Will it still be growing when you finish your courses?
  2. Do you need the whole program or degree or can you just learn one or two new skills and transfer some of your current skills to the position you are interested in?
  3. Would you be eligible for an internship in the field you have chosen that would enable you to move forward without any special training?
  4. Who is already doing this work? Find people doing the work you want to do and talk to them.  Ask them what the necessary training is for the job.  Ideally talk to a hiring manager.
  5. How much will this training or degree cost you? Find the costs involved in getting the degree or training.  Are scholarships and/or grants available?
  6. What increase in salary or satisfaction will you receive once you finish the training or degree program?  Is it worth the cost?
  7. Does the school you have chosen make it easy for you to do the work and attend to your other obligations? Getting the training will take travel time, study time and class time. Is it convenient for you and will you be able to fulfill your work and family obligations?
  8. Does the school have supportive faculty, a career center to help you find a job, a library open convenient hours, tutors and advisors available to help you manage your career.
  9. What do the students and graduates in the program think of the training? Talk to others who are in the program you are considering and talk to a few graduates to understand how the work load is, whether the program is comprehensive and worthwhile, and whether the degree or certificate positions you for a good job.
  10. Does the program have a good reputation?  Ask a hiring manager or others in the field you are going into how the program you are planning to go to is perceived in the industry.  Do they see this degree or certificate as an asset to finding a good job?

One More Thought

Just after I wrote this there was an article in the paper about a new fellowship created by PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel.  He is offering $100,000 to students to leave college and launch a startup!  It is called The 20 under 20 Thiel Fellowship and is open to students under 20 years old.  His reason for establishing this is that he wanted to encourage young people to invest in a business before college tuition put them in so much debt that the idea would be impossible.  Thiel says, “I think it’s best to actually try to think about the future and not default to education.”

 

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Career Changers, job search, tips