Law Consulting Blog : Cordell Parvin's Law Consulting Blog : Coach & Consultant For Lawyers & Law Firms : Business Development, Career Planning

Since it is still January, I am still thinking about lawyers setting goals.

Are you interested in setting dynamite goals, but don’t know where to start? Here are a list of questions you can ask yourself.

The Who Questions:
Who is important in my life?
Who do I want to benefit from what I am doing?

The What Questions:
What are my strengths?
What are my challenges?
What do I want to accomplish?
What do I want to learn?
What do I want to experience?
What contribution do I want to make?
What do I want to have?
What do I want to earn?
What am I most passionate about?
What do my clients need the most?
What do I need to do to accomplish my goal?

The When Questions:
When do I want to accomplish each goal?

The Where Questions:
Where do I want to live?
Where do I want to visit?

The Why Questions:
Why is each goal important to me?
And why is that important to me?

The How Questions:
How do I want to accomplish my goals?
How do I want to live?
 

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 Are you blogging? If so, how much attention are you paying to your headline? Are you burying your main point? Your headline and first paragraph are the most important writing you do because they determine if your readers continue reading.

Suppose your potential clients are receiving your blog as an RSS Feed. All they will see is your headline. When they look at it, they will ask: "What's in it for me to read on?" Suppose your potential client  clicks on the link to your blog and reads your first paragraph. They will ask again: "What is in it for me to read further?"

So what does this mean? You have to write a compelling headline and first paragraph to persuade your clients to read further. 

When I wrote my monthly column for Roads and Bridges magazine, I sometimes got upset with the editors for editing my headline. In many instances the editor thought plays on words or being cute would capture the readers' attention. Maybe it did and if so I am grateful.

Instead of letting you look at a few blog posts and decide whether the lawyer writer has caused readers to read further, I thought I would take a couple of headlines and first paragraphs of my Roads and Bridges columns and let you decide.

The first is a column the editor titled: Bridge Project Marred in Contract Misrepresentations. While I think the headline could have been better, I do believe bridge builders would want to read on. I think my first paragraph was pretty effective. Here is what I said:

"Do you clearly understand the contract requirements that affect the work prior to bid? Sometimes knowing what your obligations are should cause you not to bid. Unfortunately, some contractors just have to bid anyway. That was what happened in D.C. McClain, Inc. v. Arlington County, 452 S.E.2d 659 (Va. 1995)."

What made that first paragraph effective? I believe more than anything else, it was my use of the word "you" and asking a question for the reader to answer.

Now let's look at one that I did not do as well. In this column, the editor chose Over Done as the title. While that is cute, it is not compelling. In the column I discussed a really important case for contractors, but here is how I began the column.

 "Long ago, there was no requirement to have a differing site condition or significant change in the character of the work clause in the state standard specifications. As some contractors know, Congress left a loophole under which states could “opt out” of having the clauses, and some states have done so."

While everything I said was true, contractor readers do not want a history lesson. They want to know how the new case impacts them and what they need to do. I did not get to those points until later in the column. So, I buried the lead, to use a journalism phrase.

How effective are your headlines? Will your potential clients want to read further? Are you burying your lead by giving history lessons? If so, your potential clients may never get to your main point.

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In my career I have been blessed to work with some really outstanding lawyers and I have also worked hard to be outstanding myself. So, I have ideas you can implement to keep getting better and take it to the next level. Here is a list of what outstanding lawyers do to keep getting better:

1. They are never content with their achievements and are always striving to get better.
2. They focus on what they do not know and are willing to reinvent themselves if the situation requires it.
3. They regularly do things that others do not enjoy doing.
4. They are focused on the long term.
5. They persist until they succeed.
6. They are intrinsically motivated and do not get caught up in comparing themselves to others.
7. They strive to become comfortable outside their comfort zone.
8. They are comfortable under pressure.
9. They have set and achieved hundreds of goals and have confidence they will achieve more.
10. They focus on the process that produce the end results rather than the end results themselves.
11. They know their health is essential to their success and make time to stay healthy.
12. They are focused on their priorities and do the most important things each and every day without getting distracted.
13. They genuinely enjoy their clients and their work.
14. They anticipate their clients’ and potential clients’ legal problems, create a solution and call them.
15. They work at becoming both an outstanding lawyer and trusted advisor.
16. They think optimistically and plan their non-billable time purposely.
17. They have healthy paranoia, which causes them to focus more intently on adding value for their clients.
18. They view everyone they meet as a potential client.
19. They are always playing to win.
20. They share credit and build their team as a result.
21. They look for other work the firm can do that their clients will value.
22. They help their associates succeed in their own right and are constantly rebuilding their team.
23. They are willing to fail and they rebound from disappointments or setbacks.
24. They are on the cutting edge of change, including technology changes.
25. They are always seeking new ideas and feedback from coaches and mentors.

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My October column for The Practical Lawyer focuses on leadership and how the current economy may have changed law firms forever.

Is your law firm striving to become the best it can be? If so, my bet is your firm leader has integrity, articulates a purpose other than profits per partner, clearly has a vision for the firm’s future, makes sure the firm is acting consistently with its values and holds people accountable. These answers are fairly obvious. But, if they are so obvious why isn’t every leader doing what it takes for the firm to be successful?

1. Integrity

A law firm leader must be honest, ethical and credible. In their book Credibility: How Leaders Gain and Lose It, Why People Demand It, James Kouzes and Barry Posner reported the results of 1500 interviews with managers across the United States. When asked to identify the characteristics and attitudes they believed to be most important for effective leadership, the number one response was: integrity (leaders are truthful, are trustworthy, have character, have convictions).

2.  Purpose Beyond Profits Per Partner (the Why)

A law firm leader must be able to express the firm’s purpose. James Collins and Jerry Porras in Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies Built to Last define purpose as “the set of fundamental reasons for a company’s existence beyond just making money.”

3.  Vision for the Future (the What)

A law firm leader must be able to express his or her vision for the firm in a way that creates excitement in the firm. Almost nothing energizes people more than feeling they are part of building something special. When President Kennedy expressed the vision that the United States would land a man on the moon by the end of the decade, people were energized and inspired.

4.  Culture and Core Values (the How)

A law firm leader must be able to both articulately express the firm's culture and core values and to make sure the firm acts consistently with those core values. In Aligning the Stars, Jay Lorsch and Tom Tierney describe culture as “a system of beliefs that members of an organization share about the goals and values that are important to them and about the behavior that is appropriate to attain those goals and live those values.”

5. Accountability (the What is Expected)

A law firm leader must clearly articulate minimum standards. Actually, “minimum” is not the best word because the standards should actually be very high. Each person should know clearly what is expected of him or her and then must be held accountable with consequences for non-performance.
 

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It is orientation season, at least it is for those firms that did not push back the start date for their new first year lawyers. I will be speaking to a group of first year associates on Monday. I will focus on the importance of taking responsibility for their careers, developing a plan with written goals and using time wisely. 

I know that many first year associates, especially those who have never had a "real" job before, show up for work unprepared for the "real" world and they do not leave orientation prepared to deal with questions that arise later. I have put together a list of questions that may arise. I don't know if orientation is the time to deal with these, but I do know they will come up at some point. Your firm should be prepared to answer them.

1. What do you do when you are working for the firm bully who abuses associates and staff by yelling and using foul language?
2. What do you do when you are assigned to the "big case" to do only document review and you have no other work?
3. What do you do when you do not understand your assignment?
4. What do you do when you don't know the answer?
5. What do you when you make a mistake and make the partner you are working for upset?
6. What do you do when you have too much work and another partner wants you to do an assignment for them?
7. What do you do when you are short of work and others in your practice group are busy?
8. What do you do when you have a personal commitment you really need to tend to that will prevent you from timely finishing an assignment?
9. What do you do when you are getting no feedback on your work?
10. What do you do when you go home exhausted every day from sitting in front of the computer and working all day?
11. What do you do if you are not getting secretarial support or help from a legal assistant because their allegiance is to a more senior attorney?
12. What do you do when you are asked to attend an important recruiting event and you have a brief a partner expects to receive the next morning?
     

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I like the ebook by Chris Guillebeau called “279 Days to Overnight Success.”

While it is focused on writers, there is a great deal in it for lawyers. Chris describes his “World Domination Strategy” and lists six components in his strategy. The five listed below apply to lawyers.

1. Create a Compelling Story and Be Remarkable
2. Clearly Answer the “Reason Why”
3. Prioritize Writing and Marketing Over Everything Else
4. Be Bigger than I Really Am
5. Build Long-Lasting Relationships

As lawyers your compelling story should focus on your clients. Think about what you are doing to help your clients achieve their goals or get over the hurdles that confront them.

If a potential client doesn’t know you, why should the client care about what you have to say? When you are writing or speaking always ask yourself, what is in this for the reader or audience.  Clearly you cannot prioritize writing and marketing over doing work for clients. But you can have a plan for your non-billable time and make time for writing and marketing. You can also find ways to hold yourself accountable.

I have always liked the phrase: “Think Big and Act Small.” For me thinking big means you can become more successful than you ever dreamed. Set goals that stretch you. Acting small means you are not on a crash diet. Make client development a lifestyle change.

Client development for lawyers is about relationships. Focus on the clients for whom you are working and making sure you are building long lasting relationships with them.

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I think that many young lawyers find client development daunting. In January I gave a presentation to new partners at a firm who at the end were likely overwhelmed. Their firm had given me two hours to give an overview. By the end I am sure many in the audience wondered where to start.

Are you in that same position? If so, do what star athletes do - train by learning one thing at a time and begin by taking small steps so you feel you have accomplished something. One thing I suggest to lawyers I am coaching after our first session is to go back and look at their plan and look at their goals. Is there anything we discussed that has changed their thinking? Then I suggest that they do something, no matter how small to get started. It might be as simple as calling someone and asking them to lunch, sending an article with a handwritten note, or setting up Google Alerts for their clients.

Don’t feel like client development is climbing Mt. Everest. Take just one small step and get started.

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My current Kindle reading on airplanes is “Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies” by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff. I found an interesting idea in the book. Early in 2007, Crédit Mutuel, a French bank, began an ad campaign directing viewers to a website titled: “If I were a banker.” The authors describe that the website has a French voice who says: “If I were a banker, I would give my customers a say in things and together we would build the bank of tomorrow.” From there the visitor can either enter a suggestion or see what others have suggested.

Crédit Mutuel received tens of thousands suggestions. Some were useless. Many were very helpful and creative. As the authors note, instead of saying: “Tell us what to do,” they said: “What would you do if you were us.” There is a subtle, but important difference. Because the bank is encouraging the customers to develop empathy for the bank, even momentarily, Crédit Mutuel gets much more realistic suggestions.

So here is my question: Can you and your law firm create the same dialogue with your clients? If so, how would you do it? I suspect you won’t be putting the “If I were a lawyer/law firm" question on your website. But, you might simply ask your clients, “If you were our law firm:

• what would you do to add value?”
• what would you do to be more responsive?’
• how would you improve client service?”
• how would you train your lawyers?”
• what improvements would you make in billing?”
• how would you improve communication with clients?”
• what topics would you offer in webinars at no charge?”
• what would you ask your clients?"

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I am sure you have you been inundated with news about the healthcare debate. If you turn on your television or radio or pick up a newspaper or magazine it would be hard to miss reporting of what is in the various House bills, questions on how the efforts will affect senior citizens and the now very interesting town hall meetings.

I believe lawyers can learn from the healthcare debate. In his book “All Marketers Are Liars,” Seth Godin states: “Most marketing fails.” He then explains that marketing that works goes through five steps. “Step 1: Their Worldview and Frames Got There Before You Did.”

In his discussion of worldview, Godin says: “Their worldview is the lens they use to determine whether or not they’re going to believe a story.” He also states: “a frame…is a way you hang a story on a consumer’s existing worldview.” Finally in that section, Godin says: “Don’t try to change someone’s worldview is a strategy smart marketers follow.”

The world view of healthcare held by most Americans is shaping the debate. A few weeks ago it seemed that some politicians were trying to change that worldview. That approach was not working because a very high percentage of Americans appreciate their doctors and are generally satisfied with their healthcare. Very few, if any, Americans believe their doctors make decisions based on how much they will be paid. In addition, most senior citizens do not want their chances to receive healthcare diminished because of their age.

In response to these concerns in the last week or so politicians have quit calling their proposal “health care reform” and are now calling it “health insurance reform.” This is an attempt to persuade based on what they perceive to be the worldview. The media has picked up on the subtle word change.

Your clients have their own worldview, including their view of lawyers. Their worldview impacts the way they interpret what you say and do. As you can tell from the healthcare debate, you are not likely to change the worldview of your clients.

Your clients will also be able to tell if you are trying to manipulate them. Your goal should be to sincerely get to know your clients so well that you are able to figure out their worldview and figure out how they will interpret what you say and do. This exercise will help you figure out ways to become more valuable for your clients.
 

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Last week I posted a blog about Jodi McDougall who shared with me that she is “majorly in the zone.” I mentioned that one reason I thought she was in the zone was because she is intrinsically motivated more than extrinsically motivated.

After posting the blog, I have been reading more materials on motivation. I read a blog post and article in Success Magazine by Shawn Phillips. Shawn included a comparison of Training vs. Exercise that I found helpful in his article titled: “Stop Exercising: Why You Should Train Instead.” 

He noted that athletes do not go to exercise camp, they go to training camp where they are focused on achieving specific results, fueling an intense drive and motivation.

Aren’t the differences between those who are successful with marketing and client development much the same? The lawyers I coach who are most successful are intrinsically motivated. They are clearly training, not exercising. They are highly motivated, focused and in the zone. They are not making client development efforts in response to a need and they are not bored by their efforts.

I really like what Shawn Phillips said at the end of his blog post. I want to paraphrase, what he said, changing his references from training to client development:

If you’re committed to growing beyond the carrot and stick to a truly sustainable form of motivation then you must learn to fall in love with client development and marketing itself and not just the results. Patience, commitment and persistence are all essential ingredients; however, ultimately you must aim for joy and you’ll discover, in the least expected of moments, Mastery.

As you discover how to love becoming more valuable to your clients, leading you to the goals that matter most, you will transform discipline into freedom, struggle into grace, and willpower into passion.

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Recently I blogged about guides I created and how they helped me get business. There is a big debate going on about Chris Anderson’s new book, “Free: The Future of a Radical Price.” I haven’t read the book yet, but I found his book “The Long Tail” interesting and I blogged about one of his main points.

After Anderson wrote “Free,” Malcolm Gladwell wrote a review in the New Yorker criticizing the book. Then, Seth Godin blogged: “Malcolm is Wrong.” Godin suggests that "free" is a way to get attention in a crowded market at the beginning and that in a digital economy with many players and low barriers of entry, cost will go down. Godin also distinguishes between commodities and what people are willing to pay for. “People will pay for content if it is so unique they can't get it anywhere else, so fast they benefit from getting it before anyone else, or so related to their tribe that paying for it brings them closer to other people. We'll always be willing to pay for souvenirs of news, as well, things to go on a shelf or badges of honor to share.”

What does all this mean for lawyers? As I pointed out in my Blog post, even before the digital economy, I got new clients by identifying their problems, offering a solution and giving it away. I did a monthly column for a trade publication, I spoke at industry meetings and I created guides and gave them away. My approach was to give things away to demonstrate I was the "go to" lawyer for my narrow market of transportation construction contractors. It worked for me and I believe it still works for lawyers.

Another blogger noted that two major law firms had put forms on their website that could be downloaded by clients or anyone else for free. So law firns are catching on.  

I hope you take the opportunity to read Malcolm Gladwell’s book review and Seth Godin’s reply. After reading the debate over free, think about if and how the concept of free applies to your own practice.

Is any of the legal work you are doing commodity work that any lawyer can do, or a client can do with a form from Legal Zoom? If so, you will continually face increased hourly rate pressure. On the other hand, you can give away solutions to problems to demonstrate your knowledge is unique and your clients benefit from your knowledge before their competitors.

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Are you a young lawyer looking for a mentor? If you go on my website you will see that I have written a great deal about mentoring. In my book “Prepare to Win” I wrote a chapter titled: “The Importance of Role Models and Mentoring.” I have written extensively on mentoring because I feel I owe a great deal to the mentors I had in my career beginning with my father. I also enjoy helping young lawyers

I frequently receive email questions about mentoring from lawyers and professional development professionals. Here is an example of an email with questions about mentoring:

"Cordell, I recently thought about your article where a partner mentored you early in your career and how this partner met with you early in the morning to teach you about the practice of law. What advice do you offer to today's young attorneys about forging similar relationships? How can a young attorney turn a grumpy old partner, who is only concerned about his billable hours, into a mentor?"

Those are great questions. My first thought was: "Gosh, I hope none of the associates who worked for me thought of me as a grumpy old partner." My second thought was that the older the partner, the more likely he or she will be to take the time to listen and provide advice. The greater challenge is getting a grumpy young partner to take time away from billable hours.

I am not sure a young attorney can ever turn a partner who is only concerned about billable hours, into a mentor. Here are my suggestions for young lawyers:

• Find the right partner. Lawyers in your firm who are good mentors are likely well known throughout the firm.
• Find the right time to spend time with the mentor. As explained above, I met with my first mentor (we never used that term) the first thing in the morning over coffee. I learned early on that he spent some time early getting ready for his day and he was open to meeting with me then.
• Convey that you want to learn and become the best attorney you can be. Experienced lawyers admire young lawyers striving to learn and be the best they can be.
• Ask good questions. Experienced lawyers generally like to tell younger lawyers about their experiences. When I met with the young partner who took me under his wing, I frequently began the discussion with: "Have you ever…?"
• Actively listen to your mentor.
• After the mentor offers his or her ideas, don’t say: “Yes, but…” or “My problem is…” Any time a lawyer said that to me, I decided he really wasn’t seeking my help. Instead he just wanted to complain.
• Come up with your own action plans after a mentoring session.
• Pass it on. Find a new lawyer in your firm and offer to be his or her mentor.

Speaking of mentoring, I have a new e-book “Strategy for Your Career and Your Life” downloadable from my webpage. In it I discuss my own strategy and strategies used by other lawyers. I also include a workbook for you to use to develop your own strategy. If you think the book is helpful pass the link on to your friends and colleagues.

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Over my career practicing law and now working with lawyers I have observed many lawyers who wonder why they have not been more successful building a book of business. Here are 10 potential reasons:

1. You just do good work. You bought into the notion that all you have to do is good work, get a Martindale AV rating, get to know lots of people and wait for the phone to ring.
2. You have no plan. You have no plan so you waste time on random lunches or on activities that will not bring in business.
3. You fail to execute. You use the excuse that you are too busy with billable work. Successful busy lawyers make time for client development.
4. You try to sell. You use the same selling techniques that have not worked when financial advisors or insurance salesmen have tried to sell you.
5. You are not focused. You spend as much time on things that don’t matter as things that will result in attracting and retaining valuable clients.
6. You do not focus on clients. You are focused on what you do rather than on understanding your clients’ industry, company and client representative needs.
7. You are not visible. You are not writing, speaking, active in the bar or community. So, even though you are a great lawyer, very few people know who you are.
8. You stay in your comfort zone. You are too content with where you are and what you are doing rather than striving to get better and get comfortable outside your comfort zone.
9. You are not a team player. You work by yourself while other firms have a team working to serve the client.
10. You are not providing extraordinary service. You are doing good work, but your client is not satisfied with the level of service you are providing. You have not taken time to figure out what your client values.

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In August 2007, I posted a blog titled: “Being Best in the World is Seriously Underrated.”

It is Seth Godin’s opening line from his book: "The Dip." He talked about it in this video. He says the only way to win is to be talked about. People do not talk about average companies or average law firms.

I mentioned in the blog post that being the best is in the eyes of clients and potential clients. They define what best means. For most legal work, “best” does not mean literally the best. It means “best” at the time, “best” value, “best” for the particular matter.

The current economy has redefined “best” and has created an opportunity for small and midsized law firms to work for large national and international clients. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled: “Midsize Law Firms Pick Up Clients as Companies Turn From Pricey Giants.”

The writer cited a BTI Consulting Group survey of 550 large companies that found that 38% of the law firms they hired last year came from below the nation's top 200 in terms of revenue, which generally means small and midsize firms. That was up from 25% in 2007.

If your firm is not one of those pricey ones, what are you doing to become visible to the large companies that are looking for more value for their money? Do you know who the influencers are for those large companies? Do you know what they read?

You won’t be very successful by trying to sell those clients. Everyone is trying to sell them so they will not believe what you say. You will be more successful by showing them. Suppose a General Counsel of a large company came to your law firm website. What do you suppose she would be looking for? Do you suppose she would find it on your website, or is your website just like every other law firm’s site?
 

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Stewart Cink will always be known as the golfer who defeated Watson. He has a life lesson for us also. 

Dave Walton, a lawyer I coach, sent me this email that I thought explained many things I have been trying to teach. So, I wanted to share it with you and offer a way to implement the thought.

I read something last night I thought you would like and appreciate. Before Stewart Cink's victory last week, his golf coach told him: "Don't confuse your goals with the reward." It means that the goal is not victory that is the reward. Goals are based on a one shot at a time approach: take the right approach on each shot; make each shot count; visualize each shot; be consistent on each shot; use the right swing thoughts, etc. Applied to what we do, this means that the goal is not to have a $2M book or to have financial security. Those are the rewards. Our goals are the small steps we need to accomplish everyday in order to get the consistent $2M book. It's akin to a saying: Think big, but focus small.

I hope you are well. And thanks for all your help.

I have used this idea in my own planning and goal setting. Each year I set a goal for the amount of business I wanted to bring in. That was the reward. But, I did not stop there. After setting the goal, I made a list of all the activities I wanted to do that I hoped would lead me to my reward.

I hope this approach will enable you to achieve the reward you find meaningful and valuable
 

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Golf in so many ways teaches us lessons we can use in our life. For the next two days I want to share with you lessons you can learn from Tom Watson and Stewart Cink. Today, I will share my thoughts about Watson and tomorrow I will share my thoughts about Cink.

Even if you are not a golfer or golf fan, and even if you do not like sports, you have to admire 59-year-old Tom Watson and his incredible effort to win The Open last weekend in Scotland. They do not write fiction as good as this story. As Tom Watson said: "It would have been a heck of a story.

"

This morning I read William McKenzie’s piece in the Dallas Morning News: “Tom Watson Teaches Us About Life.”

McKenzie notes that Tom Watson taught us “Don’t give up. Ever. Watson showed: “If you keep after it, perfect your trade and follow your call, you can still have an impact.”

Mckenzie’s second point is “Life disappoints. Get used to it.” Watson was one putt away from history and then life intervened-he missed the putt. McKenzie says: “Try as we might, we can’t always get what we want, yet we figure out how to go on. It may take time, but we persevere, which is one of life’s grandest triumphs.” Wow, what a lesson for us.

Mckenzie’s third point is “Golf is about more than the ball and clubs.” He says: “More than most sports golf is about an individual battling himself and his surroundings.” He also states: “Nature teaches you humility in a personal way. There are no teammates to blame, no coaches to curse, no referees to hound. There's just you against your mind and the elements. It takes a lot to beat both."

So, what can you learn from Tom Watson? First, you are responsible for your career success and life fulfillment. You can’t blame your firm, your boss, the economy or colleagues. It’s really up to you. Second, along the way to success, you are going to stumble. I have stumbled many times in my career. You will stumble also. You will also be disappointed by events or by other lawyers or friends. The real measure of your success is not what you do when things are going well, but rather what you do when you are most disappointed. Will you persevere and look forward or be stuck in your disappointment? What you do in those moments will have the greatest impact on your career and life.
 

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Joice Bass is a Las Vegas lawyer I coached. One of her niche markets is the wine industry. She shared with me a relationship building activity she did that was challenging, rewarding and fun.

In follow up to our recent coaching call, I wanted to share with you a few "relationship development" things that I've done recently that were a lot of fun.

One of my larger clients is a national wine/spirits distributor. In the course of working on a case for this client, I've gotten to know some management level employees pretty well, including the head Master Sommelier.

Recently, my client held an in-house introductory course for the Master Sommelier program for its employees, free of charge. Normally, these 2-day classes cost in excess of $500 and getting in is usually quite difficult. By expressing my interest in learning more about my client’s business, my general interest in wines, and my particular interest in the course, I was able to "swing" an invitation to attend the client's class.

It was an impressive two days! Several heads of the Court of Master Sommeliers taught portions of the class in conjunction with the client's three in-house Master Sommes. We tasted wines from all over the world, learning how to appreciate the differences among each variety, and we covered more geography than I've been exposed to since high school! At the end of the program, there was an exam (which I passed, thank goodness), and I received a certificate and a pin designating my membership into the Court. 

It was an awesome and worthwhile experience, albeit hard work. I definitely believe that the client was impressed with the level of my interest; they understood that it was non-billable time, that I was taking timeout of my own schedule and that I really was doing all the related "homework." I feel like my relationship with this client has reached another level now. 

To thank the Master Somme who invited me to the class, I picked up a gift certificate for him to Aureole, a Las Vegas restaurant with one of the best wine cellars in town. I have no doubt that he appreciated that. And while I was at the client's facility during those two days, I also picked up a baby girl t-shirt from the Mama Mia show to give to another executive who recently had a baby girl named Mia, which is also my daughter's name. I also dropped off a CD version of "meditations for busy people" for another manager, who had recently been in the hospital for stress-induced high blood pressure. We chatted about different ways to reduce stress after he got out.

I received very nice feedback for all three gifts. Most importantly, participating in the course and doing these small things made me feel really good about my relationship with this client (which is a hard feeling to come by when you're a litigator and litigation isn't really considered a value-added business activity!).

I think Joice has made a deeper connection with her client. Just consider the value of spending two days learning about wine from your client who is a national distributor. Is there something like this you can do with your client?

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Each month more lawyers are blogging. Just last month social media expert, Kevin O’Keefe posted: “State of the AmLaw 200 Blogosphere, June 2009.” The list of the firms and the number of Blogs was impressive. As of June 2009 41% of the AmLaw 200 firms are blogging.

Several Bloggers included in Kevin’s list are lawyers I am coaching. I encourage lawyers I coach to blog so they can learn about what is important to their clients and raise their visibility and credibility. I posted a blog in April on why lawyers should be blogging and included a short video clip of Seth Godin and Tom Peters.

Yet, blogging is not for every lawyer. I believe there are reasons a lawyer should not be blogging. Here is my Top 10:

1. Your firm is in the dark ages and does not approve of blogging.
2. Your practice is not focused.
3. You do not want to build relationships and do not need to raise your visibility and credibility within your target market.
4. You can’t think of anyone who would be interested in what you have to say.
5. You do not want to take the time to listen before writing and keep up with what is going on in your clients’ world, so you will have something relevant to say.
6. You hate technology and do not want to learn.
7. You are incapable of writing concisely.
8. You cannot identify what you want the readers to take away from your blog.
9. Your competitors are already providing outstanding content and you can’t do any better.
10. You cannot make the commitment to post at least once, and better twice, a week.
     

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A friend sent me a July 6 article from Law 360 titled: “Firms Hesitant to Invest in Business Development.” The essence of the article was that business development training/coaching must produce real bottom line results for firms to want to engage an outside consultant. Producing more revenue is the primary reason for a firm to engage in client development training and coaching. The unanswered question is how can client development training and coaching produce more revenue. Here’s how:

One-shot business development training will not produce more revenue because it will not change the actions lawyers should take to produce revenue. Business development training should be combined with individual and group coaching. Your firm can either hire an outside consultant, or create your own internal program. Either way, to produce more revenue the firm, the lawyers and the coach must make commitments and keep them.

The Law Firm Commitments:

1. Select lawyers who have the inner drive to be more successful. Your lawyers who need coaching the least, will put the most into it and get the most out of it.
2. Leadership commitment and involvement. When your firm leaders are champions for the program, there is greater energy and a buzz around the firm.
3. Aligned and active involvement of professional development and marketing professionals. Client development training has both a training component and a marketing component. Your professionals from both groups have a role to play.
4. Sharing unique firm strategies and issues with the coach. Each firm is different. For an outside coach to be successful he or she needs to understand your firm’s goals, strategy and culture.
5. Funding the program. Shows you are investing in your lawyers.

The Lawyer Participant Commitments:

1. Active involvement in the group and individual coaching activities.
2. Open mind to change.
3. Create a business development plan with goals.
4. Willingness to be held accountable.
5. Preparation for coaching sessions.
6. Monitoring client development activities.
7. Sharing best practices and successes with the group.
8. Identifying challenges and working to overcome them.
9. Commitment to spend around 20 non-billable hours a month on client development activities.

The Coach/Consultant Commitments:

1. Helping participants with planning and goal setting.
2. Pushing each member and the group to attain group and individual goals.
3. Role playing and experiential learning.
4. Ideas for client development.
5. Teaching and applying client development techniques.
6. Referral to source materials on career and client development.
7. Team coaching.
8. Creating opportunities for teambuilding.
9. Providing candid feedback and suggestions.
10. Making firm leadership aware if any participant is not meeting his or her commitments.

I know from my experience leading a program in my old firm and now working with lawyers and law firms that if your firm, your lawyers and your internal or outside coach/consultant makes and keeps the commitments described above, the firm will generate a return on investment that is a multiple of the program cost.
 

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Do you want to be more successful with client development? If so, find a way to hold yourself accountable. Here are some suggestions. One lawyer I coach created a scoring system for his 90 days goals. For example, he gives himself 2 points for each meeting with a client outside the office and gives himself 20 points for an article he gets published. Another lawyer I coach keeps a handwritten journal of her activities by date. Several lawyers I coach report monthly to their coaching group, their firm leadership and me.

Several other lawyers share with me their weekly plan and a report of what they did the previous week. Rob and Suzanne, a husband and wife team I coach here in Dallas recently began sharing their weekly plan/report with me. Yesterday Suzanne sent me this email:

Cordell, really like the weekly list idea, it helps keep me on track! Just called my one client for the day and got a new case!

I can’t assure you that holding yourself accountable on a weekly basis will result in a new matter, but I can assure you it will increase your chances because you will be more purposeful and focused.

Recently I asked a group of lawyers: If you were me what would you do to help more lawyers become successful. The majority suggested I create an affordable Internet coaching program.
I have given it thought, but before I do anything I would like your feedback. Here is how I envision an Internet coaching program would work:

• At the beginning I will send the same coaching questions I send to lawyers I coach in firms. I will use your answers to better understand your practice.
• I will ask you to tell me about yourself and what you enjoy outside of your law practice.
• I will help you prepare a business plan.
• Each month I will send you questions to answer about how you are doing.
• Each month you will share with me what you have done the previous month, what you plan to do the next month, and 1-3 questions you have for me.
• You will have access to weekly 5-7 minute video training/coaching sessions.

Please take time to let Joyce know your thoughts on this approach.
 

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There is a basic disconnect between young lawyers and senior lawyers on the concept of "work-life balance." When young lawyers say they want "work-life balance" senior lawyers consider that to be code for working less. Young lawyers who want to work in the big firms paying high salaries must accept that they will be expected to spend a minimum of 2500 hours a year on their career of which at least 2000 hours will need to be billable work.

Are you striving for work-life balance? Put simply, you will never find it and even if you could it would be incredibly boring. I have never sought balance instead I have sought to live my life based on my priorities.

If you want to strive to spend quality time on your priorities, I suggest you read "First Things First" by Stephen Covey, A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca Merrill. It is filled with many suggestions I know will help you, including planning your life around your roles. I particularly enjoy Dr. Covey's story about the "big rocks."

Dr. Covey describes that when he was teaching he pulled out a wide-mouth gallon jar and placed it next to a pile of fist-sized rocks. After filling the jar to the top with rocks, he asked, "Is the jar full?" The students replied, "Yes." He then got some gravel from under the table and added it to the jar. He jiggled the jar until the gravel filled the spaces between the rocks. Again, he asked, "Is the jar full?" This time, the students replied, "Probably not." Dr. Covey then added sand and asked, "Is the jar full?" By then the students had figured it out and replied "No!"

Finally, Dr. Covey filled the jar to the brim with water and asked his students the point of what he had done. One student replied: "you can always fit more things into your life if you really work at it. "No," countered Dr. Covey. "The point is, you have to put the big rocks in first."

Billable work for clients is clearly a big rock. But, there are many other big rocks that must be put in the jar. Your big rocks likely include being a father/mother, husband/wife, son/daughter, being fit, being active in church/community. Your big rocks also include developing your skills and developing relationships with clients. Those are all big rocks and if you plan each week around those priorities, you will find the career success and life fulfillment you are seeking.
 

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Dave Walton is a successful Pennsylvania lawyer I have coached for a couple of years. He is successful in part because he is self-motivated.

Dave shared his ideas with other lawyers I coach in a webinar that I know you will find valuable. During the webinar, Dave included a slide that said; “Think Big and Act Small.” I like that approach.

I know many lawyers do not know where to start on developing business. It seems daunting and mysterious to them.

Are you in that same position? If so do what elite star athletes do. They train by learning one thing at a time. So, begin by taking small steps so you feel you have accomplished something.

When I first meet with lawyers I am coaching, I suggest that they review and revise their plan and their goals after our coaching session. I ask them to consider whether there is anything we discussed that has changed their thinking? Then I suggest that they do something, no matter how small to get started. It might be as simple as updating their firm website bio, inviting a client or potential client to lunch, sending an article with a handwritten note, or setting up Google Alerts for their clients.

Don’t feel like client development is climbing Mt. Everest. Take just one small step and get started.
 

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This morning I read an interesting piece in my ABA daily newsletter. The title was: “In-House Counsel Vote ‘No Confidence’ in Firms, Shrug Off Talk of New Legal Model.” The writer referenced an Altman Weil study that found: “About 75 percent of CLOs gave law firms low marks when asked how serious law firms are about changing their legal service model to deliver greater value to clients.”

I am not surprised with the survey results. In this economy, clients want more and want to pay less. At the same time, they perceive their law firms are focused on what’s in it for the law firm rather than focused on what’s in it for the client. Many lawyers and law firms are too focused on what they do and not focused enough on what their clients want and need. I laugh about the vision of a law firm web page with the branding slogan: “We Are No Worse Than Other Law Firms.”

So what can you do about this? Begin by focusing on your clients. Ask them to share with you ways you can deliver greater value. Listen to what they say and ask further questions. When you are finished, gather a group of lawyers in your firm and brainstorm ideas on how to deliver greater value to clients. When you come up with a plan, figure out a way to make sure you are delivering greater value and continually ask for feedback from your clients.

One of the most valuable things I did as a practice group leader was to interview our clients for ideas on how we could improve our service. After collecting their ideas, I created our Client Service Goals. If you would like a copy contact Joyce Flo. When we started a new project, or met with a new potential client we gave them the Client Service Goals and asked for their feedback both during and after the project.
 

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I owe a great deal of the opportunities I had to work with clients to the guides I created when I identified potential client problems. Here are just a few examples of problems I discovered and guides I created and gave away:

1. In 1982 Congress required for the first time that 10% of the federal highway construction funds be spent with “Disadvantaged Business Enterprises.”
2. I found contractors were losing claims for additional compensation because they did not comply with contract requirements.
3. In the early 90s, Alternative Dispute Resolution became popular for handling construction contract disputes.
4. Later in the 90s, design build and innovative contracting techniques became popular.
5. Over the last several years, rising costs for oil and lack of availability of cement and steel increased contractor risks.

If I was still practicing law I would have the guides downloadable from my website bio. I may even make them into ebooks. David Meerman Scott is an author I like. He recently posted a blog with 30 tips on how to create an ebook.

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When you are young it is sometimes challenging to think about your future. Although I know that Nancy and I were married when this photo was taken, I doubt seriously we were giving a lot of thought to our future.

Many years ago, but after the photo was taken, I read Steven Covey’s book: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Habit 2 is to begin with the end in mind. I liked that habit because it encouraged me to quit thinking about just what I was doing today and to start thinking about what I wanted to become.

Using Habit 2, I ask you to think about your future. What do you want your life to look like in five years? How old are your kids? Are you still living in the same house? What does your law practice look like? What kind of work are you doing? Who are your clients? Who is on your team and how are you working together? When you answer those questions, you are able to better envision what you want to do in the last half of 2009 that will help lead you toward the end you have in mind for five years from now.

One of my favorite websites is www.hellomynameisscott.com. Scott is the name tag guy and has many, many articles that are valuable for lawyers. Recently I received an email link to Scott's Blog post which has great questions to ask about your future.

The questions he asks will challenge you to think creatively about your future. Take a look at the list and pick out the ones that you think would be helpful.
 

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I am convinced that our two most important resources as lawyers are our time and our energy. How well are you using your time and what are you doing to have a high level of energy?

Carl Sandburg, a noted author, once said: “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how well it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”

I want you to use your imagination with me. I bet you waste at least 30 minutes a day on things that really do not matter. I know I open and sometimes respond to unimportant emails at least 30 minutes during the day. I also do things I could delegate to others. Finding materials on my desk or in my office causes me to lose time. If you saved 30 minutes a day, that would be 182 ½ hours for a year. Suppose you used that time for client development or your own development, what do you think would happen to your career?

I learned about the importance of energy management by reading The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. I urge you to read the book or listen to the CDs. The authors point out the importance of the energy we bring to any task. Interestingly, we have two problems. First we do not have enough energy to meet the demands we are placing on our energy, and second, we do not renew our energy very well. What can we do to change? First, we need to focus on the four aspects our life: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Next, we need to change our thinking from the idea that we are running a marathon to the idea that we are running a series of sprints. Balancing stress and recovery is critical to managing our energy.

After reading The Power of Full Engagement and other books that mentioned the four aspects of our lives, I put my life goals into those categories. I am working on the oscillation concept of expending energy in each of these categories and then renewing my energy. You should try the same. If you would like a copy of my lifetime goals so you can think about your own, contact me and I will send you a copy.
 

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1. You had a record year last year.
2. You have more work than your lawyers can do.
3. You are attracting new business from potential clients you are seeking.
4. You are expanding relationships with your existing clients and cross-selling additional services.
5. Your lawyers are happy with their book of business.
6. Each lawyer in your firm has a business plan and is using his/her time wisely.
7. Your firm is more focused on reducing overhead costs than increasing revenue.
8. Each lawyer in your firm has an updated website bio that provides valuable information for potential clients.
9. Your lawyers anticipate client needs and offer solutions before your competitors and even before your clients know about the need.
10. Your firm and its lawyers are at the top of the list when a potential client does a Google search for a type of legal work.
11. Your firm and your lawyers are using the Social Media tools effectively and it is attracting high quality new clients.
12. Your lawyers are visible and credible to the potential clients the firm is seeking.
13. Your lawyers are focused on their contacts and know how to make friends firm clients.
14. Your senior lawyers regularly spend time passing down ideas on client development to more junior lawyers.
15. Your firm is one of the few whose clients are ecstatic about the level of client service and are telling other potential clients and referral sources.
     

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I find that some lawyers I coach really put a lot into the coaching program and they get a lot out of it. Over time, I have developed coachability factors. Take the test and see if you are coachable on client development. 

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Nancy and I played golf yesterday morning. In the afternoon we watched the McDonald’s LPGA Championship. For those of you who are not fans or did not see the final round, Anna Nordqvist, a rookie playing in only her fifth tournament was the unlikely winner. You might enjoy reading The Washington Post report of her victory.

Nordqvist started the final round with a two stroke lead. She built it to as much as a five stroke lead, and then her playing partner Lindsey Wright birdied 8, 9 and 12. Nordqvist bogeyed 13 and the lead was cut to one. The TV announcers said: “Game On.” The remarkable thing was that the young rookie did not wilt under the pressure and she won by four strokes. Wright, who shot a 70, said of Nordqvist: "It was amazing. Under that amount of pressure, not being in that position before and in a major and being a rookie? You can't get any better than that."

If you go on Anna Nordqvist’s website you get a sense of why she is success. Here is the quote on the home page.

"Some people dream of success, while others wake up and work hard for it"

What does it mean to wake up and work hard for it as a lawyer? It means waking up and working each and every day to improve your skills. It means waking up and working hard each and every day to figure out what is going on in the world that may impact your clients. It means waking up and working hard each and every day to add value and exceed your client’s expectations.

Thank you Anna Nordqvist for reminding us all that you are never too young, never too inexperienced to wake up and work hard to be successful.
 

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When I was a young lawyer I subscribed to two publications I found very valuable. The first was “Success” magazine and the second was “The Practical Lawyer.” I subscribed to “Success” because I wanted to gain insights from successful people and I subscribed to “The Practical Lawyer” because I wanted practical ideas I could implement to become more successful.

Fast forward to 2009. I am now writing a Practical Success column for “The Practical Lawyer” and I am back subscribing to “Success.” If you want ideas you can actually implement, I urge you to consider subscribing to both publications.

This morning I was reading “Each Success is the Beginning of the Next One,” an article in “Success” by Donald Trump. The subheading of the article is “Confront your fears and achieve more.” I like the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote in the article: “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Donald Trump ends the article with these questions I believe you would find valuable answering:

• What lies behind you? (What is your life experience and legal career experience up to this point?)
• What lies before you? (What are your career and life goals, plans and aspirations?)
• What lies within you? (Do you have the burning desire to achieve what is important to you?)

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We live in a rapidly changing world and businesses, including law firms, must regularly scan the environment (SWOT) to determine how we remain effective in meeting our client's needs. Those that don’t effectively respond to the changing environment find themselves weakened or out of business.

I was thinking about this a while back. My thinking on the subject started when I was reading The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More, an article and later a book by Chris Anderson. The “Long Tail” is about the shift from hits to niches. In the book, Anderson discusses an entirely new economic model for media and entertainment industries, and its application to other businesses. Anderson points out that online retailing done by Amazon, iTunes and Netflix have changed forever the economics of selling books, music and rental movies because of the wider selection they can offer and the lower cost structure.

While I was reading the book, I thought about my old law firm. We had around 15,000 clients, which for a firm our size was a long tail. Consultants told us we needed to get rid of many of the less profitable clients and focus our attention on the top 1000 clients that were very profitable. That was before Amazon, iTunes and Netflix became successful. That was also before many of the largest potential clients in the United States failed, were bailed out or went out of business.

So, my thoughts centered on whether the Amazon, iTunes and Netflix model applies to law firms in 2009, and if so, how does it apply? There are still blue chip clients, but I believe the new economic model is already changing how law will be practiced in the future. In the last couple of years, there have been two emerging trends.

The Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports that outsourcing legal work to India is a booming business because experienced Indian lawyers bill between $75 and $100 an hour. The Washington Post reports that the boom in outsourcing legal work to India started because of the “E” discovery rules. Neither article mentions that another economic advantage is no office space is necessary for those lawyers.

The second trend, which also seems based on the Amazon, ITunes and Netflix economic model, is the virtual law firm. Law.com reported that last year 15 lawyers started a virtual law firm called Virtual Law Partners. In May of this year, Law.com reported that virtual law firms are benefiting from the current economy.

Do you see a trend developing for our profession? In the future, relatively large law firms might have offices in major cities with only a receptionist and conference rooms. The vast majority of its lawyers may either work from their homes or in very inexpensive space elsewhere. The firm will outsource commodity work to India. This economic approach will enable the firm to be competitive and profitable doing more work for smaller clients. Is your firm ready for this change?

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I saw a fascinating quote in Success Magazine recently: “Superachievers think optimistically and plan purposely.”

Are you optimistic? I hope so because studies show optimists are more likely to succeed. Based on my years of working with lawyers, I think I know one of the reasons why. In your career you will have setbacks, disappointments and dips. Being optimistic will allow you to learn from failures and get through challenging times.

I am reminded of a famous Winston Churchill quote. "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty." Are you seeing opportunities?

A couple of years ago, Nancy gave me "Live What You Love: Notes from an Unusual Life" by Bob and Melinda Blanchard. The Blanchard’s describe themselves as serial entrepreneurs, having owned eight businesses. They talk about skeptics and pessimists and suggest that the next time you start to say: "yes, but...” stop yourself and say instead:
"sure, how."

Several lawyers I am coaching have told me that the change from "yes, but" to "sure how" has made a difference for them. It will for you also.

Give it a try.
 

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I have shared with you that I like Seth Godin’s quote: “Being the best in the world is seriously under rated.” The world in this case is being seen by your target market as being the best at something they need.

My first target market was commercial businesses, then I narrowed it to the construction industry. A few years later I further narrowed my target market to highway, heavy civil construction contractors. At the time, that was a fast growing industry due to Interstate construction throughout the United States. Narrowing my focus was one of the most important things I ever did.

You might be thinking that focusing on an industry may not work for you. If you are, I urge you to reconsider, because the more narrow your focus, the more likely you can be “best in that world.”

Fortune recently published a list of Fastest Growing Industries.

Which industries are growing fast, but are not over crowded with lawyers seeking to serve those businesses? If you find one with those characteristics and one you would be passionate about representing, you can become the “go to lawyer.”
 

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A few years ago Barry J. Gibbons, the former Chairman and CEO of Burger King, spoke at our firm’s partner retreat. He spoke to us on Saturday morning just after a speaker from Fidelity showed us at least 100 PowerPoint slides while explaining our 401K program. Gibbons used no PowerPoint slides, so the focus was on him rather than the screen. He also told vivid stories to make his points stick with the audience. He made them in a way that I could easily remember them.

For example the way he presented innovation was to say that he had always been fascinated by what happened when man for the very, very first time got milk from a cow. Gibbons asked: “Just what was that guy thinking? What kind of mind says to itself: ‘I’m going over there to that beast, and I am gonna pull on those things, and drink what comes out.’” He said that kind of mind changes the world’s diet. When I think of innovators, I think back to that description of an innovator.

After hearing Mr. Gibbons speak, I had to buy his books. I urge lawyers to buy his book: “If you want to make God really laugh, show him your business plan: The 101 Universal Laws of Business.” I think you will find that Mr. Gibbons universal laws apply to law firms and lawyers, but many of us do not realize it.

One of his laws focuses on branding. He suggests that branding has moved away from supply-side (as lawyers what we do) thinking to a demand-led (as lawyers what our clients need) approach. Gibbons says we are moving from an era of mass marketing to an era of mass-customization. He describes this as “an era in which winning companies will know as much about their customers (clients) as they would if they were dating agencies.” That means your law firm’s webpage and your own website bio should be less focused on what you do and more focused on your clients. The idea is to have a potential client look at your webpage and conclude: “That lawyer really understands my issues.”

How much time are you and your firm  spending on what you do compared to how much time you are spending on understanding your clients’ individual and unique needs and figuring out how you can add value? Even clients in the same industry will be unique and have needs differing from other companies in the same industry.

I speak often about the “targeted differentiators.” It is how you differentiate yourself and your services in the eyes of your clients and potential clients. Just suppose one of your targeted differentiators was that you know each of your clients’ industries, their unique and individual needs and you provide value based on those needs far better than any other lawyer or law firm. My guess is that you would have an incredible volume of business.

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In a couple of weeks I will be speaking to lawyers on an ABA Recession Recovery Teleconference Series. My subject will be how to effectively plan for your success.

Client development activities start with a Business Plan. Why should you prepare one? Time is a lawyer’s most important asset and you must use your time wisely. Preparing a business plan will help you prioritize how you spend your time, focus your attention on the important things and execute. With no plan you will find it easy not to do any client development efforts.

I frequently say that many lawyers I know spend more time planning a vacation than they spend planning their careers. What can we learn from My 30th Anniversary Trip to Ireland in 2000?

My wife, Nancy, spent at least 20 hours planning this trip for us. She decided she wanted us to go to Ireland and she knew why. Her family came to the United States from Ireland and she also knew she would enjoy the people, the scenery, the golf courses, the Irish beef cooked by French Chefs and the Irish Pubs serving Irish beer. So, she knew what and why. Then she planned where we would stay, where we would play golf and the itinerary for each day.

I like to say she did a top-down and bottom-up plan. Her top down plan was looking at what she wanted us to do and where she wanted us to go. Her bottom up plan looked at how many days we would spend and what we could do in that number of days. Then she had a plan for each day we were there.

I prepare my business plan the same way and you should also. I start with one major goal. My goal long ago was to become the “go to” lawyer for transportation construction contractors. Why was that important to me? I wanted the recognition of being the “go to” lawyer for contractors. While I always had financial goals and wanted to earn a good living, the money really didn’t drive me. It was simply a way of keeping score. My plan for each year had many, many action items. If did not reach my yearly financial goal, I knew I had come closer than I would have with no goal or if I had set a lower goal.

My bottom up planning began with an estimate of how many non-billable hours I felt I could spend on client development. I usually planned to spend between 240-300 (20-25 a month). Then I outlined what would be the best use of those hours.

I have a short attention span. Knowing that caused me to break my action items down into smaller pieces. Each month I outlined the actions I wanted to accomplish that month and at the end of the month I could track how I had done.

So, what do you want to achieve? Why is achieving it important to you? What is your plan to achieve it?
 

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On Monday, I gave a presentation at a partners’ retreat. The focus on my talk was on how client development has changed and is changing in the 21st Century. While the principles of client development have not changed: you have to become visible and credible to your target market, build rapport and trust, get hired, get results and provide extraordinary service, the means of accomplishing the principles are changing every day.

At the beginning of this decade:

• Getting email was kind of a novel thing and you did not get emails on a portable device
• None of the articles you had written were downloadable from your website bio
• You and your target market clients had not done a Google search of you
• You did not have Google Alerts to keep you up-to-date on what was in the news about your clients and their industry issues
• You were not looking at news from various sources on an iGoogle page
• You were not blogging
• You were not doing podcasts
• You were not downloading podcasts to your iPod
• You were not doing internet radio shows
• You were not doing webinars
• You were not posting presentations to YouTube
• You were not on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter and you were not a member or leading a group on any of those pages

The Internet levels the playing field in many ways and gives young lawyers opportunities to become visible and credible to their target market like never before. Why? Clients are very busy. They want lawyers to tell them things they did not know and they want it to be timely.

How can you take advantage? By seeing the potential legal minefields or opportunities before other lawyers, and even better before your target market, and then write or speak about it at just the very time your client needs to know about it using the Web opportunities above to distribute it.

Just imagine if you blogged or did a podcast or webinar about something your clients did not know, but needed to know. All of a sudden you can become the “go to” lawyer to that group. And then just suppose that group found what you had written or spoken about so helpful that they sent the link to their friends in their industry. What an opportunity. Are you taking advantage of the Internet?
 

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In July of 2000, Seth Godin wrote an article in “Fast Company” titled: “Unleash Your Ideavirus.” In the article Godin says: “Ideas are driving the economy, ideas are making people rich, and most importantly, ideas are changing the world.” He suggests that to win we need to unleash an ideavirus, which I interpret as a high-powered word of mouth marketing. I doubt any of you quarrel with the importance of ideas in the 21st Century and I doubt any of you question the value of having clients and referral sources telling others that you are a great lawyer. But, many of you likely wonder how you can create great ideas and a high-powered ideavirus, word of mouth campaign.

Seth Godin gives some suggested techniques that you can use to identify, launch, and profit from ideas that can be turned into viruses. First, he suggests that you concentrate the message. “You can only win when you dominate and amaze the group you have targeted.”

That means as lawyers you cannot create an ideavirus by marketing to everyone. Depending on your field, you will want to narrow your market either geographically or by industry. The more narrow your market, the more likely you can develop an idea that will resonate with that market and the more likely the idea will spread.

How do you figure out the right idea? Quit thinking about selling yourself or your firm or what you do as a lawyer. Instead, focus on understanding what your clients are thinking and what will potentially impact their business. Think of your most important client. Then think about what is impacting that client. What does that client need to achieve its goals? What are the obstacles that client is trying to overcome? How can you help?

Someone has to be the “go to” lawyer in your field. If you are willing to work hard to become a valuable resource for your clients, potential clients and referral sources, it might as well be you.

Keep in mind. Seth Godin wrote this piece in 2000. It would be an understatement to say the landscape has changed since then. To learn how the changes give more opportunities for young lawyers, read my post on Thursday.
 

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Nothing is more critical to any law firm’s success than having clients who perceive they are receiving valuable services. Those clients come back, find ways to give other work to the firm and speak highly of the firm when asked by others.

How can that relationship be developed? First, there must be a clear understanding of the client’s needs. Second, the lawyers must ask the right questions, listen beyond the responses, offer effective solutions, and deliver exceptional results. Third, the firm must focus on providing extraordinary service. To do so requires every person in the firm to be focused on service because everyone who comes in contact with the client affects the client’s perception of the firm and their relationship with the firm.

Based on my experiences and what I have read, here is a list of things I believe clients value:

1. Putting the client’s interest first
2. Responsiveness
3. Team players
4. Lawyers who listen
5. Innovative thinking and solutions
6. Anticipation of problems
7. Stability of representation team
8. Responding to feedback
9. Technology proficiency and resulting efficiency
10. Comprehension of the client’s business goals and challenges, its industry, its reputation within the industry, its products and services, its market share, and its competitors
11. Availability of mutually beneficial alternative fee arrangements when appropriate
12. Billing with clarity and accuracy

How well are you doing on each of the items above? Are there others that should be considered?
 

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Helen Oscislawski is a health care lawyer I coached from New Jersey. She has a great Blog focusing on privacy in the health care industry. She shared with me how blogging has increased her visibility and credibility in the health care industry. Here is what she said:

One thing I have learned is to share some of my knowledge with the health care sector - for free. Before our firm’s coaching program, I was very reluctant to spend any time writing articles or "giving away" information without billing for it. My rational was that spending time on such efforts would only hurt by bottom-line-billable-hour and, therefore, was a waste. The rainmaking program has encouraged me to think differently about the benefits of building my profile and network of contacts through writing and sharing information with the "public."

One of the steps I took to begin sharing some of my knowledge was to begin a legal Blog, which has allowed me to post information regarding developments, my views, and tips regarding legal issues in connection with the exchange of health information. The Blog has resulted in many tangible benefits. First off, my current contacts, clients and colleagues have given me very positive feedback about the Blog, The Blog has also generated a lot of buzz on the web. As a result of the high volume of hits to my Blog, I receive several inquiries a week by phone or e-mail from random potential clients and other individuals working in the health care sector. Just the other day, I received a call from a consultant who ran across my Blog and called me to see if we could get together for lunch to discuss the possibility of our working together to assist health care clients in the state with their compliance efforts.

These are just a few examples of the invaluable networking opportunities made possible by my taking just a few hours each month to put some of the information I know out there.

Helen has been able to demonstrate her knowledge and expertise through her Blog. In addition she has discovered other ways to add value to her healthcare clients including: HIPAA assessment tools, checklists, policies and procedures, and other compliance documents. Helen is also recognized for creating the New Jersey "State Public Sector Law Review of HIPAA Privacy" and its related "Privacy Crosswalk," which is utilized by providers across the state.

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I am a member of a LinkedIn Group on Sales. Many of the discussions on the group page have little value to lawyers. Some are very valuable.

Yesterday I saw a discussion that began with this question: What are the core competencies for a sales person trying to sell a "concept" like training? We could edit the question: “What are the core competencies for a lawyer selling legal services?”

Several of the comments intrigued me because they apply to selling legal services. Here are a couple of them:

This is semantics but all sales involve selling an idea or a "concept" whether the item is intangible or not… So, one core competency is the ability to understand the buyer's need/desire. Maybe this is empathy but certainly the ability to listen and to probe for meaningful insight. Another is the ability to identify how your service can fulfill that need. Competency here is ability to see connections that are not always obvious. Finally the ability to synthesize need and ability to fulfill need into a cohesive and attractive plan that demonstrates to the buyer that his or her objectives will be met and that these objective will have a meaningful impact on the business or enterprise.

People who sell "training" or widgets eventually fail. Only people that sell value succeed. So the question is, "What competencies does a seller need to possess in order to articulate the value that is derived from the training?" And better yet, "Can the seller link that value to the prospect's context, business or problem and communicate it effectively enough to close the sale?"

The two comments above really apply to selling legal services. You are not selling litigation or transactions. You are providing a solution to a potential client’s problem, facilitating the client taking advantage of an opportunity or helping a client deal with a change they are facing. As expressed above, the core competency is the ability to ask questions and listen, see things your client may be missing, empathize and finally articulate a solution the client finds valuable.
 

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Some time ago I read an article titled: “The Big Secret to Success in Anything You Do.” The secret: the ability to concentrate. In other words, the ability to focus all of your mental powers on one important task until that task is completed, and completed well.

When I was a younger lawyer it was really easy to stay focused on the work I as doing for a client. That was before I had a computer at my desk, received 200 plus emails a day and had a Blackberry to make sure I could stay connected 24/7.

After computers and Blackberries, I remember working at my desk and hearing a buzz from my docked Blackberry signaling the arrival of a new email. I frequently turned my head to the computer screen, read the summary and then frequently read the entire email and responded. Does that sound familiar?

Each of us likely experiences being in the zone occasionally. I certainly experienced it when in court trying a case. The most successful lawyers experience it every day and you should strive to achieve it every day.

How can you experience the lawyer equivalent of being in the zone? I love a quote from Peter Drucker: "What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that's another matter."

How to be focused is relatively simple. First, get your mind focused on your clients. When you put yourself in their world, you will be better able to anticipate your clients’ needs before they have expressed them. You can really differentiate yourself from other lawyers when you are looking ahead in that way.

Second, stay focused on the work you are doing for the client. To be focused on your work, you have to stop doing several things at the same time, like opening emails and responding, or chatting with someone who interrupts you.

If staying focused is a challenge for you, come up with a system that will work for you. It might be only looking at email at certain times during the day. Configuring your computer so that no noise is made when an email comes in. To get more ideas, read the US News and World Report article about David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done” and if you haven’t read the book do so. If you want to learn more about becoming more productive, consider attending our webinar on May 20,2009 at 12 Noon Central Time. Space is limited so contact Joyce right away if you want to participate. 
 

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A couple of years ago I gave a presentation to the Texas State Bar Young Lawyers Association (TYLA). The title of the program was “Crossroads, Mapping out the Rest of Your Career.” I liked the title because for me “crossroads” meant a defining moment and “mapping” meant the young lawyers would focus on a destination and the road to get there. I also wrote an article on the same subject for the Texas State Bar Journal.

I began by asking how many in the audience were completely satisfied with where they were in their career. Very few raised their hand. Then I talked about the future and what would be the appropriate map.

For too many of us, the road and the destination would be clear if we would simply take the time to consider our future. So take some time today and figure out if you’re working towards a goal, or being called to it. You might be happily surprised with your answer.
 

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Several times I have heard Donald Trump say: “The most important thing in life is to love what you’re doing, because that’s the only way you’ll ever be really good at it.” As I was planning to write about it, I did a search and found a Blog post titled: “Donald Trump’s 10 Secrets To Being The Best.” I agree with all 10 of his points.

I find many lawyers have not found their passion. Some know what they don’t like. Others haven’t thought about it. To find your passion you must be able to find what intrinsically motivates you. Over the years I have come up with 10 questions you can ask yourself to better understand your intrinsic motivation.

1. Your Law Firm is holding your retirement party. Picture yourself there. The speakers will include a client, a lawyer in town with another firm who has been opposite you in some matters, a young lawyer in your firm, your spouse and one of your children. What would each person say about you?
2. Imagine you are older and your grandchild asks: “What are you most proud of in your life?” What would you say?
3. What lawyer do you admire the most and why?
4. What lawyer is living the life you would most want to live and why?
5. What lawyer is doing the kind of work you would most like to do and what is that work?
6. You want people in your firm, or clients to believe you are the “go to person” to_________________.
7. What is the work you enjoy most as a lawyer? Why?
8. What client(s) do you enjoy the most and why?
9. Imagine it is five years from now. Describe your day.
10. Over the next five years, what do you want to do? What do you want to become? What do you want to earn? What do you want to learn?

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When I was a young lawyer, I made time on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 6:00 to 9:00 to write articles for client development. I also worked on client development while I was on airplanes. I did very little client development, or other non-billable activities when I was in the office during the week and when I went home to be with my family.

Jason Cornell is a lawyer I am coaching who has a family and a substantial workload in bankruptcy. In our first coaching session Jason asked me what I thought would give him the greatest return for his investment. I told him Blogging and creating guides for his potential clients. He did both and has gotten great results. Check out Jason’s Blog. His first guide is titled: “Ten Things EveryCommercial Landlord Should Know About a Tenant in Bankruptcy. ” Commercial landlord clients have found the guide very helpful.

When I spoke with him recently he told me that when the coaching program started he was concerned that the program and his client development efforts would interfere with his family life. To his surprise it has not worked out that way, but it has made it necessary to make choices. I asked Jason to share with me how he is doing it. He did and gave me permission to share his thoughts with you.

“Below are some thoughts on balancing out work, personal life and business development.

"In order to make my "hours bonus" this year, the majority of my time in the office is pre-occupied with billable hours. However, about twice a week, I cut my billable hour time short so that I can focus on writing an article or researching topics for an article. Later in the week, I make-up the lost time by working on billable work from home on Sunday evening.

"About three to four nights per week, once the kids are asleep, I research and write on my laptop. Sometimes I do this in the family room while the TV is on. Jen does not seem to mind ... when I am on the laptop, she gets free rein over the remote control. It is actually a win-win. She gets to watch what she wants and control the remote and I write instead of watching television. Other nights, when Jen wants to read, I convince her to read on the sofa in my study while I work on the computer at my desk. This has turned out to be good quality time.

"I have had to give up a lot of my pleasure reading. However, finding an article that relates to a subject I am writing on can be just as interesting. My exercising is limited to running with my kids while they ride their bikes and jumping on the trampoline with the kids when I get home from work. Both wear me out, however, they provide me with more than enough exercise."

Figuring out the best time to work on client development is important. It will be different for each of you. I like how Jason has included his wife in his efforts. I have always felt a great connection when Nancy and I are sitting in a room, each working on something and talking every so often.

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I saw a short Blog post by Seth Godin a few weeks ago. He said: “The only thing worse than starting something and failing... is not starting something.” Have you ever not started a client development activity because you were afraid of failing? Don’t let fear of failing stop you. I have had many client development failures. Let me share one with you.

Lawyer Marketing Ideas

When professional video first gained acceptance, I decided to create a video for contractors. I spent days creating the script and two days in front of the camera with Dr. Michael Vorster at Virginia Tech. I was confident I had created a masterpiece and I decided to market the tape along with a book on linear scheduling at a price of $495. I believe I sold at most 20 sets of the tape and most of those were to my mother and her friends. (I still have boxes of tapes in my garage.)

When I realized that my attempt to become a paid movie star was not working effectively, I came up with Plan B. I went back to the editor, paid him more money and created a one-hour summary of the eight-hour tape. I decided strategically to give the one-hour tape away and offer a special price for the full eight hours to those contractors who were intrigued enough to see more.

There came a point when I just wanted to give the tapes away. By then, I laughed at myself, picked myself up off the stage and pressed on with other ideas. Later I mentioned using linear scheduling in one of my Roads & Bridges monthly columns and found it was a better way to reach out to my target market.

Just to show I am willing to take another chance, I am in the process of shooting 50 short 5-10 minute client development coaching and teaching videos. I got the idea from reading studies that people do not learn a subject and change from one long session. The scientists have concluded that learning occurs when there are short, concise points that can actually be implemented. I am reminded of the Chinese proverb: “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.” I am hopeful these interactive video clips will provide opportunities for you to learn by doing.

So, what is something you haven’t started because you fear you might fail? If you try something that doesn’t work. Don’t fret about it. Instead, think of it as successfully learning what didn’t work.  If you need more support, watch the famous Michael Jordan Nike Commercial video.

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly." ~Robert F. Kennedy
 

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Believe it or not, selling legal services is not rocket science. It is mostly hard work and applying common sense approaches to become more visible to your target market and to build relationships. I want you to use your creative juices and help me develop the definitive list of Do’s and Don’ts we could follow and pass on to young lawyers. I will help you get started and then I will publish the Do’s and Don’ts I get from you.

Do’s

• Take responsibility for your own success.
• Develop a yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly plan to use your non-billable time most effectively and efficiently. Then find a way to hold yourself accountable.
• Decide your target market (who is it you want to hire you) and what you want the target market to hire you to do.
• Work harder and more creatively at client development than your competitors
• Understand your clients’ industry, company and your individual client representatives’ needs and wants.
• Stay on top of current events to anticipate how they will create future legal issues for your clients.
• Find the marketing opportunity in the billable legal work you are doing.
• Put your clients’ needs ahead of your own.
• Exceed your clients’ service expectations. Give more value than they expect.
• Do something, no matter how small, each and every day.

Don’ts

• Don’t ever give up.
• Don’t make excuses for not having time for client development.
• Don’t ever appear to be selling. Clients may want to buy, but they hate feeling like they are being sold.
• Don’t ever appear to be needy or greedy.
• Don’t talk down to clients.
• Don’t take on clients you will later regret. If it doesn’t “feel” right, it probably isn’t.
• Don’t become complacent or satisfied. Stay hungry to learn and get better.
• Don’t say “no problem” or “honestly”
• Don’t talk so much, especially about you and your firm. Ask questions and then listen, listen, listen.
• Don’t forget your team. Client development is a team sport.
   

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Suppose you were sent to six weeks of training on selling techniques and then came back to begin selling clients. You might have some success, but I doubt it would come from learning how to deal with objections or the myriad of closing techniques.

I hate to be sold anything and resist salesmen who try to sell me. I know clients also hate being sold. I learned this early in my career (thankfully), when an in-house counsel said: “Cordell, quit trying to sell us the next project and just focus on doing a good job on the one we gave you.”

Our clients are like us. They do not want us to sell them anything and they will immediately resent us if we do try to sell them. An assistant general counsel told me of a lawyer who called to set up a meeting, stating he would be in Omaha in a couple of weeks while he was on his way to San Francisco. Well, unless he was traveling by covered wagon, it was highly unlikely he would just happen to be in Omaha on his way to San Francisco. The assistant general counsel knew he was dealing with a salesman and he did not like it.

Selling clients is very difficult for lawyers, but getting clients to buy from us is something we can successfully accomplish. We can interact with a potential client without an invitation by giving away something they would find valuable. It could be a book, article or memo you have written on a topic the potential client would find interesting.

I remember a few years ago the federal regulations on a topic of particular interest to the construction industry changed. Before the ink was dry on the revised regulations, I had written a summary in simple non-legal language with bullet points on what to do and what not to do. I sent my summary to as many potential clients I personally knew as possible. More importantly, I sent it to contractor association executives who published my summary and suggestions in their newsletters. That was even more effective because they, in essence, were making the contact with the potential clients.

So, instead of ever trying to sell clients, give them the opportunity to evaluate you by providing them something valuable they can use. Stay on top of what is going on and then be first to market, giving away something they will value. When you are able to do this you actually are identifying a problem or opportunity and creating a solution before the potential client has identified the problem or opportunity.

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When I was in college and law school, I hated UCLA's basketball team because they were wining the NCAA every year. I remember being at a college party in 1968 and everyone cheered when Houston upset UCLA in the Astrodome. Later that year UCLA routed Houston in the NCAA tournament.

As fate would have it, my first assignment in the Air Force after law school was at a base in Southern California. Each night, I watched John Wooden being interviewed by the media. Within a very short time, I came to realize why he was not only a great coach, but also a great leader and mentor for his players.

John Wooden’s character and principles always showed through whether his team won, or when it infrequently lost. Since I lived in Southern California, I have bought books about him and bought tapes of him speaking. I am always inspired by his approach to life and building a team. I have written about him and you can find some of what I have written on my website.

Lawyers and law firms can learn a great deal from "The Wizard of Westwood." Take a look at his website and his “Pyramid of Success.”

On his website home page you will find one of my favorite Coach Wooden quotes: "Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming."

He talks about the real joy in life and his definition of success in this short interview.

The reason that this quote was so important to me, and hopefully to you, was my realization that measuring my success based on what others achieved would either cause me to give up, thinking I could never achieve what some of them had achieved, or alternatively cause me to not reach as high as I might, thinking I had achieved more than some of them had achieved.
 

Work each day to serve your clients and to become the best lawyer for your clients you are capable of becoming. That will bring you the peace of mind and satisfaction Coach Wooden speaks about.
 

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On Tuesday, I wrote about the work the Beatles did to become THE BEATLES and I asked what are you doing to become THE RAINMAKER. Knowing you might benefit from reading about what other lawyers are doing, here is a good example.

Last year I had the opportunity to coach Lizzette Zubey, an IP associate with Lewis and Roca in Phoenix. At the time, Lizzette was the President of Los Abogados, Arizona’s Hispanic Bar Association. Lizzette first got involved with the organization as a law student, after receiving its Honorable Valdemar Cordova Scholarship. She was drawn to the group because of its efforts on civil rights for Hispanics. During her first year in practice, she ran for a seat on its Board of Directors. In her fifth year she was named its President.

In our first coaching session, Lizzette and I talked about narrowing her market and striving to become a “go to” IP lawyer for Hispanic owned businesses. She loved the idea and worked during our entire coaching year on raising her visibility. Here are a few examples:

• She was interviewed on IP issues on Inside Arizona Business, a television program in Tucson.

• She organized a luncheon where the two Democratic candidates running for Maricopa County Attorney's Office spoke, which was covered by local Spanish and English news media.
• She was selected by the Business Journal as a member of the 2008 Hispanic Leaders Under 40.
• She is Regional President of the Hispanic National Bar Association and her firm hosted events during the HNBA Board Meeting in Phoenix
• She was featured in the January/February 2009 issue of Iguana, a children's Spanish language magazine with international circulation. The title of the article was: “Young Lawyer Persevered Before Difficulties.”

Like the Beatles, Lizzette is working hard to become more visible and she knows it doesn’t happen overnight. She is patient and persistent. I know her efforts are slowly raising her profile in the Hispanic business community. What can you do the rest of this year to begin the process of becoming THE RAINMAKER.

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I wrote recently about practicing law by Blogging. It reminded me of the Beatles. Many Americans have this notion that the Beatles arrived in America from Liverpool and were an instant sensation. Few know how much work the Beatles did before they took the trip across the Atlantic. Your efforts to become a rainmaker require that same kind of work.

A while back, Seth Godin wrote a Blog titled: “When did the Beatles Become THE Beatles?”

Malcolm Gladwell discussed how the Beatles became successful in his book “Outliers” and talked about the Beatles in a short video that will help you grasp the point.

Seth Godin and Malcolm Gladwell describe that at the beginning, the Beatles were playing two or three long sets a day in a Hamburg club, making a few pounds if they were lucky. The Beatles worked on their music in these clubs for years. What are you working on now to make yourself more valuable lawyer to your clients?

Godin says that as the Beatles got more traction they were marketing in every direction. After you have done your homework, then you will work at becoming visible by writing for industry publications and speaking to as many industry groups as possible. Before you get there, consider writing for and speaking to Bar groups. Even though you are not likely to be hired by competing lawyers, this stage will provide opportunities to become a more effective writer and presenter.

Seth Godin says the transition stage was brief but essential. When people started noticing them, the Beatles didn’t stop marketing. Instead they poured it on. At this point they shifted from being the chasers into being the chased. During the transition stage, organizations notice you and ask you to write for their publications or speak at their meetings. That is the time for you to “pour it on” to gain momentum.

After all the years playing in clubs and developing their skills, the Beatles came to America. Seth Godin says that many reach this stage and stop. When you feel you have “arrived,” have some healthy paranoia. That means continuing to learn, continuing to figure out what impacts your clients and writing and speaking on those subjects. It also means continuing to focus on building relationships with each of your clients and becoming their trusted advisor.

At this stage, the Beatles became THE Beatles and you will become THE Rainmaker.

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It is more difficult than ever to stand out in the crowd. But, many lawyers I coach have found ways to identify a challenge faced by clients, offer a solution and give it away.

Jennifer is a Labor and Employment lawyer I coached a couple of years ago. Her firm gives an annual Labor and Employment workshop, which typically draws over 100 people.

In 2006 just before the workshop, Jennifer called me and said:

Cordell, you always suggest I give something away, what should I give the human resources professionals who attend our workshop?

I told her to think creatively and come up with something HR professionals would value.

Jennifer called me a couple of weeks later and she was very excited. She had gotten an idea from a fast food restaurant that had a laminated book on a ring for young children to read. Jennifer created an Easy Guide to Labor and Employment Laws in a laminated book, put it on a ring with a hook and handed it out to those who attended the workshop.

Shortly after the workshop I received an email from Jennifer. Here is what she told me.

Just wanted to let you know that I took some of those Easy Guides I had told you about out to some of my clients last Thursday afternoon. I ended up with three new matters as a result of those meetings. Sounds strange, but going to them with something in hand really worked!!

Almost two years later, I heard from Jennifer again. Here was her update:

The Easy Guides continue to get me/us out there in new ways. We got a request a few weeks ago from a consultant who speaks to over 1000 people a year. He wanted to buy some Easy Guides to give out at his talks. We're working out a deal with him that includes mention of the firm (and me hopefully), etc.

I bet your clients would value an easy guide. Give them one and you might be remarkable in their eyes.

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Have you ever wondered why we say we “practice law?” I wonder because I see less and less “practicing” and I think that is scary, especially because in study after study, experts conclude that it takes hours and hours of practice to become a world class expert in your field. As lawyers, we need to be able to anticipate issues and present solutions coherently.

Look to the left and you will see a Blogroll of lawyers I have coached. Are you blogging? Are you creating podcasts for clients and potential clients? If not, you should be.

“Why,” you ask? Scott Ginsberg wrote this week that blogging is the single most effective tool at eradicating anonymity.

For further support, here is what Seth Godin and Tom Peters have to say about the importance of blogging.

Put simply blogging and creating podcasts will force you to stay on top of what is going on that will impact your clients and will enable you to go from being invisible to both visible and credible to your target market.

To effectively blog or create a podcast the first step is to choose topics on which to write or speak that impact your clients. Once you decide on the topic, create content and present it in a way that your clients will find valuable. Each time you pick a topic, and each time you post a Blog or create a podcast you are “practicing” becoming a more valuable resource for your clients.
 

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