I once talked with a client who was upset at the prospect of paying nearly $1,000 for equipment required for making a presentation to a group of her ideal clients. She confirmed my expectations that she’d be able to use the equipment again for similar presentations, and I suggested that she view the financial outlay […]
Despite the best of intentions, it’s easy to let a relationship slide. You get busy, you lose track of your contact schedule, you run out of ideas for keeping in touch… And next thing you k now, your relationship has atrophied. But, like a muscle, an atrophied relationship can be rebuilt. By focusing time and […]
You’ve probably heard the time-proven suggestions about email: set aside the first 90 minutes of your day for productive work, not for checking email; disable “new email” notifications; be careful when you address an email; use descriptive subject lines… On and on and on. If these tips are new to you, you have an opportunity […]
Client service is one of the foundations of business development. Why? First, client service is the heart of your practice and should be well-executed for that reason alone. And second, excellent client service makes it more likely that you’ll get repeated and expanded client engagements as well as referrals from happy clients. As lawyers, though, […]
“You’re working too hard. Why don’t you look for ways to work smarter?” That was a key element of the feedback I received during this quarter’s mastermind meeting. After hearing my colleagues’ suggestions, I put some new practices in place to help me work smarter, and I do believe I can already see a difference.. […]
When I’m working with an individual client, I always listen carefully for signs of overwhelm. Whether overwhelm comes from business development activity or (more commonly) from the press of billable work, the result is catastrophic for business development success. Business development aside, overwhelm can tank a day faster than just about anything else. On days […]
Do you often find yourself doing one activity and thinking about another? Maybe you check email while you’re on the phone or even while talking with someone in your office. Or you scan the paper or browse the web while your partner or child is trying to tell you something? We generally think we’re making […]
Life has a way of throwing curveballs. Sometimes they come in the form of emergencies that demand attention, sometimes they’re staff departures, (planned or otherwise), and sometimes they’re opportunities that you just can’t pass up, even though jumping in will eat every bit of time and energy you have. How do you cope with those […]
It’s obvious that action is required to bring in new business, right? Sometimes, though, you have a great justification for not action… When everyone is out of town or busy, when you’d like to get started with networking, but no available group feels like a good fit, when you just don’t know where or how […]
“I know how to burn a hole in paper without a match or a lighter or anything.” Last week while I was playing in the park with some kids, Anna, age 7, showed me how to use a magnifying glass to focus sunlight on a piece of paper and burn a hole in it. It […]