What written marketing materials do you have? Examples include a website, a one-page description of your practice, a newsletter, articles, and so on. For this week’s activity, choose one item for review. (Although I would generally include a biographical sketch as written marketing material, exclude it for this week’s purposes.) As you read your marketing […]
Pop quiz: Who are your best referral sources? List the top 10 of each right now. If you are a more junior lawyer in a law firm and don’t yet have your own clients, list the senior lawyers for whom you do the most work. Were you able to make the list? This information should […]
Wednesday’s post Top Ten Tips to Overcome Overwhelm apparently hit a nerve with more than a few readers! In comments sent directly to me by email, procrastination was identified as the top challenge for many of you. In response, I’d like to offer you a video — which may be enabling procrastination, but it’s a […]
Overwhelm can tank a day faster than just about anything else. When you have more email than you can handle, an out-of-control task list, and phone calls that just won’t stop, it’s almost impossible to operate effectively. Even if you manage to limp along, you may find that you’re distracted and that things are falling […]
Last week’s WRA focused on the language to use in introducing yourself to potential clients and others. This week, let’s look at the substance of the introduction. Many lawyers seem to fall into the habit of the “just the facts, ma’am” introduction, which goes something like this: “Hi, I’m Bob Smith. I’m a litigator with […]
The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering by James A. Durham The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering is aptly named: at just 52 pages (including the title page, copyright, and table of contents), you’ll need less than an hour to discover the essential skills of great lawyering. Some readers may be wondering why anyone […]
What kind of language do you speak when you’re talking with potential clients and referral sources? I don’t mean English or Spanish, but whether you use “jargon” or “regular” language. As with most anything else, each has its place, but you must select the appropriate language intentionally. If you’re talking with lawyers or legally sophisticated […]
The American Lawyer recently reported the results of a study titled After the JD, conducted on behalf of the American Bar Foundation. The study, which tracked 5000 lawyers who began practicing in 2000, found that “new lawyers working for firms of more than 250 lawyers are less satisfied with their jobs than their counterparts in […]
While in Teton National Park last week, I noticed a trend among serious hikers. I parked at several trailheads during my vacation, and I noticed that the parking lots for the more intense hiking trails featured a surprising number of Subaru cars, all with outdoorsy names like Outback. I’ve never seen so many Subarus in […]
A primary benefit of being active online (by having a website with a biographical sketch and having articles relevant to your practice published online, for example) is that potential clients have an opportunity to learn something about you before meeting you. Whether your name surfaces by referral or by an internet search, it’s a safe […]