Blog Posts You MUST Read

I keep up with dozens of blogs (legal and otherwise) on a regular basis, and I like to bring the best of the best to you periodically.  Without further ado, here are the top five posts that I’ve read in the last few weeks.

1. Why Being Told “No” is Actually the Greatest Motivator (Peter Shankman)  Shankman founded Help A Reporter Out (HARO), which I’ve highlighted in the past, and I enjoy his block for its insights into non-legal marketing.  He’s also a good storyteller as you’ll see in his post, which starts with an ode to the excesses of Dubai.  The post ends with ways to use a “no” answer to help you move forward.  (Think in the context, of course, of business development.)  While I don’t agree 100% with his perspective (sometimes a “yes” is not available at a particular time), his advice overall is spot on.  Read this especially if you find yourself frustrated by near-misses with new business.
2. Welcome to the Year of the Snake:  13 Law Practice Resolutions for 2013 (Adrian Baron)  I was introduced to Baron’s The Nutmeg Lawyer through another favorite blog, Cliff Tuttle’s Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk.  Baron is a sharp observer with a funny streak:  “According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 is the year of the snake.  As such, I believe it should be a great year for attorneys, car salesmen, contractors, and DMV employees.”  This post offers some insightful ideas for improving the way you practice, as well as some commonly-overlooked common sense.  For instance, tip 3 reads in part:
   

   Pay attention to your support staff.  How does your secretary answer the phone?  Does he or she simply say ‘Law Office’ or do they mention the firm’s name?  How do they greet clients when they walk in the door?  In my own practice, we instruct our staff to greet clients followed with a “somebody will be right with you.  Can I offer you coffee, tea or cappuccino?”  I actually purchased an easy to use cappuccino machine that uses a disc system.  Sounds goofy, but you would be surprised at the effect something so simple has on clients.

   (For my thoughts on greeting clients, see this post.)

3. Will LinkedIn endorsements effect search results?  (Kevin O’Keefe)  I have a confession:  although I appreciate the endorsements I’ve received on LinkedIn, I absolutely loathe the endorsement system itself.  Allowing a 1-click endorsement facilitates quid pro quo skill recognition, often from those who have no way to judge the strength of the skill being endorsed.  However, the system is apparently here to stay, and after reading this post, I decided that I’d better learn how to use it.  After you read O’Keefe’s post, check these posts for more information (or this one to laugh).  I’m still not a fan, but I’ll be updating my skills list in the next few weeks.
4. Actually, it goes the other way (Seth Godin)  If you’ve ever wanted to throw in the towel on business development because you’re not a “born rainmaker”, read this 5-line post right now.  And then read it again.  And then print it out and tape it to your monitor, your telephone, or your forehead.
5. Nurture Your Network for Success (Steven Taylor)  Very often when I ask new clients about their network, they’ll insist that they don’t know anyone who even might be “useful”– but that’s equally often incorrect.  If you’d like a more robust network (and, really, who wouldn’t?), look to this post for suggestions.

Want more resources like these?  Follow me on Twitter (@juliefleming), where I share 5-10 useful posts and articles every day.  (And please say hi–I enjoy conversational tweeting, too!)  Don’t want to see that much from me?  Wait until next week, when I’ll reveal how to receive a more focused stream of information.