Legal Business Development: How to Determine Whether a Rainmaking Expense is a Cost or An Investment (And Why It Matters)
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 […]
Legal Business Development: How can you revive a neglected professional relationship?
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 […]
Got Purpose? (If you want a successful and satisfying legal practice, your answer had better be yes!)
I recently started listening to podcasts again after getting out of the habit for some reason. (Isn’t it interesting how even successful and enjoyable habits can erode if we don’t stay on top of them?) My new favorite podcast that’s also available via video: Good Life Project™, by Jonathan Fields. The Good Life Project™ presents […]
Efficient Email Processing (So You Can Get to the Real Work!)
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 […]
Legal Business Development: Client service lessons from a hospital stay
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, […]
Overwhelmed? Feel like you’re working too hard? Stop…and read this now!
“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.. […]
Beat Overwhelm Now!
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 […]