Law Firm Coach Blog

Everyone has a job to do.   I am not sure I could be a vendor calling on law firms today.  Money is tight.  Lawyers are busy.   No one has the time to hear about the wonderful improvement the product can make to the firm.   Calls are made.  Promises are made to return the call.  And if the vendor gets his or her foot through the door time is spent listening.  Then this is followed by follow up calls to see what the decision is.   All of which probably started with a thought process that the lawyer didn't need or want the promotional pitch to begin with.

There are two situations going on.  The first is the call where you do not need the product or don't even know what the product is.   This is handled very simply.  One person is designated the vendor contact person.  The rules of the firm are simple.   We set up no appointments with any attorney until we have had a chance to review written material on a product.  We don't give out any information on our own current equipment or products in our firm.  We are always interested in new ideas.  Please send us a package about your product.  If they are not willing to do this and believe the only way to sell it is to tell you about it I would not talk with them.  And by the way, they have a job to do.  Be nice about it.  No walk-ins to lawyers!  This is the biggest waste of time for a lawyer. 

The second is a product or a need you have to buy.  Please note:  You must need this not WANT this.  The first question you ask yourself is what will be my return on investment (ROI) if I buy this greatly desired product.   There may be tangible or intangible benefits but know what they are.  Don't buy bells and whistles to make yourself feel good.   Next you are going to define exactly what it is you want to buy and what bells and whistles you do want.  This is laid out in a document called an RFP.  An RFP means 'request for proposal.'  You should be able to put the product you want down in writing.  Example:  I want to buy a copier.   You put down what you want the copier to do; i.e.  how many copies per minute, scanning capabilities, envelope feeder, etc.   You set out the environment it will be in; i.e.   used by eight employees, heavy volume copying, etc.  Every thing you want the product to produce is listed.  You then put in questions you want answered. For example, does the product require special wiring or computer interace and what are the parameters.   What is the service requirement costs?  What is the cost per copy?  And finally, how much?   When you have it laid out, you select as many vendors as you want and send them the RFP with a request that they respond in writing by a certain deadline.  You tell them not to suggest other products or add-ons. They may attach a sheet with a recommendation but the response must be aligned with your request.  You also ask for three references of people who have used this product in similar circumstances.

When the quotes are returned carefully consider all of them and then pick those vendors you want to come in and present their product.  I caution you.  Vendors do not like RFPs.  By the same token I say play fair with vendors.  Don't make them jump through hoops if you aren't ready to buy.  And if a vendor refuses to provide one, don't do business with them. 

One finally note of caution:  QUIT USING YOUR BEST FRIEND TO SELL YOU PRODUCTS.  Encourage your best friend to submit a professional quote.   I find many lawyers who have been over-sold in the name of friendship.   Best business practices dictate being best business minded. 

If you believe in extraordinary client service you should be willing to reward extraordinary client service.    Each member of your firm becomes a client service ambassador.  As they go through their daily lives they are to note the name and event of a person who helped them whether at a store, a professional office, or some place that they had dealings with an employee who went over the top with help and enthusiasim for their job.

At the end of each month the firm meets and discusses these people.  The firm as a whole votes who was the best at what they did.  And that person gets recognized by the firm.

Buy firm cups with your name and logo on it.  Take to a florist and make a deal to purchase one a month at a minimum for a very reasonable price.   (Can't believe they won't do it for $20 or less).   Fill it with cheerful flowers and have a card that says "We saw you deliver extraordinary client service!  Good job!"  And have the firm name on the card.  Then write a letter to the person's supervisor and tell them when and where it happened.  The flowers get delivered and the letter gets mailed.

Your budget for the year:  $250.00.   The return is priceless.

This was done in one firm and it got so popular people would notice at a store if someone would walk in with the client service cup.  The firm got kudos for taking time to recognize others.   Frankly they actually increased the number of  give a way cups because it made the firm feel good!

Marketing comes in all sizes and shapes.   It is limited only by your creativity.

I venture to say more original partnerships in law were created because two or more lawyers were sitting around talking and said "I have a great idea!".   And with that thought a business venture was created, worked for awhile, and then began to fall apart over the years as the honeymoon stage went by the way-side and the day to day grind of trying to make it wore out the excitement.

I believe that partnerships are just like marriages.  You absolutely must think of the commitment with the right person and it is more than just sitting around talking.  Because in the end what sustains the law partnership is the common held beliefs and values that allow good decisions to be made during the worst of times.

Value based law firms are simply those where everyonem but most importantly, the partners share the same core values.  Partners do not have to think alike, act alike, or look alike but they have to be value liked. 

When we do retreats for the first time with partnerships that are in trouble we go back to the basics.  We make them talk about their personal goals and their professional goals and then we make them work together to agree on common shared values. 

Know thyself!  ...and know they partner.   We have a value exercise that allows you to work through your own value system.  If you want a copy email me. Glad to share it.  A healthy partnership makes money and allows you to practice the art of law the way you are meant to.

If there is anything that will make a friend for life with me is to compliment me on my children. I personally think my daughter and my son are beyond brilliance. Well perhaps above ordinary. This is not counting the times even now that they are adults that I occasionally don't put my MOM face on and give (as they call it) "the look".  Having said that I tend to bond with anyone who concurs with my assessment of my children.

When Beth was in high school she was featured in the newspaper when she won something.   Obviously I was proud. About two days later in the mail came a nice envelope from an service provider that had a copy of the clipping for the local newspaper and with it a note that simply said:  "I know how proud you are of Beth. I thought you might like an extra clipping to share with family."  

I had never met this person, had not utilized the services of the person. However I can assure you that I made contact, investigated the company, and switched my business to this person. I took this person's interest in getting my attention as someone who would also work to keep my attention.

This shoestring marketing tip is not hard. Buy yourself some note cards with your name and firm name on the front.  NEVER send letters typed to compliment or thank people. Have one staff person search the newspaper for articles such as this and locate the parents and cut out the article. Give it to you with the newspaper clipping. And you do the rest.

Obviously being sincere counts and believe me while people will be impressed if you don't follow through with extraordinary client service it doesn't matter anyhow.

Cost: 1 staff person for about 15 minutes a day; one stamp; one note card; 5 minutes of your time. Not a bad investment in marketing. 

We are working and living in scary times and everyone has advice. I would give my two cents worth but I am quite sure it is being used to help out the banks, wall street, and other financial institutions.

I am not sure there is a solution. What I do know is that Dave and I came up with a simple solution. We bought a white board, hung it in our kitchen, and across the top is written IS IT A WANT OR IS IT A NEED?

That governs every financial decision we make from whether or not to run to out to a restaurant or to build a deck. And it is working.  We have found we can do without more than we thought. Our 401K like everyone has been hit hard. We had no intentions of ever quitting work so that was not an issue but we are like everyone else our age; we live with what if.

I talk to lots of law firms and lots of lawyers and I am not hearing talk of laying people off. I am hearing more of how can we weather this storm. This means that now is the time to be a true high performance team player. Be a part of the solution. Lawyers are stressed and that stresses their employees. Perhaps now is the time for some straight talk and some offers to help however needed.

We didn't get into this problem over-night and it will not be fixed over-night. What we can do is attempt to get back in the business of working and living and believing that we can do th is. I am beginning to believe my grand-parents and even my parents were right. Hard work wins every time. A penny saved is a penny earned. And, there is a price to pay for easy.

Paralegals are such resourceful individuals. I would suspect that you all have figured out what I already know...that this too shall pass.