Law Firm Coach Blog

We return many calls to lawyers who contact our company and one of the checkpoints we have is how the firm phone is answered. This is the first point of contact for the majority of your business. Thus what the person says and how they say it is your first step in marketing to the client.

To simply say the firm name does nothing for your firm. You have 5 to 7 seconds to convey to the new client what your firm is about. We have some basic marketing tips we gladly share with you for answering the phone:

1. Put your best people on the phone. While we can't imagine anyone hiring an unfriendly person there are people who see this duty as beneath their abilities. The days of the receptionist being a low level entry job are over for highly profitable firms.

2. Teach everyone to smile before they answer the phone. Put a big smiley face where they have to see it as the phone rings.

3. Define your message. Our recommendation is this: Good morning, Smith, Smith & Smith, this is Alice, how many I help you? People like to know who they are talking to, and who they have called and the request "how can I help you" says what you are about.

4. Test your firm. Call back at odd times. Call while you are in the office. Find out if your people are doing what you want.

Today's economy demands you provide yourself with every competitive edge and how you greet your clients is a crucial one.

Employees don't leave jobs. THEY LEAVE BOSSES. In today's economy, every decision affects bottom line profitability. An unstable work force chews up profit.

Leadership defines the work culture. The culture changes your employees' perception. Perception creates loyalty. And the clients know the difference between the synergy of a toxic work environment and a positive work environment.

Leadership today needs to have three basic core elements. The first is the vision to see where the firm is going. If there is no defined direction the employees have no goals. Making employees a part of the firm vision is just good common sense.

The second core element of leadership is character. Do you walk the walk and talk the talk. Do you represent the core values of your firm. In fact have you ever defined the core values of your firm?

Finally, adaptability means the ability to reach all levels of employees within your organization. It is just as important you have a repoire with your file clerk as it does with your firm administrator.

Everyone has within them the ability to lead. 'Natural born leaders' is a myth. You simply have to decide you want to learn. And the reason you want to learn is to create a profitable, high synergy law firm, that is a place where employees stay, where the structure is stable, and where clients know that they are getting the best of the best.

Becoming a leader starts with a willingness to change patterns and to gain knowledge. This can be done through mentoring from other leaders, reading books on leadership and/or taking leadership classes. Inaction is the first sign of the lack of leadership in any law firm or for that fact in any business. Where does your firm stand?

I tend to believe that life can always be broken down into four rules on anything. Managing employees is no difference. The four rules with employees are very simple:

1. Expectations: Always let employees know what your expectations are with respect to their performance, the duties, and the delivery of the work product. Believe it or not the number one complaint we get from employees is they don't know what their employer wants?

2. Tools: You can't expect employees to perform unless they have good tools. This can be everything from good equipment, adequate work space, or the fastest computer in the office. Training is an essential part of the tools needed.

3. Feedback: You have to let employees know how they are doing. Again this ranks up there with expectations. Good employees can't become great employees unless they know if they are meeting your expectations. They definetely need to know if they are exceeding your expectations.

4. Accountability. Unless employees are held accountable for their actions you lose. If you aren't willing to draw the line in the sand employees will have no reason to meet your expectations.

I think what amazes me the most is when I teach this to employees and how it will work they are the most enthused. Employees welcome stability and the Rule of 4 provides stability.