Its one of those things you know when you see it. Its one of those things that doesn’t really fit on a bio, that can’t be readily marketed. But its one of those things that is so important that clients should really look to see whether lawyers working for them have that trait. What are… Continue Reading
Monthly Archives: July 2005
Home Phone Numbers? Cell Phone Numbers?
Posted in Marketing, Branding and SalesInteresting discussion in Tom Kane’s Legal Marketing Blog about making it easy for clients to reach you. I put my home and cell phone numbers on my business card and I make sure clients know that they should never hesitate to call me at home. “I want that call” I tell them, because I do. … Continue Reading
Clients: Avoid “Kiss Up, Kick Down” Lawyers
Posted in CommentaryI have to admit that I first heard this phrase used to describe John Bolton, President Bush’s nominee to be US Ambassador to the United Nations. I do not mean to engage in any political discussion regarding the wisdom of the President’s choice, or even to suggest that the term is an apt description of Mr…. Continue Reading
“But that’s the way its always been done.”
Posted in CommentaryEight words that should be banned from the English language-at least when used in combination with one another. I was thinking about this post from Michelle Golden’s Golden Practices blog, when it hit me. BAM!!! Well, not really a BAM, but more a gentle reminder that these words and the mentality they represent should be… Continue Reading
The Importance Of Managing Client Expectations
Posted in CommentaryIt is human nature to warm to pleasant surprises. It is an axiom of legal practice that clients hate surprises, at least the “bad news” kind. Smart lawyers do two things consistently: they keep their client’s expectations realistic and they almost always over deliver. In this vein, look at this post from Tom Kane in the… Continue Reading
Godspeed Discovery
Posted in GeneralI watched Discovery lift off yesterday. The explosion into the sky no longer seemed routine. I heard this morning that there are concerns about lost heat shield tiles. Join me in praying for a successful flight and a safe return home.
To Interrupt Or Be Interrupted–That It The Question.
Posted in Client CommunicationsLet me begin with apologies to Mr. Shakespeare for my post title. Very interest post on c/net about how often the average worker is interrupted by phone calls, emails, IMs or other distractions. Since it takes about 8 uninterrupted minutes for the average person to get their brain in a creative state, the significance of… Continue Reading
Yours, Mine and Ours: Why Clients Benefit From Deep Relationships With Their Law Firms
Posted in Leadership and ManagementEd Poll, who writes LawBiz Blog, makes some interesting points about succession planning in his July 20 post, Keeping Clients After A Lawyer Retires. Among the many valuable points Ed raises are: – Have the rainmakers introduce younger partners to their client contacts- Build teams around the top 20 clients, and to let the client… Continue Reading
Amazing Firms Blog Added To Blogroll
Posted in People, Places and BlawgsGerry Riskin of Edge International writes the terrific blog Amazing Firms Amazing Practices. It consistently provokes me to think, to reflect, to reexamine. I like that. So I’ve added Gerry’s blog to my blogroll of favorites. Here’s an example of why I like Gerry’s blog so much. Gerry’s July 18 post attaches an article entitled… Continue Reading
Litigation And Service
Posted in On The InsideInteresting post on The Wired GC about how CEOs look at their GCs. One part of the post reminded me of a truism for corporate litigators: There are virtually no businesses that are engaged in the business of litigation. The CEO valued the GC who could help the business look at problems creatively and resolve… Continue Reading
Legacy Litigation = Service Opportunity
Posted in Client ServiceRees Morrison of Hildebrandt writes a blawg named Law Department Management. He had a recent post entitled “Legacy litigation: relative difficulty of managing.” Mr. Morrison writes: “Legacy litigation – lawsuits arising from discontinued operations or sold assets where the seller remains liable for associated lawsuits – can bedevil law departments. One view is that legacy… Continue Reading
LISTEN!
Posted in Trends and InnovationsI love The Common Scold. Yes, Scold, not cold. (Who could ever love the common cold?) Why? Because Monica Bay always makes really good points in a very compelling way. Take her post telling the story of Jane Smith and her encounter with a vendor. Read it. Learn. The first point, not using a woman’s… Continue Reading
The Impact Of “Negative” Referrals
Posted in Marketing, Branding and SalesThere has been a lot of recent blog buzz on the topic of referrals from current clients. For example, here. There’s even a blog on referrals. But while these articles focus on the positive, few mention the risk of negative referrals. Consider this. On Saturday, this display screen on my phone turned white. I could… Continue Reading
Client Service: Separating Fact from Fiction (Part III)
Posted in Client ServiceThis series of posts began with a discussion of how almost every firm these days claims to provide exceptional quality service. A discerning client can ask some probing questions to separate performers from pretenders. Today’s questions circle around fee issues, hourly rates and related matters. 7. Is there a minimum billable hour requirement for the… Continue Reading
Client Service: Separating Fact from Fiction (Part II)
Posted in Client Surveys and Audits, CommentaryYesterday, I began a discussion of questions a client could ask a prospective (or current) firm to determine whether the firm is truly committed to providing outstanding client service. Today, three addition questions. 4. How many client satisfaction surveys does the firm conduct each year? If the answer is few or none, how can a… Continue Reading
Client Service: Separating Fact from Fiction (Part I)
Posted in Commentary, Trends and InnovationsEveryone, it seems, has realized that clients want good service. Most have responded by saying they provide great service. Only a few, however, really do provide it. How is a client to distinguish between those who talk the talk from the few who actually walk the walk? The separation really starts with expectations. Last week,… Continue Reading
Service Lessons From The World Of Accounting
Posted in Marketing, Branding and SalesMichelle Golden, President of Golden Marketing, recently made a post to her blog, Golden Practices, about what A-Level clients like and don’t like about their CPAs. Read the entire post here. I was drawn to a couple of the comments the CEOs made: Be there when we need you. A great example is when my… Continue Reading
Commitment Must Trump Doubt
Posted in CommentaryGerry Riskin of Edge International recently posted a fabulous entry about commitment and doubt. Read the entry here. Gerry’s comments in the context of firm leadership are very insightful. The key is not the resolution of doubt about an objective, but rather once a decision is made, the commitment to make the decision work. He… Continue Reading
Speakerphones Bad, Handwritten Notes Good
Posted in Marketing, Branding and SalesAbsolutely great post by Tom Kane, author of Legal Marketing Blog on the use of speaker phones with clients and other basic “good manners” that would make your Mom proud. Tom rightly reminds us to ask permission rather than just assuming use of a speaker phone is okay, since there might be a problem with… Continue Reading
SURVEY OF IN-HOUSE LAWYERS
Posted in Hourly Rates and AlternativesThis appeared recently on Adam Smith, Esq.: At a meeting at Milbank yesterday, a senior partner had occasion to recount the tale of the pencil-sharpener, which was an actual employee at the firm decades ago. The pencil-sharpener’s role was to circulate throughout the office collecting used pencils and replacing them with sharp ones. So far,… Continue Reading
Email an Impediment To Perfect Service?
Posted in Marketing, Branding and SalesCoincident with a post in The Wired GC about his review of of “notice by email” provision in a draft agreement (which The Wired GC did not endorse), I had a “miscommunication” with a vendor about something that was sent to me last week. The document never got through because of my spam filter. This… Continue Reading
The Morphine Made Him Say It! Service Lessons From A Hospital Stay
Posted in Client ServiceAbsolutely great post on Larry Bodine’s Professional Marketing Blog today. Larry had to spend some time at Edward Hospital in Naperville, Illinois, having his shoulder repaired. Apparently still enjoying the morphine they gave him, Larry took advantage of his new Speech Recognition Software to post some suggestions for service professionals. Let’s review them! Larry woke… Continue Reading
Peace At Last? Who’ya kidding?
Posted in CommentaryThe 16th Annual Corporate Legal Times/Lexis Nexis Martindale Hubbel Survey of General Counsel is included in the July Corporate Legal Times. The results are fascinating, although not as surprising as the title-”Peace At Last.” The subtitle goes on to say: “The GC-law firm relationship was once marked by tension and downright hostility. Those days are… Continue Reading
“Business” Training Should Not Be Limited To Those Running The Firm
Posted in CommentaryBruce MacEwen has a very interesting post on his Adam Smith, Esq. blog about DLA Piper starting a program with Harvard Business School to train its top lawyer/managers to better manage the firm. The program is described here. It is similar to one Reed Smith started a year ago that is described in this Adam Smith, Esq…. Continue Reading