If hospitals can learn, maybe there’s hope for lawyers.
Monthly Archives: December 2005
Lessons for Lawyers: Communicate, communicate, communicate
Posted in Client CommunicationsThere is nothing so important as ensuring through every available means that you and your client are on the same page, that what you do is what is expected. Doesn’t this say it all? Cartoons courtesy of Brand Autopsy (which is worth looking at just to see the brand).
Firing Law Firms
Posted in Client ServiceCorporate Counsel magazine (January 2006 issue) did a survey of General Counsel at Fortune 250 Companies. The survey found (15% response rate) that 34% of the surveyed GCs fired a firm in 2005 for poor performance, 3% for poor technological capabilities, 3% for lack of diversity, 9% for a combination of those factors and 31%… Continue Reading
The Geography of Great Client Service
Posted in Client Communications, Leadership and ManagementEschewing the time-honored maxim of “location, location, location,” The Wired GC continues his analysis of the importance (or lack thereof) of office location in a world where most client interaction occurs in the client’s office, or at least somewhere other than the lawyer’s office. The post, bearing the sublime title “What Face Means For Place,”… Continue Reading
Driving Change: Chicken or Egg, Client or Law Firm?
Posted in Leadership and ManagementThe Greatest American Lawyer contains a very thoughtful post on the issue of whether law firms will ever lead change in the manner services are provided to clients. The GAL posits that “[i]t has been suggested that until clients demand that law firms deliver lower cost and higher quality services, law firms will not be… Continue Reading
A Substantive “Must” For Great Client Service
Posted in Client ServiceI saw this post on PDF for Lawyers, a site edited by Ernie Svenson (Ernie the Attorney) and Dave Fishel, just on top of participating in an ALM program on the same topic. The referenced article from the Federal Courts Law Review is an excellent overview on electronic evidence issues. There are, to be sure, lawyers… Continue Reading
Building A Client Service Culture
Posted in Leadership and ManagementI am certain that there is no single formula for success, but a recent post by Tom Peters sums up the key ingredients as well as anyone. The post is linked here, but I’ve taken the liberty of quoting it for convenience: Chip Bell to Tom Peters (12.20.2005): “If you were asked to be the… Continue Reading
Importance of “Face Time” With Clients
Posted in Client CommunicationsGreat post by The Wired GC on the importance of face time with your clients. He sums up an article from the New York Times about the role of telecommuting during the recent transit strike. The article took the approach of talking about the importance of face-to-face meetings, which prompted The Wired GC to make… Continue Reading
“Bombard” Clients With Communications? Not Necessarily.
Posted in Client CommunicationsDan Hull has an interesting addition to his rules of good client service. The post is entitled “Over-Communicate”: Bombard, Copy and Confirm.” The gist of Dan’s message is not at as far-reaching as the statement of the rule. Noting that the rule has “obvious exceptions,” Dan articulates what I think is the core of the… Continue Reading
Merry Christmas To All
Posted in GeneralMy 4 kids are counting the minutes until Santa’s arrival. Their bedtime announces the beginning of my “assembly period.” It is a fun time, producing many special memories. I hope all of you experience similar special moments this holiday season. Merry Christmas from all the Lambs.
Insights From Inside Counsel
Posted in Client ServiceOne great way for lawyers to learn how to best serve clients is to list what clients have to say. To that end, check out this article reprinted at Law.com. The article is about lawyers who went to speak to an audience of inside lawyers. Here’s the key description: Sitting between in-house attorneys and facing… Continue Reading
Good Writing: What Lawyers Do To Christmas
Posted in Client ServiceI received this via email today. I know its a joke. But, its way too easy to see how many lawyers would do exactly this if required to write this for real. That said, its pretty darn funny. The Night Before Christmas (An Attorney’s Version) Whereas, on or about the night prior to Christmas,… Continue Reading
Magnetic Service
Posted in Client ServiceI just started reading Magnetic Service by Chip and Bilijack Bell. I haven’t gotten too far into it yet, but the introduction captured my attention. “We selected ‘magnetic’ to describe the kind of service experience for customers that fosters their enduring passionate devotion …” the authors write. In speaking about ‘magnetic’ personalities, the authors say… Continue Reading
Harry Beckwith On Passion
Posted in People, Places and BlawgsI receive Harry Beckwith’s monthly newsletter by email. I read them carefully because Harry Beckwith is much smarter than I am. His December newsletter is entitled “Giovanni and the Extraordinary Force of Passion.” It is the story of a man who is a maitre d’ at a hotel in Ravello, Italy. He works long hours,… Continue Reading
A Personal Thank You To Someone Truly Commited To Great Client Service
Posted in People, Places and BlawgsIn my second post as a blogger, I mentioned that Andrea Gordon, my firm’s Director of Marketing, was one of my “consiglieres.” We are just ending our 4th year of working together, and I want to publicly thank Andrea for her great work. My colleagues may never realize just how extraordinary she is and how… Continue Reading
Good writing: Breaking From Useless Traditions
Posted in Client Communications, Commentary, GeneralGood writing is good writing. Or is it. Dan Hull had a terrific post on how we write for our clients. I posted a comment, suggesting good writing knew no venue, and it shouldn’t matter whether the writing was a pleading or a letter. Or, as I just posted, an invoice. Communications are effective when… Continue Reading
Another Writing Issue: Clarity in Billing
Posted in Client CommunicationsDan Hull recently had a nice post about writing for clients in his What About Clients blawg. As I sit here reviewing several bills (I am national counsel and review local counsel invoices), I see entries like “analytical review of of plaintiff’s threshold information”. What does that mean? Should we contrast this review from a… Continue Reading
Clients–Is this the kind of team you want on your matter?
Posted in Client Communications, Leadership and ManagementMy December American Lawyer arrived today. As I always do, I turned to Aric Press’ column. Aric is the Editor-in-Chief of American Lawyer. If there is anyone more attuned to the state of the profession, I would be surprised. Aric’s column is about the results the survey of the Am Law 200. One of the… Continue Reading
Tom Kane’s Legal Marketing Blog Added To My List of “Must-Read” Blogs
Posted in People, Places and BlawgsI’ve linked to Tom Kane’s Legal Marketing Blog twice in recent entries. I overlooked the fact that it was not listed on my “must read” list of blawgs. It should have been. Tom’s insights are keen and his advice practical. Don’t miss it.
Under promise and over deliver is not simply falling over the goal line–its blowing through the back of the endzone!
Posted in CommentaryInteresting post by Dan Hull taking issue with the “under promise and over deliver” philosophy of client service. As I understand Dan’s argument, the philosophy doesn’t apply to lawyers because client expectations are so low that “over delivering” doesn’t really accomplish much. Sort of like being the tallest midget. Dan’s argument continues that lawyers really… Continue Reading
Are Your Clients Really Friends Or Just Wallets?
Posted in Client ServiceSometimes my kids make me feel like I am a giant wallet. I hate the feeling. But that experience makes a question raised by Tom Kane all the more poignant. Do we make our clients feel the same way, or do we treat them as real friends? That is the gist of Tom’s terrific summary… Continue Reading
The Ability To Serve
Posted in CommentaryMany of you know I spent the last month and half in Los Angeles on trial (non-suit against my client!). So I’m catching up on a lot of reading that I missed. This morning, I’ve been reading several weeks worth of the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. The December 1, 2005 issue contains a reprint of… Continue Reading
Remember, David beat Goliath, not the other way around
Posted in Client Service, CommentaryNice posts by Tom Kane and Dan Hull about a topic close to my heart. Both talk about the fact that GCs do, in fact, hire smaller law firms. I made the move from very large to boutique firm, so I have seen this from both sides. The best way for me to discuss this… Continue Reading
An Opportunity For In House Lawyers To Work With Lawyers Truly Committed To Client Service
Posted in Trends and InnovationsI am very happy to see the number of posts commenting favorably on the launching of the Law Department Purchasing Consortium. Highly respected blogs and bloggers and greeted the lauch with enthusiasm. Gerry Riskin, Larry Bodine, Geoffrey Gussis, and The Wired GC all have taken note of the launch. I need to acknowledge upfront that… Continue Reading