Sr. Associates Cd Nutshell

Editor's Notes

• #5: To Use your limited time most effectively you must have a plan It will help you to Prioritize Focus Execute There is great evidence supporting the conclusion that people with written goals and a plan to achieve them are far more likely to be successful
• #13: How I prepare My Business Plan – Top Down // Bottom Up
• #15: This morning we focused on being a professional and ethical practitioner. How can you demonstrate your professionalism? What VEHICLES CAN YOU USE to a) show your professionalism b) demonstrate your command of the industry challenges, and c) increase your visibility so your clients have realistic expectations of how you can meet their needs. Website Biography Writing Speaking
• #18: Over the next two minutes list 10 things you want to achieve in the next year. Leave some space in between each item. They should be specific and measurable so you will know if you achieved them. They might be:
• #21: Next I want you to rank your goals in order of importance.
• #22: What do you need to overcome to achieve your goals? Obstacles are generally of our own making not your firm’s or other outsider.
• #23: Make a list of who can help you both in and out of your firm For example, for my in-house workshops my assistant can prepare the PowerPoint. Construction association executives or in-house contractor representatives I know are the people who can get me those opportunities
• #24: Write down as many actions as you can think of to achieve your goal
• #25: Now, that you have your list, I want you to write down for each goal something you can do in the next week to get started. We need for the train to get out of the station. Let’s stop there for a minute. My experience has shown me that if you write down your goals and develop a plan of activities to achieve them, you will be one of about 3% of the lawyers and you will be far more likely to achieve them. So, you have made the first step to achieving your own definition of success. I have always had lifetime goals. Recently, I put my lifetime goals in four categories: Physical/EconomicMental/LearningEmotional/RelationshipsSpiritual/ValuesI share my lifetime goals with lawyers I am coaching and I am sharing them with you. Many of the lawyers I am coaching have developed their own lifetime goals and shared theirs with others.
• #28: Now, law firms look alike and so do lawyers. You have to stand out from the crowd and be remarkable or extraordinary in some way
• #31: You are at the most exciting time of your careerMore than any other time, what you do now will have the greatest impact
• #33: Our success in client development can be a result of people with a rare set of gifts that help create tipping points. Three type of people
• #34: Connectors know lots of people. Connectors are important not just because of the number of people they know, but also the kinds of people they know. They know people in different worlds. Connectors are masters of “weak ties,” meaning many relationships that are not deep ones. Connectors are important to use because they spread the word to a wide group of people with whom they have weak ties.
• #35: Challenge is to get clients to volunteer to hear you and ultimately hire you. Clients and potential clients are going to give permission to fewer and fewer law firm and and fewer and fewer lawyers.
• #36: A “maven,” is someone who accumulates knowledge. They do the research most of us don’t want to do and they find joy in passing along what they learn. If you have written an article about an important topic, a maven is the type most likely to find it.
• #38: Salesmen, it turns out, deliver far more than just the message. They persuade others of the message's truth using subtle, hidden and unspoken communication techniques that are demonstrably more effective. A large component of this is referred to as emotional contagion.
• #39: What Topic? What to write Where to get it published? How can it be reused?
• #40: Ask, “What is my point?” and “Who asked me to speak?” If an organization asked you to speak, focus on marketing. Are they lawyers or non-lawyers? This will effect the language you use. If they are non-lawyers, speak on something topical, relevant, or something from the news. Ask, “What is important to the audience?” and “What do they face daily?” Go to the director of the group and ask what they would like to hear. Find out what your clients perceive as a problem and try to address it—prove that the problem exists. Some presentations are to build your profile and show you are the expert. Be the first to market when addressing large “industry” groups. Call clients and ask for ideas or concerns and use the opportunity to address their concerns right then.
• #41: In the context of our legal marketing, the message must address problems, opportunities, internal changes or external changes our clients and potential clients are encountering. Otherwise, they simply won’t care.
• #47: What Topic? What to write Where to get it published? How can it be reused?
• #54: What is your objective – ask: Why am I doing this presentation? What do I want the audience to do? Understand your audience Understand their business Understand their issues
• #61: People tend to put every single word they are going to say on their PowerPoint slides. Although this alleviates the need to memorize your talk, ultimately this makes your slides crowded, wordy and boring. You will lose your audience’s attention before you even reach the bottom of your slide. They are reading ahead of you since they can read faster than you can speak. In this example, it is continued and continued.
• #66: Give the audience a call to action. Ask them what they are going to do with this information.HumorSummary
• #68: Make a list of all your contacts, high school, college, law school, family friends etc. Figure out which are likely to be successful in life and find a way to stay in touch with them. A system to focus on your contacts for best results. 1) Prioritize contacts; 2) Upgrade nature of contact and 3) learn personal and professional needs
• #70: Many clients still hire lawyers over law firms. They look first to reputation to narrow selection (objective). They ultimately decide based on comfort (subjective). Recent studies/surveys of corporate counsel: 1) Legal expertise is assumed; 2) Law firms need to focus on (a) Responsiveness and (b) Innovation. Survey’s of General Counsel - 75% of Fortune 1000 clients not satisfied Do not recommend their primary law firm to others. Would change if they thought another firm would do better. Dissatisfaction with client service cited more than twice any other reasons75% of Fortune 1000 clients not satisfied – reasons 1. Client Service = Responsiveness, proactive business advice, knowledge and understanding of industry, their business and them 2. Technology and other cost efficiencies
• #74: Law Firm Clients Are sophisticated Want to feel special, listened to Want customized solutions to their legal needs Lawyers perceived to make extraordinary effort to get work, but less effort to satisfy their clients’ needs Lawyers are generally disliked Clients are only satisfied because they have no other options
• #75: Attorneys are in the business of first impressions All attorneys will live or die (professionally) by their ability to connect with people and quickly earn trust. It is ESSENTIAL to build rapport. Build trust & long-term relationships. Building Rapport requires effective COMMUNICATION understand client’s personality Understand client’s needs Use ‘relatable’ language and style so client can ‘hear’ what you say. (Communication is what they HEAR not what you SAY)
• #77: Two Aspects Personality type How they speak and receive information
• #79: Communication is not really what you SAY. It’s what your client HEARS. Effective communication : -requires deliberate attention to the client’s perspective and learning style. -RESULTS in client confidence and realistic expectations (Ethics) Effective communicators -vary their speaking style to accommodate the client’s learning styles. It is satisfying to know you’ve been heard. When you speak your client’s language, they achieve client satisfaction -- and that contributes to industry esteem (ethics).
• #81: Trust is built deliberately -- through consistent demonstration of excellent communication, client service, . . .
• #82: ETHICS IN THE LEGAL PROFESSION It is incumbent on lawyers to deliberately and effectively create a positive / solid / complementary impression of the profession. Personally, you must develop credibility, demonstrate reliability, and cultivate intimacy while responsibly managing your environment. Case Study - How do you enhance your credibility? - How do you enhance your reliability? - How do you build a personal relationship with your client or business referral source? - How do you demonstrate that your focus is on your client not on how you benefit from your client? . . . . “ask not what my client can do for me . . . Ask what I can do for my client.”
• #84: Law Firm Clients Are sophisticated Want to feel special, listened to Want customized solutions to their legal needs Lawyers perceived to make extraordinary effort to get work, but less effort to satisfy their clients’ needs Lawyers are generally disliked Clients are only satisfied because they have no other options
• #85: 1. Client Service = Responsiveness, proactive business advice, knowledge and understanding of industry, their business and them 2. Technology and other cost efficiencies