Client Development for Lawyers Archives | Page 3 of 6

8 11, 2011

Don’t Negotiate Like a Politician

2019-03-21T19:06:24+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Don’t Negotiate Like a Politician

Who knew that lawyers could find good advice about negotiating on behalf of their clients in The Costco Connection? In her article titled Attitude Shift, Rhonda Abrams warns business owners not to negotiate like today’s polarized and ineffective politicians. “Stop thinking of the other side as your opponent,” she advises.

When it comes to negotiation, clients often say that they want a tough lawyer. What they really want is a solution to their problem or the healing of an injury. Their strategy for obtaining that may involve hiring a tough lawyer. […]

7 10, 2011

The Proper Care and Feeding of Referral Sources

2019-04-01T21:28:36+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

Because I work with a lot of different lawyers, people often contact me when they need to engage one. Sometimes a friend needs legal services, and I hear from them later about their satisfaction level with the services received. Often, however, a friend calls on behalf of the potential client. I give them contact info for a couple of appropriate lawyers, which they forward to the client. Usually I give the lawyers I recommend a heads up by email or voicemail…and that’s the last I hear of it.

Over the course of a couple of years, I referred 5 or 6 potential clients to one lawyer. I never even heard whether she got hired. When a new referral request came in, I had a little conversation in my head: “I wonder whether the previous referrals were good matches for her. In any event, she didn’t seem to particularly appreciate them. She never let me know what happened. Did she even say ‘thank you’? I think I’ll send this referral to someone else who will appreciate it.” […]

8 03, 2011

What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

2019-03-21T20:09:07+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

I have had my business and personal accounts at the same bank for 16 years, but for over a year, I have been thinking of changing banks. In fact, I would have already moved my accounts if it weren’t such a hassle to transfer all those automatic payments. I had the intention to find a better bank one day.

What does my bank account have to do with your law practice? […]

7 02, 2011

Got Clients? How Did THAT Happen?

2019-04-01T20:49:16+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

“I’ve spoken many times at CLE programs, and I never got any business from it.” Rick Albers’ jaw dropped when he heard that. Why was Rick so surprised? A lot of lawyers (and legal marketing experts) say that speaking at CLE programs is a waste of time. It just educates your competition.

Rick was stunned because he himself had referred four different matters to the lawyer who said that. Rick, a Texas real estate lawyer, chose that attorney because he heard him speak at bar association programs, and concluded that he was very knowledgeable. In fact, it was because they both got involved in bar association work that Rick came to know him in the first place. Perhaps the lawyer thought Rick referred the matters to him just because of their acquaintance. If so…he was wrong. […]

7 09, 2010

Why Lawyers MUST Get Their Heads Out of the Sand about Social Media

2019-02-10T23:15:58+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|6 Comments

The mushrooming popularity of social media creates novel legal issues to be resolved, as well as a lot of opportunities for mistakes by lawyers and their clients. Wake up! How can you answer your client’s questions or warn them about potential legal infractions, if you aren’t familiar with the medium? Could you be completely missing a good business development opportunity?

Many lawyers tell me their clients don’t use social media, but have they really checked? Or is that just an assumption? How do you check, if you don’t engage in social media yourself? Not long ago I spoke to about 50 lawyers, most of whom knew very little about social media. The room got very quiet when I started putting up on the screen the logos of their clients who had Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. If you asked your clients last year whether they used social media, they may have a different answer now. Could your competitors be enhancing their relationships with your clients via social media, while you remain oblivious?

Even if your clients don’t officially have a social media presence, their employees, customers, or competitors may be posting things that affect your clients. When they ask you what to do about it, how will you be able to advise them if you don’t understand what they are talking about?

Here are some examples of how you might be called on in your law practice to address social media issues.

[…]

23 08, 2010

Debra’s Now Guest Blogging for SPU

2010-08-23T13:13:37+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

Recently Susan Cartier Liebel, founder of Solo Practice University, invited me to become a regular guest blogger for the Build A Solo Practice @ SPU blog. Although I had previously been a guest blogger there, my inaugural post as a team member was published on August 19, 2010. Got Clients? How Did THAT Happen? explains why lawyers should keep records tracking their marketing efforts, as well as ask new clients how they came to the firm.

In addition to the blog post, check out the comments for even more ideas on how to identify what really works in your business development efforts. And while you’re there, if you’re trying to get a solo practice going, check out SPU. It has a lot to offer.

20 08, 2010

3 Ways to Capitalize on a Referral Source Call

2019-02-10T23:15:57+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

Lee Rosen recently blogged about 5 Ways to Mess Up a Referral Source Call. He was talking about how some people make contact with a potential referral source, then start selling themselves and virtually assure that they’ll never get any referrals from that contact.

I commend you to his post as an easy-to-digest reminder of 5 common blunders. They all boil down to being far more interested in getting your message out, than in listening to the other person and finding out how you can help them.

Now that you know what not to do, what can you do to make it more likely that the contact will actually turn into a referral source? That really boils down to 3 basic principles.

1. Find a way to help them with something.

This is the number one way to get more referrals. Studies show that when someone gives us a gift or does us a favor, we have an urge to respond in kind. So make an effort to send them a referral or at least make an introduction that they might benefit from. If you can’t do that right now, is there some information or a resource you can share? Maybe it’s a link to an article that provides an answer to a question or problem they mentioned.

[…]

9 07, 2010

Should a Newbie Solo Lawyer Represent Lindsay Lohan?

2019-02-10T23:15:57+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|4 Comments

Carolyn Elefant started an interesting discussion on her My Shingle blog about whether a newly licensed lawyer should be willing to represent celebrity Lindsay Lohan in appealing her recent sentencing to 90 days in jail. It has been reported that Lohan’s lawyer in the case, Shawn Chapman Holley, no longer represents her. Rumors quickly surfaced that a lawyer licensed in November 2009, Tiffany Feder-Cohen, has taken on the representation of Lohan.

As the old saying goes, “Even bad publicity is good publicity.” This high profile case catapulted a brand new, unknown lawyer into the spotlight. Would you leap to take the case if you were in her shoes? […]

6 07, 2010

Making Your Criminal Practice More Rewarding

2010-07-06T14:11:09+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Making Your Criminal Practice More Rewarding

“The variety in a criminal law practice keeps it enjoyable. Familiarity at the courthouse makes it fun,” says Austin solo Erik Goodman, who has been board certified in criminal law since 1985. Houston criminal attorney John Parras agrees. “People charged with crimes are wealthy, poor, smart, dumb, funny, eccentric, boring, interesting and mundane. The scenarios that bring them to court are sad, funny, interesting, complicated, simple, stupid, and entertaining,” according to Parras, who has been designated as a Super Lawyer – Rising Star and began his legal career as a law clerk to Michael Tigar and Ron Woods in the Oklahoma City Bombing trial.

Yet many criminal attorneys suffer from stress and burnout. Others struggle to make ends meet. How can you keep your practice manageable, enjoyable and financially successful, too? […]

14 04, 2010

It’s Never Too Early to Raise Your Profile

2010-04-14T13:11:34+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

In today’s fast-paced legal world, it is easy for young lawyers to convince themselves that they don’t have time to worry about networking, raising their profile and creating a personal brand. Have you ever said anything like this to yourself?

“It already takes Herculean effort to meet the billable hour requirements around here. I’m not going to waste my time giving away free advice or hanging out with a bunch of schmoozers.”

“I went to a smaller firm so I wouldn’t have to put on a game face. The partners here like my work, and that’s enough.”

“The point of going in-house was so I wouldn’t have to play politics and could have time for a life. I only need to keep my boss happy.”

“I’m just an associate. Clients aren’t going to come to me anyway, so why bother?

Why That’s Foolhardy

Even before the “Great Recession,” […]

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