Meek individuals don’t form law firms – it’s often those with strong opinions and big personalities who take the risk. So when it comes to leading firm retreats we train our Practice Advisors on all the sticky issues that accompany typical partnerships: compensation problems, succession planning difficulties, cash flow and profitability issues, resistance to client development and any number of staffing issues. There are very few problems that can arise in a law firm that we haven’t dealt with at some point in time. With this knowledge, and experience, we can customize a retreat to fit just what a law firm needs. Read More….

In their new book, marketing experts Tim Tobin and Lisa Braziel suggest that the activity generated by social media sites is analogous to a giant, ongoing 24-hour cocktail party. In fact, the name of their book neatly sums up their philosophy: Social Media Marketing Is A Cocktail Party: Why You Already Know the Rules of Social Media Marketing.

They encourage readers to believe that social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter create an ongoing cyber party that you can step into and out of at will. While there’s no question that social media marketing offers another avenue to market yourself and build relationships with clients, referral sources and experts in your field – the cocktail party analogy seems like a stretch.

Or does it? Let’s take a closer look. Read More….

What do the world’s best attorneys have in common? The ability to persuade. The most successful people are those who get things done with and through others. They always have, always will. Persuasive lawyers build bigger law firms, have more referral sources, convert potential clients to paying clients more easily and convince resistant juries to bring in good verdicts. The ability to persuade is critical to many areas in an attorney’s career. In many ways, your success as an attorney hinges on your power to persuade.

Author Russell Granger has discovered a new and more accessible pathway to persuasion. In his book, “The Seven Triggers to Yes,” Granger posits that instead of using a logical approach, one should tap into emotional cues, or “triggers,” when attempting to persuade others. Read More….

Many of you toy with the idea of adding another practice area. Perhaps business in one of your current practice areas has dropped off due to the economy and you wonder what you can add to fill the gap. It’s an innovation worth pondering. Let me give you three reasons to consider this for your firm, both now and for the future. Read More….

You’re a good attorney. And, up until this point, you’ve done a great job of developing the mindset and perspective of a good attorney. But now, it’s time to start learning to think like a great Rainmaker. You have what it takes—but you must learn how to apply it strategically. It’s important that you make a habit out of educating yourself about marketing at every opportunity.

It’s important to continually “sharpen the saw” when it comes to your marketing skills. The term “sharpening the saw” comes from an old story, and I’ll share it with you now, because I believe that rainmakers can learn a lot from it. Read More….

If you want to learn how successful people became successful, look at their habits. Habits consistently adhered to are the secret underpinnings of a thriving practice. The successful rainmaker, for example, routinely thanks referral sources for the clients they send. If they fail to send a thank you card or express their gratitude upon receiving a referral, it would bother them the same way that failing to brush their teeth would bother them.

What can you do to become a successful rainmaker? Read More….

Today, I’m going to share something that might surprise you.

If you have dealt with Atticus in the past and have heard us discuss client development, you may have heard us mention something called the Top Twenty list. The Top Twenty list refers to those referral sources that are the most active and send you your highest quality business. This group can be made up of people in your social and family networks, your colleagues, clients, and other professionals. To qualify for the list, they must send you good clients more frequently than the rest of your referral sources.

Many of you already have all of your referral sources listed in your Rolodex, address book or computer database.

Here’s the surprising fact: it’s very easy to create your own Top Twenty list. Read More….

In the final installment of our four-part series, we’re going to discuss a few creative ways in which the attorney can express his appreciation for the paralegal’s contributions to the firm.

The “Time Off” coupon is one example of this. If the paralegal has done an exceptional job, the attorney may choose to give him or her a coupon granting the paralegal a period of time off. This period of time could be a half or full day off (i.e. “Take off any Friday”, “Come in half-a-day late next Monday”). The forms are easy to make – you can find many blank coupon sheets on the internet or in an office supply store. Have the paralegal fill out the coupon with a date of his or her choosing, and bring it to you to sign off on – ahead of time. This reward is especially meaningful to working parents, who greatly value time off to run errands or spend with their families. Read More….

Many attorneys do not delegate – instead, they abdicate. What I mean by this is that they choose to unload work on their paralegals without enough explanation. They do this not to undermine the paralegal, but typically, because they are pressed for time as we’ve mentioned in the first and second part of this series. Unfortunately, it is imperative that paralegals have all the information they need before they begin the task, so important work can be done quickly and efficiently.

When delegating a task, we suggest using the S. M. A. R. T. rules: Read More….

In the second part of our four-part series, we’re going to discuss a few ways in which the attorney can create a learning environment for the paralegal within the firm.

When paralegals have the right training, lawyers become more trusting in their judgment and are likely to delegate more work to them. The more paralegals can learn, the more valuable they can be (within the limits of their position), and the more their time is worth.

To maximize the paralegal’s value, we suggest creating a “culture of learning” within the firm. Read More….