Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field: Acknowledge Me!

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Lindsay Griffiths

Following up on our last Rainmaking Recommendation from expert Jaimie Field addressing the issues of why clients don't come back, we have the next in the series - "Acknowledge me! "

 

Reason #2 Why Client’s Don’t Come Back: You’re Unresponsive

In a continuation of the series on “Why Client’s don’t come back”, this Rainmaking Recommendation will address the number one reason why clients’ don’t come back - because you don’t respond to them.  

In this day and age of immediate communication – Wi-Fi, 24 hour internet access, smartphones, emails, and social media – clients almost demand that you respond on instantaneous basis.  It used to be that 24 hours was an acceptable amount of time to get back.  Now, people want a response yesterday.

 

 

As attorneys, we have some clients who, let’s admit it, are a bit of a pain in the . . . They call constantly, they email incessantly, they seem to contact you every hour on the hour. 

Further, the pace in which cases sometimes move is snail-like.  You may not have anything to report to them at that time.  This is when clients get most antsy.   They haven’t heard from you. 

Finally, when clients are afforded a return contact (call or email), it comes from an associate or assistant. 

When a client comes to you, it is usually for a specific reason.  They hired you to help them with a problem or situation that is causing them pain.  It’s up to you to help alleviate that pain in any way you can.  This includes reassuring them even when there is nothing to report.

Clients just want to be recognized as important, because in their minds they are your only client; and they want to be recognized immediately.  You need to do this!  

I know, you’re busy  - you have many clients, briefs to write, cases to try, etc.  However, it only takes a few moments to write a return email or make a quick call just to let your client know that you have heard them.  

You’d be surprised at how much clients will appreciate these small gestures. 

Rainmaking Recommendations are sent the first and third Wednesdays of the month.  They are bite size tips that when implemented will cause you to make rain. To learn more about Rainmaking, Goal Setting and Achieving the Life you want as an Attorney please contact Jaimie B. Field, Esq.  If you have missed any of the previous Rainmaking Recommendations you can find them at www.jaimiefield.com The Enlightened Rainmaker Blog
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Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field: I didn't know you did that

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Lindsay Griffiths

Today, I'm bringing you another excellent rainmaking recommendation from expert Jaimie Field - "I didn't know you did that."

“Why don’t clients come back?”

Recently, I received an email from a litigation attorney from Connecticut who asked the question above. It seems that some clients of the firm who seemed happy with the work the  attorneys of the firm were doing were going elsewhere for subsequent representation. 

So I dedicate this and the next few Rainmaking Recommendations to this attorney with thanks.

Over the next few emails we will cover  the reasons why clients don’t come back and how to ensure they do:

Rainmaking Recommendation # 51:  “I didn’t know you did that”

Reason #1  Why Client’s don’t Come Back:  “I didn’t know you did that”

One of the most frequently heard reason that clients don’t come back is that they don’t know all of your (and your firms) legal capabilities.  If you have ever heard a client subsequently say:  “I didn’t know your firm did that,” you have experienced this problem.

However, one of the objections that I hear is that from the attorney  is that they told them in the initial consultation that they (or their firm) could represent the client in many different matters. 

You need to understand, when a client comes in to your office, they are usually focused on one issue; the one problem they are currently experiencing.   This causes them to truly not hear anything else but what applies to this situation.  I mean literally.   The only thing they want to hear is how you can help them with this problem; what is going to stop their pain.  Anything else you tell them will go in one ear and out the other. 

Then you, the attorney, become “tunnel-visioned” - busy schedules, other matters and clients, court, briefs, yada yada yada -  which causes you to neglect to remind them of all of your other abilities. 

This is why you need to consistently and constantly tell them over the course of the representation all of your (and your firm’s) capabilities.  After you have met them, during the course of your representation, and following the conclusion of your matter, you need to keep reminding them how you can assist them with the other matters that may come up in their lives in the future. 

Use newsletters, connect with them on Social Media sites, send personal messages, ask for feedback.   Each time you contact a current client using Rainmaking and Marketing tactics to remind them of  all that you can help them with to make their lives better, you ensure that if something comes up with which you can assist, they will remember to contact you. 

 

Rainmaking Recommendations are sent the first and third Wednesdays of the month.  They are bite size tips that when implemented will cause you to make rain. To learn more about Rainmaking, Goal Setting and Achieving the Life you want as an Attorney please contact Jaimie B. Field, Esq.  If you have missed any of the previous Rainmaking Recommendations you can find them at www.jaimiefield.com The Enlightened Rainmaker Blog

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Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field: Put the Social in Social Media

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Lindsay Griffiths

Today, I'm bringing you another excellent rainmaking recommendation from expert Jaimie Field - put the social in social media.

Are you using Twitter? Facebook? Linked In? Google +? Or any of the hundreds of websites that are considered “social media?”

Great!

If you haven’t gotten on board yet with Social Media sites, understand this – Social media is not a fad. It is not going away. It continues to evolve as a method of meeting new people whom you may have never gotten a chance to meet any other way. I have personally become friendly with people from all over the world because of social media. I have also gotten new clients because of this medium.

Social Media can be very only useful when you learn these two basic rules first:

  1. People do business with people they know like and trust: This means that you must be authentic and real even when you are behind a computer screen.
  2. You must learn to interact with people while on Social Media: it’s not about just
    pushing your agenda and information out for the masses. That is called advertising.
    Use social media to engage with the people whom you follow/friend/”link-in”. You
    have the opportunity to get advice, information and leads from people who may
    know more than you. Additionally, you have the chance to show what you know.

Finally, getting “social on social media” also means taking it offline. Believe it or not, a lot of people pretend to be something they are not online (please read that last line with heavy sarcasm). Once you think you have a connection with someone online ask them to meet
for a cup of coffee (if they are local) or call them on the phone to hear their voice. Use social
media to invite others to events to meet you. Only then will you have the opportunity to
turn these people into prospects, referral sources or clients because only then you will
have the opportunity to find out if they really are who they say they are.

While there is much more to using social media effectively to obtain new clients, referral
sources or prospects, following these first two rules will help you get started with using social media
as a Rainmaking Method.

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Rainmaking Recommendations are sent the first and third Wednesdays of the month. They are bite size tips that when implemented will cause you to make rain. To learn more about Rainmaking, Goal Setting and Achieving the Life you want as an Attorney please contact Jaimie B. Field, Esq. If you have missed any of the previous Rainmaking Recommendations you can find them at www.jaimiefield.com The Enlightened Rainmaker Blog

 

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Guest Post: What Santa Claus Can Teach Us About Rainmaking

Posted on December 14, 2011 by Lindsay Griffiths

WIth the end of the year wrap-up, and still recovering from the stitches in my finger, I'm sharing another post from my friend and rainmaking expert, Jaimie Field, esq.  In 2009, she published this post, "What Santa Claus Can Teach You About Being a Great Rainmaker." 

So without further ado...

That jolly ol’ white-bearded, chubby guy in the red velvet suit with the fur trim is a better Rainmaker than you.  While his clients, children, may not be your target market, if you acquire his characteristics and take some on his abilities to bring in new clients and make them advocates for life, you can become the Rainmaker he is.

Santa Claus is everywhere:

Turn around after Thanksgiving and you cannot help but run into Santa or his image.  He is on street corners, in malls, on TV; you just can’t help seeing the guy everywhere you go.   Everyone knows who Santa is when they see or hear about him.  

 

Take that example and start being seen by the clients you want to work with. There are so many marketing tactics which can be used which will get your name out – blogging, public speaking, social networking, in-person networking.  If your potential clients do not know who you are, how are they going to hire you? 

Santa knows his target market 

Santa’s target market is children.  This hasn’t changed in the hundreds of years that Santa has been Rainmaking.  He doesn’t target adults; he knows that teenagers no longer believe in him so why even bother marketing to them, he stays within his target market year after year. 

Every year, hundreds of thousands of new children reach the age when they learn about Santa.  They learn that Santa gives gifts to good boys and girls, they learn that he represents the joys of the season, they learn about self-less giving and as a result, they become part of his new market.   

Decide what your target market is, then join the appropriate associations, read blogs, magazines and research the members of this market; read, offer to write, speak or answer the questions your target market has.   

Santa Claus always knows what his clients want.

This is not difficult for Santa; every year parents tell their children to write a letter to the big guy asking for what they want.  They bring their child to the mall, seat the little one on Santa’s lap and Santa asks the all important question:  “And what do YOU want for Christmas?”

The most important thing you can do is to find out what your client wants.  As attorneys, we sometimes believe we know what is good for our clients and we often tell them.  Instead, a great Rainmaker asks what their client is seeking and then tries to find a way to provide that to them (obviously within theframework of an ethical and legal practice of law).  

Santa always gives selflessly

Santa gives presents to all the good boys and girls.  He never asks for any in return.  As a result, his clients come back year after year, clamoring for more of his generosity. 

Begin to be generous with your clients.  Find ways to give back to the people who have become loyal to you by donating to a client’s favorite charity, offering a discount or just some free advice.  The good will you engender will cause this client to continue to use you as their advocate. 

He knows if you’ve been bad or good.

How Santa knows this, I am not sure.  The fact is that we grew up with this idea that Santa just knows.

Your clients know this too and you will lose them if you are not “Good.”  “Good” to them means that you are answering their phone calls, responding to them in a timely fashion, reassuring them regarding their cases.  What most clients want is to be acknowledged.  (You can also be sure if one client knows you have been “bad,” many more will know as well.)

Santa has the best Word-of Mouth Marketing

Generation after generation knows about Santa.  When the child becomes a parent, he or she passes down the knowledge of Santa to their children.

Rainmakers understand this as well.  When you do a good job for your clients, when you go above and beyond for them, rest assured that the word will get out and others will be calling you to help them with their cases as well.

Santa Claus is the ultimate Rainmaker, emulate him and you will not only have a jolly holiday and a happy New Year, but a great practice as well. 
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Rainmaking Recommendation from Jaimie Field, Esq. - The Why of Goal Setting

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Lindsay Griffiths

Never fear, Zen readers, I have not forgotten about our Twitter tutorials! However, I had a minor mishap with an exacto knife and Christmas gifts the other night, which has left me with five stitches in my left index finger, making it rather painful to type long posts! So between all of my recent travel and my latest clumsiness, you'll have to wait just a bit longer for the latest installment.

In the meantime, I'd like to bring you another tip from my friend and Rainmaking expert, Jaimie Field of Marketing Field. You can see her previous rainmaking recommendations here or you can sign up to receive them right in your email inbox on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. I highly recommend doing that - they're always excellent!

On to her recommendation! 

Rainmaking Recommendation #47:  The Ubiquitous Goal Setting Recommendation

Around this time of year, every person who works in the personal development business, law firm marketing and rainmaking training is writing posts on how to set goals for your next year.  In fact, if you Google “Goal Setting” and just set the search parameters for this month, you will see 213,000,000 hits. 

This rainmaking recommendation is not about “How” to set goals.  My blog is filled with how (as is any of the sites on the web when you Google the term) using the SMARTY technique.

This is about the “Why” to set goals. 

Here are my top three reasons:

  1. Provide you with direction:  Think of your life like a GPS.  When you use your GPS to get directions to where you want to go, you have to input your destination.   Goals are like this.  They provide you with an idea of where you want to go in your legal career.  When you set goals, particularly in writing, it also allows you to “recalculate” when you run into obstacles or detours to get to the end point.   (Thank you to Karen Jacobson, “The GPS Girl” for this analogy).
     
  2. Provides you with Motivation:  When you write down the goals you really want to achieve and break them into the small steps to get to the end, every stage you accomplish gives you that extra push to get to the end.  There is nothing more satisfying than literally crossing off a task on your list that will help you reach your goal.
     
  3. Increase Productivity:  When you know what want to accomplish – your goals - and have the steps to get there in writing – your tasks - you can increase your productivity.  For the most part, when people walk into their offices, they allow the day to dictate what they do.  You have the ability to increase your productivity when you know exactly what to do and when to do it.

When you can understand the “Why” to set goals, the “How” becomes easy. 

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Rainmaking Recommendations are sent the first and third Wednesdays of the month.  They are bite size tips that when implemented will cause you to make rain. To learn more about Rainmaking, Goal Setting and Achieving the Life you want as an Attorney please contact Jaimie B. Field, Esq.  If you have missed any of the previous Rainmaking Recommendations you can find them at www.jaimiefield.com The Enlightened Rainmaker Blog
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