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Top 5 Moments From Practice With Purpose and Tri-Annual Retreat

Sitting in the airport restaurant next to the gate for my flight home, I was physically exhausted after two weeks of travel, but mentally I was pumped!  While I was excited to go home to my family, my mind was spinning as I was forced to sit still for some time while waiting for boarding to begin.   

Bigstock-Hand-Symbol-That-Means-Five-45948397Grabbing a notebook from my bag, I began reflecting and “dumping down” all my takeaways.  I wanted to be sure to capture all the things I knew I needed to work on to “knock it out of the ball park” for the final two months of 2014. 

Below are my top five takeaways after spending a week of legal technical support training, marketing, coaching and team training with our members.  The members and their teams always inspire me so much with their focus and commitment to put their heads down and work hard with their teams to reach the goals they declare on their Money Plans. 

  • Two and a half days on Medicaid planning, asset protection, Veteran’s benefits, marketing your practice and every question asked along the way in Practice With Purpose.  Every moment was about the best approach to serving clients in the most effective way, while members added to their growth and understanding of estate & elder law planning.  Case studies were analyzed that probably mirror those sitting on attorney desks awaiting each attorney’s return. 
  • The arrival of the members and their teams on Wednesday for our highest attended Tri-Annual Retreat ever.  Attorneys and their teams started to trickle into the hotel and everyone hugged each other.  There were a few handshakes but most were hugs.  The LWP membership is a national group of attorneys and team members who hug when we see each other.  We know each other and grow together.  This warms my heart.
  • The breakout sessions.  An entire track each day was dedicated to either (1) technical legal; (2) marketing; or, (3) team development.  Just look at the titles of the sessions:
    • Key Features to the Trust Drafting Software You Need to Know
    • Busting Financial Planner Myths
    • You’ve Defined Roles, Now What?
    • Business Succession Planning
    • Community Presentations & Relations
    • What’s Happening in the Conference Room – The Signing & Funding Meetings
    • Post Death Trust Administration
    • How to Generate Facility Revenue: Getting & Staying in the Door with Nursing Homes
    • Communication Skills 
  • Firm Retreats.  We kicked off the firm retreats with each firm sharing a win since the last retreat in Orlando.  The shares were all HUGE in my personal opinion.  A common theme was that they all had more than one thing to share – but since we were limited to one – it was hard to decide which one to share with their mic in hand.  So much building and growing toward the practice of their dreams had happened.
  • The Why Coaching Day.  Breakthroughs from The Why Coaching Day were kicked off by Dave with a high level overview of every single conversation we’ve had in the Why program since Day 1, January 29, 2013, just 21 months ago. Going through the activity of “Where were you ten years ago?” to putting down “How you can be now to assure a future and present you love!”  My favorite share came from a team member who said that she’s doubted herself as a “leader” in the firm but now has 100% confidence that she IS and WILL be a leader in the firm – all said with tears in her eyes (and mine too).

It felt as though the focus in the room was completely on point. After being on implementation calls this past week with so many of our members, I know one thing for certain … there is a level of focus and determination among our members I’ve not seen before.  Drive, determination and commitment to “hitting it out of the ball park” for the future was defined for members both personally and professionally. 

I can’t wait for the February 2015 shares in Charlotte. 

Roslyn Drotar – Lawyers With Purpose, Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Marketing & Social Strategist.

Join Our Marketing Roundtable Member Webinar With Co-host Nicole Wipp November 7th

Join our Marketing Roundtable Member Webinar on Friday, November 7th at 12:00 EST.  Roslyn Drotar & Nicole Wipp will be discussing:  

12 Shades of Law Firm Marketing: Master Your Calendar and Dominate Your Market in 2015 With a Comprehensive Marketing Calendar.

  • Setting your clear marketing vision.
  • Ideas and strategies to master your marketing calendar (make it easy)!
  • How to dominate your market in 2015.
  • Rounding out your calendar with both retail and wholesale marketing.
  • Getting your team on board.

For more information and dial up information, contact Roslyn Drotar at rdrotar@lawyerswithpurpose.com.  

Cost vs. Price vs. Worth vs. Value

Two of the most common terms we hear used in economics are price and cost. They seem almost interchangeable, but that is not the case. So what exactly is the difference between price and cost?

Cost vs. Price vs. Worth vs. Value is always such a tricky conversation for attorneys to navigate with confidence and ease. Most times when we receive calls from interested attorneys they classically dance around the question of “What does it cost?” Sadly this is well after they asked for a detailed explanation of the worth and value. And why this is so sad is because they were unable to be present during the conversation of worth and value because the daunting price question was looming. No irony why the same entrepreneurs are typically the ones that struggle with inconsistent leads and unpredictable mood quoting of fees in their practices.

So, where am I going with this?

Over the last year you have contacted LWP to hear more what value our membership levels provide and what the pricing structure is. Well, if you’ve ever been seriously interested, now is the time to put pen to paper and weigh the Cost vs Price vs Worth vs Value because effective Monday, October 27th, our Pricing, Services & Membership models are changing. And I think you will be pleased.

If you have been considering joining the Lawyers with Purpose community please contact me at mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com to schedule a 15 minute demo to see the upcoming Pricing, Services, & Membership changes and how the changes may impact you!

NOW may be the best time for you to take the leap of faith and join the LWP Community…waiting could possibly cost you.

In your corner,

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.

 

Please READ – NEW Pricing & Membership Changes – Effective Monday, October 27th!

At LWP we are committed to innovation and continuous improvement. In an effort to augment our services and the value of our membership levels, LWP is excited to announce it has an additional membership level. All membership offerings were specifically designed to serve solo, small and medium sized firms based on their customized needs. Changes are applicable to all NEW memberships beginning on Monday, October 27th.

If you have been considering joining the Lawyers with Purpose community please contact me at mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com to schedule a 15 minute demo to see the upcoming pricing, services, & membership changes and how the changes may impact you!

NOW may be the best time for you to take the leap of faith and join the LWP Community…waiting could possibly cost you.

In your corner,

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers With Purpose

 

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Another Meeting?

You’re kidding!

The question was raised again this week in CC&I calls about what a time template should look like as far as weekly meetings are concerned.

What we see working for members is a quick twice daily “catch-up” conversation that we commonly refer to as a “Got-A-Minute.”  This isn’t meant to be a sit-down meeting, but almost a quick team huddle, similar to what you’d see on a football field.  Encouraging each team member to keep a legal pad specifically for noting issues or questions to be raised in the “Got-A-Minutes” and creating an office environment where interruptions happen only in extreme emergency, will dramatically improve office productivity.  

Bigstock-Fight-55325972 (1)Keep in mind that each and every interruption effectively costs the firm 22 minutes of time.

So!  If your office has twice daily 15-20 minute GAMs incorporated into its time template, and they are being religiously observed, how many meetings does a firm need and how can a firm “take care of business” in the most time-efficient way?

Ideally, you would have two additional internal meetings on the weekly time template – a one-hour weekly team meeting, and a one-hour weekly marketing/RMS meeting. 

Everyone attends the weekly team meeting.  And each and every team member reports at the meeting.  This means that roles and responsibilities need to be clearly defined, with clear expectations of which team member is tracking and will report on which aspect of the firm’s business.  For a detailed sample agenda of a weekly team meeting, and the reports that should be covered, please see the recently revised “Sample Weekly Team Meeting Agenda, Tips & Techniques” which can be located on the LWP website by logging into the members section and using the search word “team.” 

Once again, this may mean breaking some old habits, or creating some new ones.  Team members need to hold each other accountable for weekly reporting.  If someone is unavoidably absent, have the meeting anyway.  By observing the suggested “rules” and timeframe, the meeting should run no longer than an hour.

The weekly marketing/RMS meeting should be attended by the attorney(s) and any team member involved in marketing or administering the RMS process.  The “Weekly Marketing Meeting Agenda,” can be found on the LWP website by logging into the members section, and using the search word “marketing,” gives a general outline of what should be covered during this weekly meeting.

Any special project, team training or firm development project would also need to be scheduled, but these should not necessarily be considered “meetings.” Depending upon your firm time template, you may have already reserved time each week to focus on a firm-development related project.

If your reports are not informing your practice and your team is not actively involved in reaching a revenue goal each month, we can help you review how your weekly team meetings should be driving your practice.

If you have questions about your weekly meetings, or would like more information, please don’t hesitate to write me at ncatale@lawyerswithpurpose.com.

Announcing NEW Pricing, Services, & Membership Changes—Effective Monday, October 27th

At LWP we are committed to innovation and continuous improvement. In an effort to augment our services and the value of our membership levels, LWP is excited to announce changes to our membership levels. All membership offerings were specifically designed to serve solo, small and medium sized firms based on their customized needs. Changes are applicable to all NEW memberships beginning Monday October 27th

If you have been considering joining the Lawyers with Purpose community, please contact mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com to schedule a 15 minute demo to see the upcoming Pricing, Services, & membership structures prior to October 27th! 

Existing LWP member? Great NEWS, you’re grandfathered in! 

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Special Live Legal Update On The Aplin Case & The Peterson Case

Monday, September 29, 2014 - 4:00p-5:00p EST

Join us on Monday, September 29th at 4:00 EDT, where Dave will be providing a legal update to our membership regarding the recent decisions that have come down on the Aplin case and the Peterson case. Please be sure to join us as Dave discusses the impact of these cases on current planning.

Webinar (1)

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Why You’re Not Reaching Your Revenue Goal

Just as we each need to create and declare our goals for personal growth, our teams need to create and declare common goals for the continued growth of our practice. We see firsthand over and over again…this is the common denominator for those making their revenue goals and those that are not. The difference is a growth path for team and attorney alike.

Bigstock-Close-up-Of-Hand-Crushing-Bank-44754049Every team needs time to step away from the daily tasks that we perform in our effort to create a great experience for our clients. Have you ever thought to yourself “What a luxury it would be to have T-I-M-E!!” … time to brainstorm with each other about what’s not working and what’s working … time to focus on the practice and really, actively plan for your future … time to set realistic goals and put in writing an action plan that includes who is doing what, by when, and how to carve it out in their weekly calendar. All with the reality that if we stick to this plan and hold each other accountable to it by checking in during our weekly team meeting, we can actually bring the goals to fruition …

The LWP™ Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat offers you exactly what you’ve been dreaming about … T-I-M-E … an entire afternoon dedicated to your team and your practice … with a working plan to get you started and coaches available for when you get stuck. Imagine having time for your entire team to work ON the practice rather than IN the practice … imagine the possibilities. No need to imagine, because you can make the possibilities into probabilities and arrive at the office with a workable plan for creating the reality.

That is time well-spent … That is a Team Retreat.

To take part in the half day “Intentional Retreats: How to get you to where you want to go” contact Marci Otts at motts@lawyerswithpurpose.com to reserve your seat. All registration closes September 29th, 2014.

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This Is Not What I Signed Up For

I have been told that the job hunting process can become mundane and can leave you feeling defeated and hopeless on most days. The “process” begins with turning on the TV to watch the TODAY show, brewing a fresh cup of joe and clicking on all your bookmark tabs: Monster, Craigslist, Indeed, local listings, etc.

Bigstock-Spiral-Light-Bulb-Character-An-69348181You begin to browse the latest listings and can recite the standard ad posting word for word. I have been told it gets to the point that you don’t even read the ad any longer, as the average “bookkeeper” ad doesn’t tend to deviate much. There isn’t much creativity or uniqueness in a standard position. You get called in for the interview, and you pass with flying colors. You review the job description at the interview and scan through it with lightning speed. “Yay, blah, yep, standard. Got it. So where is the part about hours, vacation and holidays?”

At LWP we spent years and years with a communication expert to help us carefully craft the job descriptions and organization charts our members use to create their own versions, all in the spirit of “who's doing what to reach the goal” in their business. Last week I was on an LWP implementation call with a new team member serving in the role of the relationship and community outreach coordinator. The attorney requested that I go through her job description line item by line item with her, comparing it to the system for her job side by side to make certain she understood where in the system she could fulfill each responsibility. He wanted to make certain she understood how to carry out each of the actions within the job description, which we had carefully tweaked to make specific to his needs.

Since she has been in the marketing industry for a decade, I knew I had my work cut out for me. After 17 years of this, I’ve learned that the veteran employees can often be the most inflexible. She understands the power of nurturing relationships and showing up as a “GO Giver” everywhere you go. She truly was a superstar when it came to talking the talk. But when we broke down the job description and its implications for her day-to-day activities, she quickly became quiet. Her chiming in and interrupting with what she did at the last job plainly came to a standstill. We were meeting via Skype, but I could still see her entire body language shift. “Tammi, I want to check in,” I said. “I am noticing you leaned back from the screen. Your hands are no longer flopping with excitement. Your bubbly persona is in dire need of fix-o-flat. What’s up?”

“This isn’t what I signed up for. I am a marketer; this is all follow-up work,” Tammi scarcely peeped out. I could hear the fear of the possibility that the very words that left her lips may have just produced her walking papers. “Tammi, did you not read the job description before you took the job?” “I glanced at it,” she replied. “But I thought it was like every other job, boilerplate.” The direction of the conversation took a 2mm shift. We talked about how not following up with your prospects and customers is the same as filling up your bathtub without first putting the stopper in the drain! I always tell my attorneys, you’re better off staying home than wasting your time making contacts if someone on your team isn’t putting in the time (and heart) on the follow-up.

A study done by The Association of Sales Executives revealed that 81% of all sales happen on or after the fifth touch. And I have actually seen it much higher in the personal services industry (which we are); it is usually more like nine touches. This is especially true when you don’t have a fancy retail marketing budget, meaning your firm’s branding is probably all over the place. Solopreneurs sadly lose too much business because of one reason and one reason only – lack of follow-up. We discussed how the follow-up is NOT grunt work. It’s not admin work. It is enrollment. It is where you get to marry all your marketing genius and integrate it over and over again. If you shift your mind from a place of “task” to a place of “marketing” you will see how this IS not only your job, but the most important part of your job. She got it.

We created ways to make the follow-up creative, with personal connection and tracking and measuring. We made a game of it in a way where we would know when we reached the goal. “This is not what I signed up for” is what we hear from people, but usually only when it’s too far gone. Take the time to go through your team’s job description with your system of how to do what they are supposed to do. You will be surprised that most people don’t spend the time going through this piece, and it’s crucial to getting your team properly up to speed and trained. And the act of doing it with them is essential. The biggest piece that is getting glossed over is usually a mainline to why you may be struggling with lead generation, lead conversion and/or consistent cash flow.

If you're an estate planning attorney and want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose check out the agenda for our Practice With Purpose Program from October 20nd-22nd in Phoenix, Arizona.  We still have a few seats left so register today to make sure you reserve your spot!

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.

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Congratulations to Andrew Jaloza, LWP Member Of The Month

What is the greatest success you’ve had since joining LWP?  

The two greatest successes I have had to date are 1)  witnessing the dropping of the shoulders as my clients experience the peace of mind that knowing that I have educated them about and assisted in solving their estate planning dilemma, and 2) having a couple who are financial advisors tell me that the reason they have retained me is that they get the feeling that I really care about what I am doing.  LWP has given me the tools to create a practice that is extremely gratifying.
 
Andrew PictureWhat is your favorite LWP tool?
 
The legal/technical support of Aaron Miller and the coaching of my implementation coach Roz Drotar. As I have told them there is no way I could do this without them.   
 
How has being part of LWP impacted your team and your practice?
The systematic approach and the support of LWP has enable myself and my team to create a successful estate planning practice in a very short period of time.  The tools of LWP and my team, headed by my awesome right hand Deatra Austin have created a thriving Estate Planning Practice with Purpose in no time flat.  
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Conversations Are Crushing Your Future Revenue

I’m a stickler (PITA – aka "Pain In The A–") about providing a time and place for “conversations” in the workplace. I am all for connection, team building, sharing personal victories and working through where you are stuck in your life. I feel I am by nature a heart-centered person. I spend most of my free time on the yoga mat, hiking, camping or spending time with my dear friends and family. I’m all about connection and conversation. My Language of Appreciation is Quality Time and I lead with WHOO on the Strength Finder 2.0. However, I have strong convictions around limiting “conversation” during dedicated meeting and reporting times.

Bigstock-Close-up-Of-Hand-Crushing-Bank-44754049I’ve heard rumblings of the team saying, “She cuts me off mid- sentence sometimes,” or “She gets irritated easily during department meetings when we XXXXX.” When my director of operations shared some of this feedback with me recently while measuring the effectiveness of our department meetings, none of it surprised me. I feel exactly what they are feeling. I lead my department meetings like a boardroom meeting, always anchoring to the agenda and standards, story-stopping and data-seeking. I always hold the team members’ feet to the fire around consistent tracking, measuring and reporting versus stories about what it all does or doesn’t say.

Weekly team meetings, quarterly internal team retreats, unscheduled water cooler meet-ups, impromptu phone calls, team building events, etc. – ALL of these are excellent places for conversation and connection. But if you're allowing your weekly department meetings to be a place for coffee klatching, you will quickly find people dreading meetings because they are ineffective, and possibly useless. People thrive on structure and accountability. (And yes, you must hold separate department meetings even if you are a team of 1.5. HINT: Revisit The E-Myth.)

“How are things going? What’s occurred since our last call?”  That is how I started the monthly CCI call with a firm this past week. The attorney: “I’m not getting my reporting and have no idea what is working, what’s not working and where we stand with conversion rates right now. I know we are really, really busy, but I’m uncertain if any of this business is connected to revenue. I don’t know what is going on day in, day out because I am behind closed doors counseling, solving or convincing people of why we are worth our fees.” The client services coordinator instantly became defensive and spouted all the reasons why the reporting is or isn't occurring from her perspective. I really didn’t matter at that point; we were having a conversation about what we thought and felt was the state of the business. The reports weren’t doing the talking.

The attorney was really trying to communicate one simple thing with the story-stopping and desperate plea for consistent reporting. Business owners need (not necessarily want) the consistency of weekly meetings that are led and run by someone else. Every business owner needs weekly reporting and tracking so we know if we are shooting in the dark or aiming true north. Business owners are typically secretly walking around scared to death that today is the day “the other shoe will drop.”

You undeniably must create time and space in your workplace for conversation and connection. But if your weekly department meetings lack the unrelenting standards of a boardroom meeting and are instead weighed down with casual conversations, you can guarantee you're crushing your future revenue.

To learn more on how to effectively run your weekly department meetings, contact mhall@lawyerswithpurpose.com

Have you registered for our Practice With Purpose Program yet?  If you want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose, register today and spend 2.5 day with us learning all you need to know about Asset Protection, Medicaid & VA.  Click here, check out the agenda, and register today!  

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.