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Atticus Law Firm and Attorney Coaching Workshops

Author: Steve Riley

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Posted on October 13, 2020
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Meet three attorneys who grew their law firms successfully in the face of 2020's obstacles. This article is based on a panel discussion hosted by Attorney and Atticus Practice Advisor, Steve Riley, and Atticus Director of Client Services, Denise Gamez. Steve and Denise interviewed three Atticus clients who grew their firms exponentially despite the unique challenges of 2020. Panelists: Shannon Sagan, Law Offices of Shannon J. Sagan, PA, Lake Worth, FL, www.1800flalawyer.com Roberta "Bobbie" Batley, Batley Powers Family Law, Albuquerque, NM, www.batleypowers.com Jonathan White, Jordan & White, LLC, Salem, MA, www.jordanwhitellc.com What Was the Biggest Challenge You Faced and Why? DENISE: "Bobbie, you just saw really great growth, what do you think was your biggest challenge?" BOBBIE: "As the Atticus Coaches know, my weakness is being the cheerleader, the hero in our firm in that role. I want to walk in every day and inspire people and set them on a straight course. I suffered a really devastating personal loss at the end of April and I couldn't be that… I just could not be that. So, my star associate, my paralegal, my office manager just pushed me out of the way, stepped in and became that. And, it was that great reminder to me...

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Posted on July 13, 2020
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One of the most important rules for any business operating remotely is to treat your referral sources well and keep in touch with them often. Your relationships with these fellow professionals and friends are your lifeline to new business. Begin with building and strengthening these relationships through referral marketing and start by identifying your top 20 referral sources. Make a list of this high-caliber referral base and call them personally – do not email them and do not ask your staff to call them....

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Posted on July 5, 2020
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In your law firm, nothing costs as much as your team — not the building, not the furnishings, not the marketing budget. But all these pale in comparison to the cost of a bad employee. Over time, a bad employee can drive away marketing contacts, clients, and even the good people on your staff, damaging your reputation, your success, and your bottom line....

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Posted on July 3, 2020
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Running your law firm remotely can have its challenges, but it also offers unique opportunities to build your practice and find new clients by connecting with your prospects in new ways and on their level. Imagine the number of clients and prospects who have never participated in a Zoom, WebEx, or Skype meeting. Think about the uncertainty and anxiety many may feel on their first client intake call using this strange, new technology....

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Posted on November 21, 2019
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The first rule of marketing is to never, ever, ever stop marketing. The second rule of marketing is to never, ever, ever stop marketing. Now is a good time to kick-start your law firm's marketing plans to make next year your best year ever. To get started, focus on the first three months of next year. Here are three questions that, when answered honestly, can help direct your firm to get a quick start: What one thing can you do in the first quarter to get your marketing moving forward? What's one thing that scares you, but you know if you did it that it would be a big marketing boost? What's one thing that would give you and your team the most marketing confidence? How you answer these questions will be different for you than for different firms and, unless you just completely drop the ball, there are really no wrong answers. Anything that gets you moving, that motivates you, is worthwhile. With that in mind, let's look at your referral marketing — because referral marketing is one of the least expensive and most productive marketing activities in which you can engage. You need a systematic process for building relationships with key referral...

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Posted on October 17, 2019
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The greatest challenge in planning an exit strategy from your law practice is that most lawyers don’t think about working today to make their practice more valuable tomorrow. They put off thinking through how to make the practice valuable to a buyer. I have looked at this from many different viewpoints, including selling my practice, looking to buy another practice, negotiating to have lateral partners merge, and examining what is the “real” street value of a practice versus the appraised value. There are three key things to consider working on today that will increase the value of your practice tomorrow. Your case management system. There is tremendous value in an updated, thought out, and organized case management system. If you can email all of your clients to announce a merger, a marketing program, a workshop, or a law change, then you are on the right path. If you are thinking, "That is a really neat idea, but I would never do that," then you may be on the wrong path to making your practice valuable. Your team. How dependent is the law firm on you? In my experience, the more dependent the firm is on your presence, the less valuable your firm...

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Posted on September 18, 2019
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Fall is here and it’s time to begin implementing your law firm’s holiday marketing plan. Wait, though. You do have a holiday marketing plan, right? If you do, great! Let me know what you plan to do and the results you’re shooting for this year. I’d love to compare ideas. But if you don’t, then I’ve got some great tips below to get you started. Committing to creating your firm’s holiday marketing plan goes a long way to strengthen your law firm’s referral network and grow your practice. In doing so, you can enjoy the season and strengthen your business relationships. This isn’t about buying the biggest and most audacious gifts to stand out from the crowd. It’s more about acknowledging your practice’s top referral sources and strengthening those relationships. I have heard ideas that range from law firm owners dressed as Santa Claus delivering gifts to throwing parties with eggnog and snacks. It’s all about what you feel is the best way to say thank you. Here are some ideas to help you enjoy the holidays while building relationships for the year ahead: You may feel like you don’t have enough time to do some or any holiday marketing. If you have someone you can...

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Posted on July 19, 2019
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If you’re like most attorneys, at the end of a long day at the office, all you want to do is get home to your family and relax. You want to take it easy, especially at the end of a long week. All too often, however, you can’t relax. There are dishes in the sink, dirty clothes that need washing, and a carpet that looks like it hasn’t seen a vacuum in weeks. After a long day at work, you still have a long day ahead of you at home. As a law firm owner, you’ve hired and trained staff for key positions that keep your practice humming — from a receptionist to a client intake specialist, from a paralegal to a team leader for document drafting. There’s one position you might not have considered, however, that could really increase your productivity at work and the amount of quality time you spend with your family: a domestic assistant. I know what you’re thinking: There’s no way I can afford to hire someone to help manage my household errands and projects. I say there’s no way you can’t afford to hire a domestic assistant. Doing so will free up time for you to be...

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Posted on April 10, 2019
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Many of my coaching clients who are confident in their hourly rates are concerned about ways of determining profitability for their fixed price, or flat fee, services. They want to know how to reach a profit margin that will make them the kind of money they need to be successful. Profitability is a term that is thrown around in business settings, but people often use the word without knowing what it really means. In order to define it, let’s first talk about what profitability is not. Fair Price When I talk about profitability, I’m not talking about what you or anyone else thinks is a fair price. “Fair” is a relative term, and everyone has his or her own idea of what that means. Whose idea of “fair” are we talking about? Fair to you? To the client? Is there some sliding scale of “fair” out there? Of course not. Client Wish Profitability also has nothing to do with what the client would wish to pay. Most people are looking for ways to save money. But you are not in the business of providing the cheapest, bargain priced, clearance rack service. You are in the business of providing excellent service. And excellence costs money. If...

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