Do Lawyers Need Alone Time to Rest and Recharge?

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Do Lawyers Need Alone Time to Rest and Recharge?

The BBC Magazine has just published the survey results from 18,000 people in 134 countries who took an online survey called the “Rest Test”. The survey was created by Hubbub, an international group of academics, mental health experts, and others to determine what rest means and how it is achieved (BBC Magazine, http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-37444982).

The top 11 responses involved activities that are usually or always done alone. Not until item #12, “seeing friends and family”, did the activity necessitate human contact and the pattern surprising applied as consistently among introverts as among extroverts.

  1. Reading; identified by 58% of respondents.
  2. Being in the natural environment; chosen slightly more often by woman than by men.
  3. Spending time alone; selected more by women and the under 30’s.
  4. Listening to music; appealed more to men than to women.
  5. Doing nothing in particular; appealed to all except the 31- 45 age group.
  6. Walking; 8% also found running restful and 16% found exercise in general to be restful.
  7. Having a bath or shower; oddly more popular among the youngest.
  8. Daydreaming; our default state that neuroscientists have found stimulates more activity in the brain (that might be regarded as “housekeeping” activity) than when the mind is focused on a task.
  9. Watching TV; chosen by more woman and by younger people.
  10. Meditating or Practicing Mindfulness; a growing trend.
  11. Being with animals
  12. Seeing friends and family

Perhaps important to working professionals is that 9% of respondents associated rest with the words, “guilty” or “stress inducing”. Younger individuals working full-time and having higher incomes were found, not surprisingly, to be the least rested cohort. And  perhaps consistent with that revelation was the finding that the majority of individuals employed full-time viewed rest as the opposite of work. However, that did not hold true among the self-employed. A lower percentage of self-employed individuals saw the same dichotomy. Does this suggest that solo practice might be innately more restful than working in a larger firm environment where more autonomy is relinquished? Or could it be due to the higher likelihood of achieving a few moments of blissful solitude in a solo practice environment? The study leaves us to contemplate.

The study also saw a correlation between rest and a sense of well-being. Those who managed to rest between 5-6 hours the day prior to taking the survey, by whatever definition rest might have for them, scored the highest feelings of well-being. Those who achieved the least rest indicated the lowest sense of well-being. However, the study doesn’t answer which came first, the rest or the well-being. Do the better rested feel better about life in general, or are those with a higher level of well-being better able to rest? The chicken-and-egg issue is unresolved, but those who felt most rested on one day scored twice as high in well-being the next day as compared to the least rested.

To hear three audio presentations on the study, go to “The Anatomy of Rest” at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07w0s5l/episodes/player.

 

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CPD Interactive partners with VidVersity

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CPD Interactive partners with VidVersity

CPD Interactive recently partnered with VidVersity to offer a brand new tool for law firms to easily and quickly create online video course content that is trackable for CPD and compliance purposes.

With just a smart phone and a microphone, firms can capture new video or make use of existing video resources.  Upload your video to the VidVersity platform then it’s just 3 easy steps to your course launch:-

1. Cut and save your video into chapters

2. Add questions and other resources – weblinks to cases or legislation, printable notes or PDF files

3. Save and publish

Our VidVersity customers are fully supported with training, course design and troubleshooting and we will even build your first course for you. 

CPD Interactive is also using VidVersity to create an additional range of CPD courses which we will offer to our retail customers and corporate clients.

Click here for more information about VidVersity

 

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Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards

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Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards

I was honoured to be attend the Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards last week, where Lawyers Weekly recognises the achievements of women who have challenged, influenced or changed the practice of law in Australia.  It was a well attended event and I was privileged to be amongst such amazing women.  Congratulations to the all the deserving winners.

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How to Grow Your Client Base Without Promoting Yourself – Part 1

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How to Grow Your Client Base Without Promoting Yourself, Part 1

Traditional marketing isn’t working anymore and it perhaps never worked well for professional service providers such as lawyers. Traditional marketing once involved print ads (newspapers, magazines, billboards, phone book, etc), TV ads, and radio ads. More recently, marketing advanced to mass cold emailing of advertising material (aka, spam). Now, every online video is polluted with pre-roll commercials, which are skipped by 94% of viewers within the first 5 seconds, by the way.[1] All these approaches are marketer-centric and interruptive. Even banner ads, a more targeted advertising approach, are so widely ignored that a term exists for it: “banner-blindness[2]. Consumers have lost their taste for marketing that pushes out sales pitches. Law firms should leave any such advertising efforts in the past.

The current trend in online marketing is to attract targeted, prospective clients using inbound marketing techniques that draw prospects in. The key is content. In bound marketing is perfectly suited to lawyers because it shuns blatant selling and relies on quality content. The challenge for lawyers is to understand how to use informative content to bring in the right prospects.

Inbound marketing

The basic ingredients of inbound marketing are a web site and/or landing page[3], a blog, and selective use of social media. When combined skillfully for an appropriate length of time, the combination should produce the targeted, prospective clients that you really want. But just like any recipe, execution is critical. Carelessly tossing together ingredients in some random fashion might well produce nothing more than a big waste of time.

Unlike marketer-centric traditional marketing, inbound marketing focuses on addressing the needs of your target market. It is customer-centric. Rather than promoting your own capabilities (you as centre of attention), you promote solutions (their problems as centre of attention). Clearly, you reveal your professional capability in the process of being helpful, but the focus is always on your target market. Self-promotion is not only unnecessary, but would undermine your inbound marketing effort. And that suits most lawyers just fine.

So, how would this work in practice? Using old-school advertising, you might have a display ad in a publication, or equivalent information on your website, that includes practice area, years of experience, your claim of trustworthiness, etc.:

How to grow your client base ad example

Whether the advertisement appears on a printed page or somewhere online makes little difference. It is pure self-promotion. It requires the prospective client to believe your claim of competence without any real proof. It does little, if anything, to build trust.

The inbound marketing approach begins with content, usually a blog post. Your blog might walk home-buyers through the purchase process, explain clauses of a purchase agreement, address the steps in obtaining a mortgage, or dissect differences in mortgage instruments. Any topic that is helpful to your target market of home purchasers is a good topic. Posts show that you know something and that you are generous with your knowledge. That begins to build some real faith in you as a problem solving professional.

But you need to do more than sit and hope that prospective clients will stumble upon your excellent blog. More on that in Part 2.

[1] http://www.smartinsights.com/content-management/content-marketing-strategy/online-ads-eclipsed-whilst-content-marketing-continues-meteoric-rise/

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banner_blindness

[3] https://cpdinteractive.com.au/market-your-practice-area-landing-page/

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Better client retention through better lawyer-client relationships Part 2

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Better client retention through better lawyer-client relationships, Part 2

Part 1 of this post, at Better client retention through better lawyer-client relationships, demonstrated that the right communication with clients is important to preserving the lawyer-client relationship for both small and large firms. While most lawyers believe that they are doing a fine job, too many clients are dissatisfied with the type of communication they receive. While lawyers saw a good explanation of law and of fees to be valued communication, clients wanted more updates, better listening, and less arrogance. Not even positive legal results saved lawyers with poor communication skills from the real possibility of being replaced.

But if lawyers are rather oblivious to their communication shortcomings, as the data suggests, how can they change? There are a few things you can do to analyze whether a problem exists and then to address it.

Start with a look at your objective data. Has revenue from “steady” clients shown a decline? Has it been ages since you’ve heard from certain clients? Have referrals slowed?

What do clients want from their lawyers?

In a study by BMI Consulting reported in the article, “What do clients want from their lawyers?”, it was found that declining revenue too often went unrecognized as a sign of corporate client dissatisfaction.

These clients generally did not tell the demoted primary law firm of the

changes in status; they just spent less and less money with the primary law firm—

and more with another secondary law firm—until the law firms’ roles reversed.

According to BTI, most primary law firms did not recognize dwindling annual

billings as a red flag until it was too late…

The survey results reported by BTI indicate neither outcome nor cost of services were the most frequently mentioned causes of dissatisfaction.

Rather, 53% of corporate counsel expressed dissatisfaction with communication from the previously primary law firms.[1]

Of course, not every client dissatisfied with communication is in the process of jumping ship. Your data may not show much. It could mean that you are already doing a fine job of communicating. But an absence of data is hardly conclusive. So, simply ask your clients.

Open the communication line – ask for client input

The best way to know if there is communication problem is to ask for client input. Email a short survey through a professional service such as Google or Survey Monkey that tallies results. And be sure to provide at least some text boxes for open-ended responses. While multiple-choice answers are easier to tabulate, they restrict replies and can produce misleading results. You might also have clients fill out surveys as they sit waiting to meet with you. There is always the option of stunning clients with a friendly call through which you glean the same information. Or, you might hold a social function and create the opportunity to speak informally. The objective is to open a line of communication that informs you about how well you are communicating. Just showing that you care enough to ask may set your firm apart and, in itself, aid in client retention.

[1] http://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1672&context=jdr. “What Do Clients Want From Their Lawyers?”,  Clark D. Cunningham, Journal of Dispute Resolution, (2013), Volume 1.

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Better Client Retention Through Better Lawyer-Client Relationships

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Better Client Retention Through Better Lawyer-Client Relationships, Part 1

You may be shocked to learn that lawyers routinely rate their own performance higher than do their clients. And this isn’t just true of the biggest egos at the biggest law firms. From the data available, this tendency to think a bit too highly of ourselves appears to be a profession-wide affliction.

While it may be rather funny, it may also be rather dangerous with consequences for client retention. At the heart of client retention is meeting client needs and wants, which are not necessarily the same thing.

Lexis Nexis study

In a 2015 UK study by Lexis Nexis involving 118 lawyers in small and medium sized firms and over 500 clients, 80% of the lawyers rated their performance as, “above average”. Unfortunately, only 40% of their clients agreed[1]. The essential factor in this disconnect was poor communication and differing standards applied by lawyer and by client in assessing performance. For example, while lawyers thought they were doing a great job by explaining fees and the law, clients were home getting irked for the lack of progress updates that they wanted. In fact, lawyers and clients only agreed in their ratings on 2 factors; the importance of explaining fees (rated #1) and the importance of keeping to a timetable (rated #7)[2].

The chart, below, identifies some of the most striking survey results:

Topic Client Rank Lawyer Rank
Provides clear indication of likely costs/fixed fees 1 1
Provides regular updates on progress 2 10
Personally responds to emails/calls within 24 hours 5 3
Good at listening 6 12
Demystifies the law 8 4
Treats you as a partner in the relationship 11 6
Provides tailored services vs package solution 12 9

Report findings – large firms

But if you think the large firms are keeping corporate clients blissful, think again. In a US report entitled, “What Do Clients Want From Their Lawyers”[3], research found that 70% of corporate counsel for American corporations in Europe would not recommend their primary outside firm. Neither fees nor the quality of the legal work were at issue. But when asked, “What is the one thing that outside counsel does that drives you crazy?“, 53% of corporate counsel cited communication issues:[/fusion_text][fusion_text]

What is the one thing that outside counsel does that just drives you crazy?
Failure to keep client adequately informed 21%
Lack of client focus, failure to listen, non-responsiveness, arrogance 15%
Making decisions without client authorization or awareness 10%
Failure to give clear, direct advice 7%
53%

The practical result of this dissatisfaction was that corporate counsel quietly shifted work and revenue away from the primary outside firm with communication issues.

What can firms do to improve client service and avoid the breakdown of an otherwise beautiful attorney-client relationship?  More on that in Part 2.

[1] http://businessoflaw.lexisnexis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/04/LexisNexis_Bellwether2015_Age_of_the_Client.pdf, Page 4.

[2] Id., Page 19.

[3] http://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1672&context=jdr. “What Do Clients Want From Their Lawyers?”,  Clark D. Cunningham, Journal of Dispute Resolution, (2013), Volume 1.

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How to write your law blog content for robots

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How to write your law blog content for robots

When you write your law blog, you expect human readers. But you may overlook that non-humans also read your blog posts. Bots, those search engine creepy crawlies that spend every nanosecond indexing content, need to be considered if prospective human clients, presumably your target market, are ever going to see your blog posts.

Because there is a lot of content out there, bots (or spiders, crawlers, or robots) can’t index every word. They prioritize content and index only that which fits within their algorithmic rules. Thus, implementing some basic search engine optimization, or “SEO”, into your writing is advisable. Otherwise, your content could get buried deep in search rankings, never to be seen again.

Let’s suppose that you write solid content, but include analogy or instructive metaphors in your law blog content to add interest. The literal-minded bots won’t grasp that complexity even if a human reader would understand that you are squarely on topic. Your writing might have flair, but would almost certainly suffer in search rankings and fail to reach your audience.

Given that you are competing with a world of other blogs (over 76 million just on WordPress) it seems wise to take any indexing advantage you can get. One of the best things you can do to help your SEO is to add links to your post and to be so darned interesting that others link to you as an information source. Even linking to yourself, such as to previous posts, to a page of your website, or to a landing page can aid your ranking.

Just as each page of your website should feature its own set of keywords, each blog post should have specific keywords that associate with a page of your website or a landing page, known as “cornerstone content” . A page with cornerstone content acts as a hub for a certain set of keywords.

So, to help your next law blog post improve its search ranking:

  • Use the same words and phrases as your keywords that prospective clients would use when they search for legal assistance. This helps your content pop as most relevant in search results. For more guidance on how to judge the value of a keyword, the Moz “Beginners Guide to SEO” is a useful resource.
  • Put your keywords in the title and at the top of your post. Be clear and be consistent.
  • Sprinkle keywords throughout the post, but don’t overdo it. Bots hate keyword cramming and can get vindictive enough to ban you from indexes.
  • Make keywords as specific as possible to acquire the most targeted search traffic.
  • Bots have improved in recognising keyword synonyms, but be sure they are straight-forward.
  • Write authoritatively (fundamental to any good law blog) so that others link to you as an information source.
  • Cite valuable information from other top-notch websites or blogs and link to them within your law blog post.
  • Have keywords of a website page or landing page act as a cornerstone for your post content.

If you achieve at least some of these objectives in each post of your law blog, you will help your content reach more prospective clients.

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How to market your Practice Area with a Landing Page

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How to market your Practice Area with a Landing Page

So what is a landing page and why would your practice area ever consider one when your firm has a snazzy website? After all, your practice area is mentioned, right?

But that is the very issue; your information blends in with all the other site information and probably can’t stand out. The firm website has numerous pages and covers a lot of territory. It has a menu that bounces visitors all over the site. Compared to a landing page, a website is an unfocused jumble of confusion containing a variety of objectives.

A landing page, on the other hand, features one product or idea. It is designed as one continuous page so it needs no menu. When used by businesses as part of an online marketing program, a landing page has the singular focus of capturing visitor contact information, for which some landing pages offer a free downloadable item as thanks for filling out a form. Landing pages operate as the click-through destination from an online ad, from an email campaign, from social media pages, or from standard search results.

Here’s one that epitomises focus (mariemerrill.com):

Landing page example

The product is not even available yet. The only objective of the landing page is to build an list of prospects to contact when the product is ready. The sign-up button is prominent. The icon in the bottom corner leads to Instagram where you can see lots of photos and “follow” the product’s progress socially. That’s it.

Using a landing page in your law firm

So how can your law firm use a landing page? First, define the “product” you’re promoting. Keep it simple. The landing page, below, focuses solely on one law-related service: blog writing help. Other services are barely mentioned (below the fold). The focus is unmistakably on copywriting assistance for lawyers (www.ereadyconsulting.com).

Landing page example2

 

Notice the structure. The “product” is boldly stated at the top. The following two paragraphs agitate the reader by stating a problem aching for a solution. The third paragraph begins to build faith in the solution provider. The next section overcomes predictable objections with a, “Contact us even if…” list. The unseen lower portion of the page further assures the reader about ease and affordability. A clear call to action prods with, “So click ‘Contact Us’ to complete our brief form”. The “Contact Us” button is large and green so that it stands out. Words are used sparingly.

To promote a landing page, a link might be sent to clients in an email or within a newsletter they already receive. To attract new clients, the page could also be promoted on social media or advertised through a focused Adwords campaign. And referring a prospective client to a landing page may sometimes be preferable to sending them to a complex firm site.

Landing pages are easily produced. Whomever handles your firm website should be able to create an appropriate landing page that helps you and your practice area stand out.

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How to keep Millenials from escaping your law firm

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The future of law firms depends, whether you like it or not, on Millennials. The lawyers in your firm born after 1982 tend to have a unique vision of a professionally rewarding workplace that law firms need to appreciate in order to retain talent. And should your traditional firm be working under the illusion that the young hires will learn to behave, think again. Research shows that they’ll just walk.

A study by Deloitte conducted earlier this year shows that 46% of Australian Millennials expect to change employer within the next 2 years. Of those, 69% cited the lack of training for leadership as their reason, showing that a paycheque alone does not buy loyalty. Only 19% of Millennials said that they expect to stay in their current job for more than 5 years. Unlike previous generations that may have endured long hours for long years in the hope of promotion, Millennials prefer to shop their credentials around on an ongoing basis to advance career and to find the employment that best aligns with their personal values. Given that 75% of the global workforce will be comprised of Millennials by 2025, law firms need to pay attention to the Millennials take on an appealing workplace.

So what is a staid firm to do? Change, of course.

Consider the top 4 reasons, other than income, that Millennials cited for working at an organisation:

  1. Good lifework balance
  2. Opportunity to progress
  3. Flexible working; flexible hours, possible to work remotely
  4. Deriving a sense of meaning from work

and the bottom 4 reasons for choosing an organisation:

  1. A leading company that people admire
  2. Fast growing/dynamic
  3. Invests in and uses the latest technology
  4. The reputation of its leaders/senior executives

So an admired, cutting-edge, growing organisation with good leadership may well be rejected by Millennials if it is too rigid, too demanding, and fails to nurture. Law firms should be worried.

Are Millennials really expecting too much to be treated as more than billable hour units? Millennial’s demands won’t end legal practice, but might end some of its worst aspects. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions to consider:

  • Talk to them. Millennials are the most tech-savvy, socially connected members of the firm and might just have some truly constructive thoughts on digital marketing or other innovations. They may also have a few opinions on how to make their job more meaningful and rewarding.
  • Institute a policy that allows lawyers to freely work from home from time to time or to alter their hours so they can meet family obligations.
  • Institute mentoring sessions by more senior lawyers and by other staff.
  • Create teams that provide a friendly support network rather than isolating young lawyers to slog through assignments alone.

None of this is pampering. It’s good business. In the digital age, a flexible, innovative, and supportive firm will quickly be recognised by Millennials. And then, they might just stick around.

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