With tomorrow being October 8th and Columbus Day, it is time to recall the great traveler who taught is that the world is, in fact, round! He went from the East to the West.
It took Thomas Friedman to teach us that “the world is flat” by going from the West to the East!
Friedman teaches, among other things, about “outsourcing.” Many lawyers are using this principle (sometimes also called “delegation”) to lower their cost of operation and thus increase their profit. Even sole practitioners and small firm lawyers can effectively use this principle.
I encourage you to read Friedman’s book.
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During the last few days, I "manned" an exhibit booth for LawBiz at the annual California Bar Association conference. We had a drawing bowl for lawyers to place their cards to be eligible for a 2 GB flash drive daily drawing.
I am amazed at how many (a lot!) did not carry business cards with them. Don’t carry business cards if you don’t want more clients or more revenue!
And, of those that gave us their business cards, many still don’t have e-mail accounts. To me, that is like not having a telephone number on your card. How is that possible in today’s world? Again, only if you don’t want more clients … and if you don’t want people to contact you.
Put in positive framework, make it easy for people to reach you … make it easy for people to do business with you. They, generally, will not go out of their way to do so.
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The tidal wave has not yet struck! That means there is still time to save ourselves.
The California State Bar Board of Governors voted today on the proposal to require disclosure to prospective clients that they do not have malpractice insurance (if they don’t). Other lawyers who are either exempt under the rule or who do have E & O coverage do not have to discuss malpractice insurance or disclose anything about the subject in their engagement agreement.
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During a discussion amongst law firm chief financial officers that I moderated for the American Bar Association, one of the best practices mentioned was the use of check scanners. Coincidentally, not more than 7 weeks after that event, my bank installed a check scanner into my office.
It is a remarkable instrument that further reduces the bank float from your clients and gives you almost immediate access to "good funds." No more waiting for the "check to clear" or other excuse for delaying your use of funds. (more…)
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Can lawyers find jobs in today’s market? The Wall Street Journal (page 1, Sept. 24, 2007) suggests that it’s not so easy today. That’s consistent with my earlier blog post that lawyers are “between a rock and a hard place.”
It is also consistent with my assertion that law is a business, or framed in the context of my registered trademark, The Business of Law® is governed by the principles of economics. Yes, law is a profession, but as Tower Snow, once managing partner of the former Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison law firm in San Francisco said, “Law is subject to the same laws of economics as any other business…” (more…)
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Recently I was honored by my selection for induction into the Million-Dollar Consultant™ Hall of Fame. I prepared some remarks on the top ten lessons I’ve learned in starting my consulting career; but it struck me that these apply equally to a lawyer starting a new practice. Since nearly 90% of the 1.1 million U.S. lawyers are solos or in small firms, the odds are high that many lawyers will be in a practice startup situation at some point in their careers. These ideas from building both my own law practice and later my coaching practice may provide some pointers for your success. (more…)
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Scott Greenfield takes me to task about my comment that a busy lawyer can have a ghostwriter help out in blog posts. He apparently believes that only the lawyer should write the post … and perhaps he further believes (though I don’t want to put words into his writing) that lawyers should not market their expertise … or that blogging is not a marketing tool.
I appreciate the opportunity he gives me to expand my thoughts on this subject further. What follows is my response to Scott:
I truly enjoyed reading your comments on what I did not say; quite amusing. I think, however, that you miss the true value of blawging (blogging). It is to convey value, to convey information and to convey help to the reader. Oh, yes, it can be to vent and it can be to journal, but that was not the context in which I made my comment. Lawyers use the blawging process to communicate their existence to the world – to express their expertise so as to make prospective clients aware of them … and, hopefully, to become clients. If this is true, and I believe it to be and can point to many examples, then it is a marketing tool. Just as large firms have marketing and business development departments, producing quality material that may or may not be written by attorneys (but for which the attorneys/law firm are responsible), so to can blogging be performed under the direction of an attorney though not written by him/her.
Attorneys do not do everything done in a law firm. That doesn’t make the information or the service a “scam.” There are trial briefs written by paralegals — is this a scam? There are deposition summaries written by paralegals — is this a scam? There are many things done for lawyers under the lawyers direction/responsibility that provide benefit for clients .. and enable lawyers to more effectively market their services to new prospects.
Take this out of the context of the law office, there are many books written for famous people that appropriately convey the intent and meaning of the “author.” Are these scams? Does the public not get value in better understanding the character and message of the famous person? Lee Iacoca is one that comes to mind quickly. We learned a lot about him, his life and his message … though he didn’t write the book himself.
Blogging is not the last, great American novel … it is a business tool. As such, one can take a business-like approach to its application. Google certainly does, so I’m not sure why you don’t.
Again, thanks for writing about my belief system and allowing me the opportunity to expand on it a bit more … though I certainly didn’t say all the things you said I said. <g> (more…)
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Ed Poll
LawBiz Management
(800) 827-5415
edpoll@lawbiz.com
LAWBIZ® EXPERT RENEWED AS PROVIDER FOR LEGAL EDUCATION
Ed Poll Was Renewed as an Approved Provider of Education for California Lawyers
Venice, Calif. September 13, 2007 – California-based law practice management expert and lawyer Edward Poll was once again approved as a provider of education for lawyers licensed by the State of California for the term of September 1, 2007 to December 31, 2010.
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In his column, Fire Wire, John Tredennick, writes the most extensive and articulate article on the subject of outsourcing I’ve read.
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