Take your Client's Stakeholders to Lunch
Joyce Wycoff suggests taking internal stakeholders to lunch:
Identify all of your stakeholders … the people who are affected by your work, immediately and at a distance. Your monthly report may only go to 3-4 people but the information in it may get passed along or acted upon by dozens of others. Start to invite your stakeholders to lunch one or two at a time and just get to know them.
This is great advice, and equally applicable to the stakeholders in your clients' organizations. Just make sure they know you are not billing them for the lunch!
Why Clients Don't Listen
Wonder why your clients don't listen to you? Perhaps this article explaining why men ignore nagging wives may give you some insight. In short, many people will act in ways that are not in their own best interest, just because they wish to avoid doing what others want them to do. This is called "reactance," and is defined as, "a person's tendency to resistsocial influences that they perceive as threats to their autonomy." The article describes two interesting experiments that demonstrate just how ingrained this behavior can be:
In the first experiment, participants were asked to name asignificant person in their lives whom they perceived to be controllingand who wanted them to work hard, and another significant andcontrolling person who wanted them to have fun. Participants thenperformed a computer-based activity during which the name of one or theother of these people was repeatedly, but subliminally, flashed on thescreen. The name appeared too quickly for the participants toconsciously realize they had seen it, but just long enough for thesignificant other to be activated in their nonconscious minds. Theparticipants were then given a series of anagrams to solve, creatingwords from jumbled letters.
People who were exposed to the name of a person who wanted them towork hard performed significantly worse on the anagram task than didparticipants who were exposed to the name of a person who wanted themto have fun.
"Our participants were not even aware that they had been exposed tosomeone else's name, yet that nonconscious exposure was enough to causethem to act in defiance of what their significant other would want themto do," Fitzsimons said.
A second experiment used a similar approach and added an assessmentof each participant's level of reactance. People who were more reactantresponded more strongly to the subliminal cues and showed greatervariation in their performance than people who were less reactant.
"The main finding of this research is that people with a tendencytoward reactance may nonconsciously and quite unintentionally act in acounterproductive manner simply because they are trying to resistsomeone else's encroachment on their freedom," Chartrand said.
Though the article pokes a bit of fun at the husband/wife dynamic, this kind of behavior has very serious implications for advice-giving professionals and our clients. I'd encourage you to read the entire study (cost: $30.00).
Ask Your Clients for Ten Ways You Can be Better
Guy Kawasaki shares a study by Craig R. Fox (pdf) that compares two groups of students, each asked to evaluate an MBA course:
One group was asked for two ways to improve the course; the other wasasked for ten ways to improve the course. The group that was asked tolist ten ways showed a higher level of satisfaction with the course.
So, when will you start asking all of your clients for ten ways to improve your service?
I'm Sorry, I Don't Remember How to Say I'm Sorry
Joel Spolsky shares Seven Steps to Remarkable Customer Service that shares lessons his software company has learned (in come cases, the hard way). Many make sense for professional service providers. My favorite, though, is this one
Memorize Awkward Phrases.
It’s easy to get caught up in the emotional heat of themoment when someone is complaining.
The solution is to memorize some key phrases, and practicesaying them, so that when you need to say them, you can forget yourtestosterone and make a customer happy.
“I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t accept your money. The meal’s on me.”
“That’s terrible, please tell me what happened so I can makesure it never happens again.”
It’s completely natural to have trouble saying “It’s myfault.” That’s human. But those three words are going to make your angrycustomers much happier. So you’re going to have to say them. And you’re goingto have to sound like you mean it.
So start practicing.
Say “It’s my fault” a hundred times one morning in theshower, until it starts to sound like syllabic nonsense. Then you’ll be able tosay it on demand.
One more point. You may think that admitting fault is astrict no-no that can get you sued. This is nonsense. The way to avoid gettingsued is not to have people who are mad at you. The best way to do thisis to admit fault and fix the damn problem.
Define Your Firm's Rules of Engagement
Guy Kawasaki shares some "Rules of Engagement" from a company called SuccessFactors. Here they are:
Rules of Engagement
I will be passionate—about SuccessFactors’ mission, about mywork. I will love what we do for companies and employees everywhere.
I will demonstrate respect for the individual; I will benice and listen to others, and respect myself. I will act withintegrity and professionalism.
I will do what it takes to get the job done, no matter what it takes, but within legal and ethical boundaries.
I know that this is a company, not a charity. I will not waste money—I will question every cost.
I will present an exhaustive list of solutions to problems—and suggest actionable recommendations.
I will help my colleagues and recognize the team when we win. I will never leave them behind when we lose.
I will constantly improve Kaizen! I will approach every dayas an opportunity to do a better job, admitting to and learning from mymistakes.
I will selflessly pursue customer success.
I will support the culture of meritocracy and pay for performance.
I will focus on results and winning—scoring points, not just gaining yardage.
I will be transparent. I will communicate clearly and bebrutally honest, even when it’s difficult, because I trust mycolleagues.
I will always be in sales and drive customer satisfaction.
I will have fun at work and approach my work with enthusiasm.
I will be a good person to work with—I will not be an asshole.
I agree to live these values. If my colleagues fail to live up toany of these rules, I will speak up and will help them correct; inturn, I will be open to constructive criticism from my colleaguesshould I fail to live by these values. I understand that my performancewill be judged in part by how well I demonstrate these values in mydaily work.
Any professional service firms out there with similar "Rules" for their employees?
Resolutions III: December 24
Resolve to become aware of news affecting your cients before they do.*
1. Using Google Blog Search or Google Alerts set up several searches for each of your clients. Use their names, industry, competitors’ names, products, etc.
2. Subscribe to the RSS feed for each search.
3. Notify your clients whenever you see something relevant to them or their industry.
Extra Credit:
4. If you use Google Reader as your RSS Aggregator, create a “tag” for each of your clients.
5. For each tag, Google Reader allows you to create a unique URL for that tag that you can share with your clients.
6. Give each of your clients their tag’s unique URL and everytime they open it in their browser, they’ll see everything you’ve “marked” for them to read.
* This post will be expanded into a longer how-to in January.
17 Lawyer Tips: A Mini Manifesto
After writing 15 Client Tips: A Mini Manifesto, I figured that turnabout is fair play. Here are 17 for Lawyers:
1. Whenever your clients don’t understand what you are doing for them, they think about what you are doing to them.
2. Many of your clients remain your clients because it is a pain in the ass to find another laywer – not because they love you.
3. Every time your clients get your bill, they think about how beautiful your office is and about the nice car you drive. And they wonder if you are worth it.
4. If your office is a dump and you drive a wreck, they wonder about that too.
5. If your client doesn’t pay you, fire them. Don’t ignore them.
6. At least once a year, tell a client, “It’s on the house.”
7. Taking a client to play golf doesn’t show how good a lawyer you are. It shows how good a golfer you are.
8. Quit being a pompous, demanding jerk around the office. If you can’t keep good staff, you don’t deserve good clients.
9. Your clients will always know their business better than you do. They may even know the law better than you. Make sure to seek their advice before giving yours.
10. A lawyer charging extra for stamps and copies is like a car wash charging extra for water. Stop it now.
11. Your clients have wants. Your clients have needs. They often don’t know the difference.
12. Whenever you interrupt a client meeting to take an “important” call, your client thinks about hiring another lawyer.
13. Imagine a world where your clients knew each month how much their bill from you will be so they could plan for it. They do.
14. If you hate being a lawyer, be something else. You are smart. You’ll figure it out.
15. A bill is not communication. At least not the good kind.
16. When is the last time you called a client just to thank them for being your client? That’s what I thought.
17. People don’t tell lawyer jokes just because they are funny. They tell lawyer jokes because they think they are true. Spend your career proving them wrong.
15 Rules for Clients: A Mini Manifesto
UPDATE: Welcome Gapingvoid Readers. If you liked this, check out my 15 Tips for Lawyers, another mini-manifesto.
You are a client. You need a lawyer. Here are 15 rules (guidelines, actually) that may help you find and understand your lawyer:
1. You have wants. You have needs. Focus on the needs first. Wants are bonus.
2. If you are seeing a lawyer because your dispute is “not about the money, but about the principle of the thing” don’t be surprised if your lawyer runs away. You can never be satisfied. Also, it’s really about the money.
3. Your case/matter is the most important thing happening to you right now. It is not the most important thing happening to your lawyer right now. It may not even be in his top ten.
4. If you think your lawyer is trying to kill your deal, remember this: though there may only be a “one percent” chance your deal will go bad, your lawyer sees that “one percent” over and over again. She’s looking out for you. She cares about you and your business. She also doesn’t want her malpractice premiums to go up.
5. You want to buy results, not time. Most lawyers sell time, not results. Make sure you both understand the difference before your first bill arrives. You will certainly understand the difference after.
6. If you want to find a lawyer who sells results, look hard. There are a few of them out there. They are the ones who can still smile because they get to see their children before 9:00 at night.
7. Big firm lawyers are not more efficient. Or smarter. Or cheaper. They are certainly not cheaper.
8. Make sure your lawyer understands your business. If your lawyer doesn’t understand your business, find out if he’s going to learn about it on his time, or yours.
9. You are your lawyer’s boss. You are not her only boss. She has hundreds of other bosses too. Each one of them thinks their matter is more important than yours.
10. How messy is your lawyer’s desk? When they bill you for thirty minutes of “file review,” how much of that time was spent looking for your file?
11. When you call a lawyer for the first time, how long does it take for him to return your calls? After you hire that lawyer, expect it to take at least three times as long. Same goes for e-mails.
12. Does your lawyer have reputation for being a “bulldog?” That probably means they are an asshole. To everyone.
13. Look for a lawyer with a technology IQ no more than fifty points less than yours. If you live in e-mail and your lawyer doesn’t, learn to like your mail carrier.
14. If you hate your lawyer, fire him. He probably deserves it, and you aren’t getting his best work anyway.
15. You wouldn’t automatically marry the first person you date, so don’t automatically hire the first lawyer you see. A great lawyer-client relationship can last a lifetime. Your lawyer can be your advisor, counselor, confidant, and friend. Most lawyers are good people genuinely interested in their clients’ best interests. Find one you like, stick with him or her, and spread the word. Oh, and stop telling lawyer jokes. They aren’t really that funny. ;-)
Building a Law Firm at the Idea Market
At last week’s Idea Market, one of the questions I asked the attendees was: “A Perfect Law Firm Would …” Here are the responses:
Didn't Get The Client? Here's Why
Mary Schmidt compiles a terriffic list of reasons why vendors didn’t get her business. Just a few:
1. You returned my call in which I asked for a price quote…a week later.
4. Your web site looks abandoned. (Copyright 2004? Are you even still in business?)
6. You never, ever answer your phone. It always go to voice mail.
7. You did more talking than I did in our first meeting.
9. You talk about “solutions” but never tell me how you’re going to solve my problem.
13. You treat your employees badly.
16. Your “free education seminar” was nothing more than a sales pitch.
Are Legal Services Like Vegetables?
Cathy Sierra has another great post on motivating web visitors, that applies broadly to anyone selling anything. Cathy discusses the two levels of motivation: “motivation to interact and motivation to do something as a result of that interaction.” Think of your marketing as the first kind of motivation and your in-person client meeting as the second.
Just how do you motivate your prospects to hire you? Cathy first tells us how not to motivate them:
Trying to motivate someone to action by telling them it's good for them doesn't... actually... work … because it doesn't invoke the right feelings.
In other words, don’t suggest your clients hire you because of what will happen if they don’t. Instead, as Cathy suggests, citing a great Fast Company article , emphasize the positive things that will come out of your lawyer/client relationship. Can’t think of any? Try this exercise:
Ask your clients to visualize a “best case scenario” conclusion to their matter . Then ask them what personal or business benefits they’ll reap and how they expect to “feel” if the matter concludes in that positive way. Keep track of their responses (maybe even suggesting they write them down). After doing this for ten or twenty clients, you’ll start to see themes emerge. These are the themes you should focus on when you are trying to motivate your clients to hire you.
Total Client Monitoring
A few weeks ago, I posted about 10 things lawyers should be monitoring for their clients. Now, I’ve come across a new service called Competitious that seems to help you do just that. Check it out.
Stroke, Stroke, Stroke!
Kevin Kelly passes on this tip to identify when someone is having a stroke:
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. But doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
1. Ask the individual to SMILE.
2. Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
3. Ask the person to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently, ie: It is sunny out today)If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 9-1-1 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
This is a pretty good list, and is certainly something I didn’t know. Anyone who deals with older folks (estate planning lawyers?) should have this list handy for them and their staff.
Don't Forget the E-mail Clause in Estate Planning Doucments
Saw this on Lifehacker: What happens to your email when you die? Suggests (linking to a CNET article) attorneys press clients to include password data in estate planning documents so heirs can get to your email, photo sharing, music, and other online accounts when you die.
Is anyone doing this?
Women Want a Story
Here’s a fascinating article from iMedia Connection on what motivates men and women to purchase things. The whole thing’s worth a read, but what jumped out to me were these paragraphs that discuss how others’ purchasing decisions impact men and women differently:
Men are willing to make a purchase once it has been demonstrated that someone else was successful with the same purchase; kind of a, "that worked for Joe, so it'll probably work for me" mentality.
Women posit things differently. It's good to know if something worked for Sally; it's better to know what Sally's motivations were for her purchase. Success in itself isn't meaningful unless the conditions leading to success are the same. (So much for women not being cut out for the sciences!) This can be thought of as, "it may have worked for Sally, but Sally bought it for reason A and I'm interested in reason B, so the same purchase might not work for me."
If you have testimonials on your site, and want both men and women to be impressed, this is important stuff.
How does your service rate on the ZSEG scale?
If you were asking your clients to rate your service (and you are doing that, right?), you could ask them to use the traditional ABCDF scale, or, you could use the Zinn-Segaran Experiential Grateness Scale:
0. Forgettable. Events that could be forgotten and have no impact on your life. A typical example is a regular morning commute, which people often cannot recall at all due to having spent the time daydreaming about other things.
1. Inconsequential. Many day-to-day events occur at this level. Running into and greeting a neighbor on the street, an uninteresting work project or a mediocre meal at a diner are all inconsequential. These events are distinguished from "forgettable" by the fact that they are usually remembered briefly, but usually not considered.
2. Eventful. Experiences at this level are moderately memorable, and will possibly be discussed by those present for no more than a day or two after they occur. They are unlikely to come up in conversation with others except in responses to specific questions like "what did you do last night?". Usually active concentration will be required to remember much of the event a week later.
3. Noteworthy. Noteworthy experiences tend to elicit a fairly strong emotional response at the time whether confusion, amusement or anger. Usually the subject is eager to share them with others in the following few days, even without being prompted.
4. Significant. When reminiscing about important things that happened in the past year, most events that are recalled will be significant. Typical examples include winning a minor award or totaling one's car without serious injury.
5. Remarkable. Remarkable experiences are those that have a strong impact on behavior or change strongly held views. They may not always be remembered, but they stick with a person in a meaningful way through their outlook and opinion.
6. Exceptional. This is the lowest rating at which things will likely be somewhat memorable for one's entire life, and recalled on occasion with a moderate emotional response.
7. Monumental. These experiences are always remembered and likely to be discussed with those present for life. Oblique references to stories are understood without too much explanation. Many monumental experiences will elicit a strong emotional response upon recollection.
8. Epic. Epic experiences become folklore not only among those present, but those familiar with them. Neologisms, handsigns or movements which reference but do not describe the experience may be invented and be recognizable to a large group of people for many years afterward.
9. Legendary. The highest category of Experiential Greatness. Experiences that fall into this category, when related to others, become stories in their own right which are retold by others who are several steps removed from the original parties. The platonic ideal of a legendary experience is one that, years after having it happen to you, is relayed to you by stranger beginning with the words "I heard about this guy one time..."
This list was clearly done in fun, but it is significant to note that “Remarkable” is only in the middle of the scale. Who knew being remarkable wasn’t enough?
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Robert Middleton writes about the benefits of sending three short thank you notes each day:
About two months ago I started sending 2-3 short notes daily to vendors, clients, contractors, colleagues, anyone I came into contact with, however minor the occasion. It's important to "smile as you write", as your article suggests, otherwise it will seem like some contrived, dashed off attempt at connecting while trying to do 20 other things at the same time.
But the exercise has had two effects for me and my company so far:
1) In a very unexpected way, it has made me feel better about myself and my business as a service provider, which bleeds through into the energy I exude all day long.
To anyone who doesn't think it makes a difference in how you walk, talk, and carry yourself and your expressions, I would say try this for yourself and see. I also find myself following through with clients more thoroughly and attentively, and having better focus and productivity.
I think it has something to do with taking a few minutes to *slow down* and give someone your undivided attention. We all crave feeling listened to and acknowledged.
2) On a more tangible level, I have had two important corporate referrals and increased amounts of business from regular clients to whom I've dropped notes in the mail (one of them nearly double).
I have also received expressions of true, bona fide human appreciation from both clients and vendors we work with, whom really will go the extra mile now. Little human touches in the impersonal "we care, but not that much" ocean has an exponential effect on people's desire to know, like, trust, and do business with you.
Check out The More Clients Blog for more great advice.
Will Your Firm Be Better Tomorrow?
Black Belt Productivity suggests we Be Better Tomorrow Than We Are Today and I agree. For some reason, the simple question, “How did I get better today?” has given me a productivity boost since I read the post last week.
I also think it is an appropriate question to ask of your business. When you have your daily/weekly/monthly “all hands” meeting, I suggest you ask everyone there if your business is better today than it was yesterday. Despite their answers, I’d also ask them will they make it even better tomorrow.
Great Gift Tip for Children of Clients
Here’s another Parent Hack that could work just as easily in your professional office:
As the party came to an end, each pint-sized guest (and sibling, if there was one) received a wrapped party favor with his or her name written on it. Turns out the birthday boy's mom, Mary Wells, had gone to our local library's used bookstore and hand-picked a book for each kid. It doesn't get better than that!
Stock your waiting room with a bookcase full of used books, which cost (at my local library, at least) between twenty-five cents and a dollar. If a client, or a client’s child, likes a particular book, let them take it home with them.
Open an Art Gallery -- In Your Office
I just stumbled across Parent Hacks today, and found this post about an “Art Gallery” Sara Brumfield found in a neighbor’s garage:
Out running in my neighborhood, I nosily noticed a neighbor's garage open with the lights on. When I glanced in, I saw that the entire back wall was covered with a child's artwork, and big letters spelled out what I assume is the artist's name -- "Caleb." I thought this was a great idea -- after all, how many pieces of art can a refrigerator hold? I can imagine kids getting a big kick out of having their own art gallery, and taking vistitors out to see it.
I think this is a phenomenal idea. I’m going to set up something similar for my daughter’s work.
If you have an office, take it to another level. Ask your employees to bring in the artwork of their children/grandchildren/nephews/neices/etc. and hang it in your firm’s “Gallery.” Every year, have an art show, where all the kids are invited (with parents, of course) to see their work.
And if you are a divorce lawyer/mediator, I’d even think about hosting your client meetings or mediations in the room with all of the kids’ art work. It would make it a heck of a lot easier to remind your clients to focus on their children during their divorce, without having to tell them over and over. Heck, I’d even invite your clients to add some of their children’s work to the Gallery.