Retreat with Me

About a month ago, I had the great pleasure of working with the Subrogation Group of Cozen O'Connor to help them design and facilitate their portion of a firm-wide retreat in Orlando, Florida. Paul Bartolacci, a fantastic attorney and great guy, just sent this testimonial I thought I'd share:

"We worked with Matt to plan and present a half day involving approximately 100 lawyers from a specific department within our firm. We were looking for something a bit different than the traditional law firm retreat program -- upbeat and innovative, while at the same time useful and giving us a strategy to move forward. Matt was perfect. He took the time to listen to what we wanted to achieve and understood our goals. He spent extra time with us before the event to really get to know us as a group and what our practice involved.

Matt delivered a speech that was creative and pointed us towards new ideas and a different way to view and analyze problems. Our activities were fast paced and interactive, yet produced concrete goals and results. In short, he "got it".

This was the last session of a 3 day retreat and people left feeling very positive and focused. Following our session many members of the group commented that this had been the best session of any of the numerous retreats they attended. I would certainly recommend Matt for any law firm retreat and look forward to working with him again."

If you are looking for a speaker or someone to help you squeeze a bit more fun, creativity and focused results out of your legal event or retreat, give me a call. I'd love to help.

Title Tips for Better Slides

Want to write better titles for your PowerPoint slides (and nearly anything else for that matter)? Frank Roche gives five tips to help you Write the Best Damn PowerPoint Headlines Ever:

Make it good enough to print on a t-shirt. The word Introductions isn’t good enough for a t-shirt. Say hello to my little friend is. Not every headline has to be t-shirt worthy, but that’s not a bad goal.

Make it fit on one line. Hey, what you lack in quality, you can’t make up for in volume. Read the really great headline writers. I like the New York Times and USA Today, but CNN and the New York Post write the killer headlines. They’re short. Often two words. But two killer words.

Say what’s on the slide. Obscurity is great for the CIA, but we’re talking about PowerPoint and communication. If a single word will do, then please be my guest. Otherwise, write descriptive headlines. (And if you violate the “fit on one line” rule, it had better rock.)

Forget headlines. If you can’t think of a great headline, then maybe you shouldn’t have one. Steve Jobs doesn’t need headlines.

If your slide is filled with bullet points, even a killer headline won’t help. You see that little key on your computer that says DEL? Go ahead, push that one. Watch your presentation magically get better.

How many of your titles would look good on a t-shirt? Open up that last presentation and get to work!

Women and Word of Mouth

I've been dying to read Michele Miller's new book, The Soccer Mom Myth. For long-time readers of this blog, you'll remember Michele as one of the first contributors to my Five by Five series. In the Church of the Customer blog, Michele shares 5 Things You Need to Know About Women and Word of Mouth. Here arethe key two for me:

What can you do to make increase women’s word of mouth?

Here’sthe wrong way to do it: “Sign up three friends and we’ll give you a 15%discount.” This feels like you are asking her to sell out her friends.Instead, change the offer to “You and every one of your friends whosigns up will get a 15% discount.” Now she has special access to adiscount that she can pass along to friends. You’ve made her the hero.She can offer value to her trusted network. She has just increased hertrust and standing.

What about asking women for referrals; good idea, or bad idea?

Thisis tricky. Because women are such great referrers, it seems logical.If you are doing business with her, and she values your relationship,it may seem perfectly acceptable to ask her for a list of friends whomight benefit from your services. But that may not be a good idea, evenif she thinks you’re the best thing since Starbuck’s drive-thru. She isthe gatekeeper of her relationships. She’s not being stingy, she’sbeing protective. A better idea might be to give her a few of yourbusiness cards and say, “if you know of anyone who might benefit frommy service, feel free to give them my card.”

Unless you don't have (or want) women as clients, read her book. I've just ordered mine.

Join Me at the LMA Senior Marketers Summit

In two weeks, I'll be speaking at the LMA Senior Marketers' Program at the St. Regis Hotel in Washingon, D.C. The event takes place June 19-20, and is titled "Thought Leadership Amidst Relentless Change." Here's the brochure.

I'll also be facilitating several fun, collaborative exercises, including a virtual scavenger hunt, a new rapid-idea generation experience, and a "build a board game" cocktail hour.

I just spoke with Pat at the LMA, and there are a few slots left (and attendance is not limited to LMA members). I'd love to see you there.

LMA Senior Marketers' Program

I'm please to announce that I'll be helping out at the LMA Senior Marketers' Program: Thought Leadership Amidst Relentless Change. I'm going to be doing a new presentation, titled "The Ten New Rules of Legal Marketing," as well as facilitating several collaborative brainstorming sessions for the entire group. It takes place June 19 and 20 in Washington D.C., and is shaping up to be a pretty cool event. If you are interested (and an LMA Member), check it out.

Great Historical Photos: Free

The Library of Congress is releasing bunches of their historical photos, free of all usage and copyright restrictions.  Some amazing pics, with more on the way.  Here's the Flickr page.

A "Business Card" for Litigators

Do your clients think you are full of hot air?  Here's a business card that might just prove them right:

Check out several other cool "cards" here.

25 Ways to Find a Client

OK, so this post from Dumb Little Man is about ways to find a date in the real world, but it has some great advice for finding clients.  Seriously.  I especially liked these success tips (which are in addition to the 25 ways):

1. Have a simple goal of making new friends. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Seek to find a great friend and see where things lead.
2. Commit to saying "Hi" first. Don't be shy. Perhaps set a goal of saying hi to 5 people a day. Start with one a day and then work your way up.
3. Smile and have fun. Everyone looks better with a smile.
4. Be open to meeting new people anywhere and everywhere.
5. Always be dressed and groomed to meet new people even if you're just running out to get milk. You just may meet that someone special in the dairy isle!
6. Conversation success tip: Be interested in others and ask lots of questions.
7. Don't be afraid of rejection. You've got nothing to lose!! What's the worst that could happen? Someone will laugh at you? That's hardly likely. And even if they do, who cares! Just say "Next!" and move on!
8. Go slow for safety and success. Never rush into anything. Go slow.

Read the entire post.  Just don't let your significant other catch you doing it.

Got er Done!

Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba share a great idea in this post about a condo development that posts huge "SOLD" signs on the outside of each unit, arguing that the signs "are the best possible evidence" that the condos are desirable.

I was wondering if this idea could also work for lawyers.  Imagine a weekly or monthly full-page newspaper ad that shows all the new business formations, real estate closings, or even "newly single" divorce clients a firm helped (with their permission, of course).  Not sure how this works in some jurisdictions, but it is a thought.  What do you think?

20 Slides. 20 Seconds Each. Pecha-Kucha

How would your next presentation go if you only had twenty slides and could show each one for "only" twenty seconds (for a total of 6 minutes 40 seconds?  A format embracing these very constraints is called Pecha Kucha, and was started by two architects in Tokyo as part of a designers' show and tell.  It seems like a natural fit for an Idea Market, as a replacement for a panel presentation, or any time a lot of presenters have something to say.

I'm doing a very short speech (nine minutes) on innovation in two days, and am going to give this presentation format a try.  I'll let you know how it goes.  In the meantime, if you'd like to learn more, check out several examples on You Tube, or this recent Wired magazine article.  If you are in the St. Louis area and want to have a Pecha Kucha night, let me know.

The Mobile Lawyer 2.0

It has been a long while since I've been so WOW'd by a business model as I've been this morning.  Simply put, this is the BEST template I've seen for building a home-based practice from, of all people, a physician.  Dr. Jay Parkinson, MD is building a web-based medical practice.  From his website:

• I AM A NEW KIND OF PHYSICIAN.
• I strictly make house calls either at your home or work. 
• Once you become my patient and I've personally met you, we can also e-visit by video chat, IM and email for certain problems and follow-ups.
• I'm based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  My fees are very reasonable.
• I'm extremely accessible.  Contact me by phone, email, IM, text, or video chat.  Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM.  24/7 for emergencies.
• I specialize in young adults age 18 to 40 without traditional health insurance.
• When you need more than I provide, I make sure you wisely spend your money and pay the lowest price for the highest quality.
• I've gathered costs for NYC specialists, medications, x-rays, MRIs, ER visits, blood tests, etc...just like a Google price search.
• I mix the service of an old-time, small town doctor with the latest technology to keep you and your bank account healthyl

How much for this service?  According to the "How it Works" on his site, his fee is "far less than your yearly coffee budget but a little more than your Netflix."  His web site also provides "Real Life Examples" that describe, in plain English, how you'd use his service.  Oh, and he's blogging, too.

Lawyers, if you are looking for a real dose of inspiration (or a glimpse to the future of mobile practice) you HAVE to check this Parkinson's site and business model.  Simply brilliant.  Great idea, great web site, amazing copy.  If I were still practicing, I'd steal it in a heartbeat.  Look at it now.

Via: Zoli's Blog.

Lose Your Receptionst's Desk?

Via Brand Autopsy comes a pointer to the Building Better Restaurants Blog's Top Ten Reasons to Take a Sledgehammer to Your Host Stand.  I think a lot of these are also good reasons to rethink/redesign/remove your receptionist's desk:

1. It accumulates clutter that is an eyesore.
2. It does not have any functional utility for the guest.
3. It allows staff to “hide” from the guest.
4. It forces the guest to come to you, and not the other way around.
5. It becomes a hub for business other than the business of the guest.
6. It becomes a leaning tool and not a Hosting [verb] tool.
7. It will force you to talk to your guests and actually “Host” [verb] the guest experience.
8. It will force more physical contact with the guest and thereby a more meaningful greeting.
9. It will allow the guest to take in the whole “show” as they enter and immediately be caught up in the experience more.
10. Because you don’t have one at your house when you host people there!

Best/Worst Law Firm Song. Ever.

Before it goes down, you've got to listen to Nixon Peabody's theme song.  It will make you feel like a winner, too!

Get Your Clients Home Free

The Springwise Blog has a story on a pilot program in Minneapolis (where I'll be next week) called Get Home Free.  Here's how it works:

Launched in eleven Minneapolis suburbs this month, Get Home Freeis a flat rate, prepaid cab card that gets its holder home safely.Mainly targeted at teenagers and college students, the concept'sinitiators are aiming to help out kids who are stuck with car trouble,have been drinking, or whose ride home has fallen through. Cardholdersplace a call to the Get Home Free hot line, and a car is immediatelydispatched to bring them home, no questions asked.

If your firm is looking for a image-boosting promotion, this one just might work -- especially if you regularly represent clients accused of DUI.  Having your firms name and number on the back of each card isn't a bad idea either.

Grow Your Practice by Asking Clients to Leave

Interesting post on the Church Marketing Sucks blog titled "Grow Your Church by Asking People to Leave."  It is a point I've made before: your practice is often far healthier if you stop serving clients you don't want to (and who are often unhappy with your service anyway).  From the post:

Craig gives an examplewhere he preached on the church's vision trying to get everybody onboard. If people weren't on board with the vision, he asked them tofind another church. He even offered brochures from 10 other churcheshe knew and recommended. It was a serious challenge and 500 people ended up leaving. Most people would freak out at that thought. Not Craig:

The next week, we had about 500 new seats for people whocould get excited about the vision. Within a short period of time, Godfilled those seats with passionate people. Many of those who left ourchurch found great, biblical churches where they could worship and usetheir gifts.

Everybody won!

That's why I sometimes say, "You can grow your church by asking people to leave."

Craig focuses on making leaving a church a graceful option and a positive thing and not the bitter experience it often is.

I love it!

Power "Marketing" Tip from Dale Carnegie

Bert Decker reminded me of this fantastic quote from the great Dale Carnegie that I had to share:

You will win more friends in the next two months developing asincere interest in two people than you will ever win in the next twoyears trying to get two people interested in you.

Get Your Message Out

I really like this idea from Seth Godin about how he promoted Squidoo at a trade show:

Here's what we did: we printed 600 t-shirts with a long,hand-written letter on the front, explaining how Squidoo helps eBayers.And we gave the shirt away to anyone willing to wear it. The incentive?Each day, Megan picked someone who was wearing the shirt and gave thatperson $9,000 worth of ads on Squidoo.

Within an hour, you saw orange t-shirts on the show floor. By thesecond day, every single t-shirt was taken and more than 5% of all thepeople there were wearing the shirts.

Total cost: $3,000. (plus the ads).

I really think something similar could work for lawyers or legal vendors at trade shows.  I'd love to give it a try!

Back Up Your LinkedIn Profile

I caught this tip over on the My LinkedIn Power Forum about backing up a LinkedIn profile.  From the post, here's how to do it:

1. Print it as a hardcopy. You can click on the [Print] icon
above your headline and print it. This is the most traditional way
of backup and is also strongly recommended to always keep a hardcopy
just in case all your backup softcopies cannot work at the time of
recovery.

2. Save it as a PDF or Word file. You can either click on the
[PDF] icon above your headline and save it as a PDF or cut-and-paste
your profile and save it as a Word file. The latter will have an
advantage of cut-and-paste back to your LinkedIn profile page at the
time recovery.

If you frequent any other social networking sites, it would make sense to back up your profiles there as well.

As an aside, the PDF printout is a pretty slick (and quick) way to build a resume.  It looks great, too!

PowerPoint Bullets Kill Comprehension

Garr Reynolds has a good summary of the newest PowerPoint controversy started by this article in the Sydney Morning Herald that describes a study suggesting speakers who essentially read their bullet points from their slides are ineffective communicators.  The study's author suggested:

It is effective to speak to a diagram, because it presents information in a different form. But it is not effective to speak the same words that are written, because it is putting too much load on the mind and decreases your ability to understand what is being presented.

Copying = Advertising?

An idea on how to use free photocopies to advertise:

An innovative Japanese company is offering university students free photocopies. This free love is made possible by printing ads on the back of the copy paper, which is slightly thicker than normal to prevent ads from shining through. For JPY 400,000, advertisers can have their message printed on 10,000 sheets of paper.