Rob at Businesspundit directed me to this article, titled Why Do We Overcommit. The article summarizes a study that reveals that people over-commit because they think they’ll have more time in the future then they do in the present: “In short, the future is ideal: The fridge is stocked, the weather clear, the train runs on schedule and meetings end on time. Today, well, stuff happens.”
Hell freezes over first.
AJ Levy, at Out-of-the-Box Lawyering points us to a law review article (not online, I’m afraid) suggesting law school professors have an obligation to engage in law practice. The cite is here — Bluebook be damned:
"The Dangers of the Ivory Tower: The Obligation of Law Professors to Engage in the Practice of Law." 50 Loyola L. Rev. 623 - 673 (Fall 2004) by Amy B. Cohen.
The author, a professor herself, came to her groundbreaking conclusion after taking a one semester sabbatical to return to law practice!
I’m not going to take potshots at Professor Cohen, because I totally agree with her argument. But one semester, come on. If she had taken five years to rejoin her law school brethren (and sistren) in the trenches, she would have gotten a better picture of current law practice, but may have penned this article insead:
“What the Hell was I Thinking: The Obligation of Law Professors Never Ever Ever to Leave the Ivory Tower.”
Low Cost Marketing Strategies
Michael Cage offers seven great Low-Cost, High-Impact Marketing Tools. Here are my favorites:
#4. Call your clients. Yes, call them. On the phone. In today’s rushed and hectic world, a little human attention goes a long way. If you want to turn spare minutes productive, keep a list of clients who bought from you in the last 30-90 days nearby. When you have free moments, call and ask how the solution you sold them is working. Aside from generating enormous good will (”they actually care about me!”) … some will have new needs or questions that will lead to new sales.
#7. Ask everyone for referrals. People who buy from you? Ask for referrals. People who don’t buy from you? Ask for referrals. Here’s a simple, no-cost way to increase your referrals: Before you deliver a solution, tell your client that you prefer getting new business by referral. Less money spent on advertising means better deals for clients like him/her, and you’d like to work with more people like him/her. Ask them, “after we’ve delivered this and you are thrilled with how things work, would you refer us to your friends/colleagues?” After you’ve delivered, make sure they are thrilled, and only then ask for a list of friends or colleagues who would want the same service and expertise.
Some business-building lessons
Dan at Starting It shares some lessons he’s learned building his business into a great company.
First, the company must have a never-ending commitment to being the best. Every decision must be bounced up against the question - "What would a truly great company do on this issue?"
Second, you've got to say you are going to be the best right from the start - when it sounds funny to do so. Then, you've got to say you are the best before most people can even see that it has actually happened.Third, you've got to be committed to measuring how good you really are on a regular basis and then putting a plan in place to improve the weaknesses. We recommend an annual survey. It can certainly be painful to learn the truth about how you are doing - but that's the only way to get better.
Fourth, you've got to have a core set of principals that you follow on a day-to-day basis.
At Dan’s company, Digital Grit, those principals are:
1) A clear and compelling vision for the future and a demonstrated willingness to make the tough decisions required to turn that vision into a reality.
2) Action vs. inaction - make things happen.
3) A culture of excellence - success, growth, innovative "want to change the world" solutions, hard work, attention to detail, refuse to lose, planning, financial management, and fun.
4) An unwavering respect for each individual. Loyalty, commitment to diversity, accountability, empowerment, recognition.
5) A never-ending desire to learn and a true willingness to be humble.
6) Open, honest and frequent communications at all levels in multiple forms.
7) A commitment to hiring only the best.
What are your company’s core set of principals?
Ask Mr. Science
Now, the last thing that I am is a scientist, but I found this article in the NewScientist.com fascinating: 13 Things That Do Not Make Sense.
Dim the lights, put on some music, and make some dough.
Ankesh has these great suggestions at Marketing eYe for retailers:
2 very important small changes that lead to big profits:
Lighting: Change the lighting and you'll increase your profits. If you have a lot of women shoppers, use non-glaring white lights. Direct lighting makes skin look 5-10 years older. Indirect use of soft non-glaring white light makes women look younger.
Restaurants who have changed their lighting have seen profits increase by as much as 20%! Just like that! Indirect lighting changes the context and makes the food more delicious - magically!
Music: Soft classical music makes customers stay longer and spend more in your store.
Classical music changes the context and makes people believe that your store is an upscale one. And thus they spend more time and don't hesitate to buy even if your prices are higher than the competitor's.
What does your office look like? What music is playing?
Mispromise and Desatisfy
Andy from Marketing Genius has this interesting take, on how great advertising can hurt business.
The next time you create a new, exciting, cutting edge advertising campaign, take out a note card and write down the promise that you have created for the customer. ...What are you saying the customer is going to get out of the experience if they do what you want them to? Ok, now set the campaign aside. Go and do business with the customer that you created the campaign for (make sure you take the card with you). Visit their store, go to their website, call them - whatever - interact with the client as a customers and see if you fulfill the promise you just offered up to the world on behalf of your client. . . . What if your advertising promises top notch service and a customer receives fair service? . . .Your advertising actually reduced sales in the long run because you prompted trial and offered a promise that wasn't delivered. . . . Uh! Oh! - effective advertising actually reducing sales. Now that's a point to ponder.
Don’t make a promise your business can’t keep. You could turn an otherwise satisfied customer into an unsatisfied one, only because you’ve raised their expectations beyond what your business can deliver.
San Francisco Drinks?
I’m going to be flying into San Francisco for a meeting this Friday. I’ll be free Thursday night if anyone wants to meet for a cocktail and conversation. Drop me a line at homann (at) gmail.com
Thinking Tool
Several months ago, I came across the Oblique Strategies web site. I always wanted to post about it, but was never able to completely describe the point of the “game.” Yesterday, I found this on-line version (requires flash) that makes everything a bit clearer. In short, think of a problem you have or a decision you must make. “Draw” one card at random and use its guidance to help you approach your dilemma from a different direction. A worthwhile look.
ABA Techshow Bloger Dinner
Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighell have already posted a few times about this, but if you are a blogger (legal or not) and are going to be in Chicago on Wednesday, March 30, let me know and I’ll make sure to get you an invitation to the Blogger dinner. It will be held at Catalyst Ranch, the same place we are doing LexThink, and should be a wonderful time to get to meet some fellow bloggers.
Testing Blogjet
I’ve been using Blogjet for quite some time, but had a few issues with a recent release. Just testing the newest version with this post.
Something I think I knew once ...
Here is my favorite thing about the web: I can be surfing along, trying to do real work, and run across stuff like this. Fifteen minutes Two hours of wasted time later, I've now looked at the entire site, and almost woke up my daughter because I was laughing so hard. Now, I feel compelled to waste some of your time too. Consider yourself warned!
Seriously, it is just an honor to be nominated...
Fresh off my surprising win of "Best New Blawg" from Dennis Kennedy, I've just learned that this blog has won a "Buzzy" from the ABA's GP-Solo section. For those of you coming here for the first time, welcome.
For regular readers, things are not yet "normal" here in Southern California (if they ever were), but my wife and I are settling in to our "spacious" apartment in the Oakwood corporate housing development. Our two year old daughter, Grace, made the trip like a champ, and she starts full-time daycare Thursday. Today's trial run ended in tears, but we'll give it another half-day go tomorrow.
I'm starting my regular blogging schedule Thursday morning. Look for a flurry of posts between now and LexThink in April.
Thanks for your patience!
Dear America West
I know my call is important to you, because you've now told me that every minute for the 48 minutes I've been on hold. Freakin' amazing.
Postings will resume soon ...
Just five more days until the insanity ends. Here is a brief update:
- My daughter and I will join my wife in California this Sunday.
- Playing "Mr. Mom" for the past two weeks is pretty cool.
- Thank God for Diet Mountain Dew.
- The house is on the market. If you want to buy it, I'll offer a blog discount.
- LexThink will be amazing (but taking around 4 hours per day of my time to get the details straight).
- Packing is less than 20% done.
- Office work is more than 80% done.
- Sleep comes occasionally.
- Pulling my first "all-nighter" tomorrow. Don't believe me, e-mail me on Thursday at 3:00 am and see how long it takes me to answer.
- Did I already thank God for Diet Mountain Dew?
- The great news is that I now know that when I am under a tremendous amount of pressure, my hair just gets grayer -- it doesn't fall out (unless I pull it)!
Until Monday, resuming blog silence.
Powerpoint your way to writing success.
Cliff Atkinson (on his Beyond Bullets blog) has some excellent tips for writers. He suggests working through your idea first -- taking multiple opportunities to present it to others -- before commiting it to writing. He even goes so far to suggest writers prepare a powerpoint presentation before writing a word. Here's why:
This approach can actually reduce the risk that an idea will berejected, because it's been pre-tested in the marketplace of ideasfirst, and pre-qualified against 3 principles:
1. Your idea grows stronger as it moves from the abstract to the concrete.An idea in your mind doesn't do anyone else any good until youcommunicate it to other people. Get your idea out early and find outwhat the world thinks.
2. Whatever doesn't kill your idea makes it stronger. Askpeople what they think, and appreciate people who disagree -- they'rethe ones you can give most credit toward strengthening your idea. Getfeedback, find out what works, discard what doesn't, and keep movingforward.
3. Your excitement for your idea is what gets other people excited.As you share your ideas with other people in person, you have theunique opportunity to demonstrate the passion that will help youovercome the forces that will surely work against your idea. Withoutyour passion, no one else will become passionate.
I have been really struggling with my MoreSpace essay. I love my outline and ideas, but I am having a difficult time making it "flow". I'll give Cliff's ideas a try and you can be the judge when you read the essay -- if Todd doesn't fire me from the project first because I'm behind.
and Speaking of LegalMatch ...
Kirsten Osolind, on her fantastic re:invention blog weighs in with some smart steps companies can take to extinguish negative online publicity:
1. ACKNOWLEDGE RESPONSIBILITY RESPONSIBILY
Ifyour company has done wrong or had an issue, acknowledge theissue/wrong, take responsibility, and provide an overview of what youare doing to address it. Respond on the site where the negativepublicity occurred if possible and if warranted, on your companywebsite.2. GO TO THE MATTRESSES - BUT DON'T GO ALONE
If theonline criticism is unfounded/false/incorrect, utilize your networkFIRST. Solicit help from loyal customers and advisory boards - askingthem to post personal positive feedback, articulate your key messages,or provide enthusiastic endorsements to counter the negative claim. Askthem to question the person who made the unfounded online claims andsolicit more specific detail from the negative evangelist. You'll bebetter prepared to answer on behalf of your company.3. TRY PAID SEARCH
Paidsearch (paid inclusion, pay-per-click) can work to counter negativepublicity. You can articulate your key messages to your targetaudience, showcase customer endorsements, and push down the negativecomments.4. DO GOOD AND BE GOOD
Continue to offer goodcustomer service and good quality products. Over time, loyal andsatisfied customers will help douse the online flames and evangelizetruth over fiction.5. LITIGATE AS A LAST RESORT
As a lastresort (and we mean a LAST RESORT), companies can pursue litigation,contacting site owners directly or spam checking/reverse link look-ups.
I almost left that last one out. ;-)