Client Service Client Service

Serve the Young

The guys at Cutting Through talk about this article from the Guardian in their blog post Habits of the Young:

The implication of all this that isn’t mentioned in the article is that within the space of the next 10 years, this generation of the ultrawired are going to be joining the workforce. Their expectations of what technology can deliver will be radically different to us old farts - so while we’re going whoopies over the lastest Outlook plugin, they are going to be conducting business over blogs and IM. Where does that leave the corporate IT function?

Or the legal industry?  What resources has your firm devoted to learning how to better serve the “ultrawired” and technologically savvy?  These young people are going to be running their own companies (or their parents’) within the next decade.  This is something I want to talk about at BlawgThink.

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Client Service Client Service

Lawyers are the Devil('s Advocate)

One of the reasons I think people hate/distrust lawyers is that we are constantly telling our clients why they shouldn’t do what they want to do.  As lawyers, we are expected to protect our clients and warn them about the potential consequences of their business or personal decisions

Kathy Sierra has another outstanding post titled Death by Devil’s Advocate deconstructing the role of “Devil’s Advocate” and agreeing with IDEO’s Tom Kelly, who says the "devil's advocate may be the biggest innovation killer in America today."  And who plays the devil’s advocate role better than lawyers?  We can’t help it.  It’s built into our professional DNA.

Before we kill off  another client innovation, think about Kathy’s advice:

… whether playing devil's advocate, angel of optimism, or any other persona, I believe the emphasis should be on offering solutions, not just criticism. Yes it's true that one can know something is wrong without knowing how to fix it, but if people tried to adopt the perspective that "I'm going to try to always include possible alternatives and solutions when I critcize", it might make meetings a little more bearable.

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Marketing Marketing

Ask for "Sales" to make more.

Lori Richardson shares a great tip for reaching a decision maker in a large organization:

… and one of the best strategies I've used is to call in and ask for SALES - you will get someone on the other end of the phone who understands what you are going through - unless they are an admin person, they make calls like you do as well. Determine if you are in the right sales area. Ask them if they have a moment, and then ask about their boss, or boss's boss. Get enough information to make a direct call or email - then fire it off. You'll be surprised at the reply rate when you know a little something about your target or about their organization. Don't forget to send a hand-written thank you note to the person in sales who gave you the inside scoop if you end up with an appointment or had a vaulable conversation - because that will motivate your original contact. It's about goodwill, and what goes around does come around.

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Practice of Law Practice of Law

Clean Up in Aisle Three

I ran across a post in The Experience Manifesto blog that talked about a recent NY Times article on the identity crisis facing many supermarkets.  It seems that being a one-stop shop for groceries isn’t working so well anymore for the big chains like Kroger and Safeway, as they face competition from both the bottom (Wal-Mart) and the top (Whole Foods):

Now, the traditional supermarkets are trying everything they can think of to turn things around and win back customers. In a nod to Whole Foods, they are adding more organic and natural food items and selling more prepared foods for quick lunches and dinners. And they are cutting prices.  In a nod to Whole Foods, they are adding more organic and natural food items and selling more prepared foods for quick lunches and dinners. And they are cutting prices.  (Emphasis mine).

Let’s get this straight.  Traditional grocery stores, whose business model was built upon being all things to all people, have decided they can beat both Wal Mart and Whole Foods?  Since when can you win by competing on both service and price?

My advice, if you are looking for a new business, is to find one that can use an empty grocery store building, because there are going to be quite a few around. 

And if you are a lawyer?  Recognize that unless you dump hourly billing and leverage your productivity, the low-price battle is lost.  That leaves service as the only competitive advantage we have. 

Be Whole Foods, not Kroger. 

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Conferences Conferences

Speaking of BlawgThink

Q:  What do Matt Buchanan, Ben Cowgill, Dennis Crouch, Fred Faulkner, Peter Flashner, Brandy Karl, Cathy Kirkman, Rick Klau, Jim McGee, Steve Nipper, Kevin O’Keefe, Evan Schaeffer, Doug Sorocco, Ernie Svenson, Jack Vinson, and J. Craig Williams have in common?

A:  They are all speaking at BlawgThink 2005.  We’ll have a few more additions to this list by the end of the week.

UPDATE:  Some more BlawgThink speakers are here and here.

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Web & Tech Web & Tech

Hard Drive Crash

We’ve gotten a bit behind on BlawgThink 2005 due to the hard drive in my Toshiba crashing Thursday morning (as I was getting ready to take it on a business trip).  I had it backed up, but it’s taken me most of the weekend to get back to basic functionality on my other Tablet PC (I know, I’m lucky to have two).  I’ll be back at full productivity tonight.  If you are waiting on more BlawgThink details, they’re coming tomorrow.

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Law Office Economics Law Office Economics

Money ain't Nothin'

Barry Moltz points out this Entrepreneur.com article by Mark Diener about Mastering the Six Laws of Money.  Write these down and keep them in front of you.  A sampling:

1. Money sooner is better than money later. Eliminate the risk of not getting paid by getting your money upfront. This also tests whether the other side is serious.

2. Go to the source. Paul could wait until John gets cash from Peter, but if I were Paul, I'd rather call Peter myself. The names may be confusing, but the lesson's simple: Go upstream.

6. Get the right to offset. Savvy buyers won't pay everything when a deal closes. They insist on the right to hold back money to cover against future problems

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Web & Tech Web & Tech

Absolutely Great Corporate Blogging Resource

As I was finishing up my preparations for my talk in Atlanta this Friday on Weblogs and the Law (or as I’ve titled my speech, “Why Lawyers Hate Blogs”), I stumbled across this White Paper from The Content Factor about corporate blogging.  In it, I found the single best piece of advice for beginning bloggers I’ve ever run across:

Start slowly. Read extensively. Post frequently. Link liberally.

The White Paper can be downloaded for free in exchange for your e-mail address.  I strongly encourage you to check it out.

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Innovation, Practice of Law Innovation, Practice of Law

Law Schools, Meet Art Schools. Art Schools, Meet Law Schools

J.D. Jordan writes a great piece in Newsweek titled, I’m an Artist, but not the Starving Kind.  In it, he takes on the lack of practical business education in America’s law art schools.  Some excerpts:

In my small, windowless classroom, in front of a baker's dozen of powerful G5 computers that line the walls, sit tomorrow's crop of great graphic designers, illustrators, filmmakers and animators. But despite their skills, their burgeoning individual styles and their unlimited creativity, they are crippled by the narrow focus of their education.

…

What about creative business and copyright law? What about intellectual rights and business ethics? For that matter, what about basic history or civics? In a field largely defined by individual inspiration and accomplishment, where is the foundation for personal and financial success? Perhaps in an attempt to compensate for public schools which have stripped their curricula of arts education, art schools have left their graduates unprepared for the real world.

…

But what can one professor do? These kids should have to take business education as a freshman requirement to learn how to manage their artistic enterprises before their enthusiasm sweeps them into a depreciated marketplace.

How prevalent is this problem in “professional” schools?

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Innovation, Law Office Economics Innovation, Law Office Economics

The Printable Partner - For Solos?

David Seah introduces his Printable CEO (remixed here), that he developed to help him in his solo business:

What I need is executive focus from a leader that understands how to grow my business, a manager that knows how to motivate me. I once read that the most effective executives ask themselves a simple question: What can I do to add value to the company? If the task at hand doesn’t add value, then screw it! Do something else that does!

Hiring my own personal CEO would be great, but who has the time and money to do an executive search? I’ve got MP3s to sort! So I did the next best thing: I designed a printable form to motivate my business development activities.

I really like this idea.  Keeping track of billable time is one thing, but David’s idea forces you to keep track of business-building time as well — all with an easy scoring system.  Simply brilliant.

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Innovation Innovation

Can You Bill that Power Nap to a File?

I’ve been playing around with Pzizz, a piece of napping software that “combines several different proven techniques to give you the most refreshing and revitalizing ‘nap’ possible.”  You download the software (it comes with a free trial) to your Mac or PC, select the type and length of nap you want to take, and then Pzizz:

delivers literally billions of different combinations of suggestions through the structured language patterns and the sounds that encourage the subconscious not only to relax but also to focus and energize both the body and the mind. unique combination of music and suggestions.

It sounds crazy, but if you want a short nap to kickstart your afternoon, it really seems to work.  I’ve noticed a difference in my energy after a 20 minute Pzizz nap vs. a normal one.  Though I can’t tell if my desire to purchase the program stems from how much I like to nap, or subliminal suggestions from the program, I give Pzizz strong five Z’s. 

Because you can download the naps onto an iPod, I can’t wait to try it with my Etymotic 6i headphones on my next plane ride. 

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Conferences Conferences

BlawgThink 2005 Update

I've been silent for the last week or so working on the details of BlawgThink 2005, and it’s shaping up to be an amazing time.  We’ve posted the schedule here and will be filling in more details each day.  If you want to keep up with BlawgThink news, check out the LexThink! blog. 

We are trying to make BlawgThink valuable for inexperienced and seasoned bloggers alike.  We expect to have many of the top bloggers not only in attendance, but “on faculty.”  BlawgThink will not resemble any traditional conference you’ve ever been to (think less ABA TechShow and more Foo Camp).  Here are just some of the ways BlawgThink will be different than any other event you’ve attended:

  • BlawgThink takes place at the most amazing conference space in the country: Catalyst Ranch in Chicago.  For pictures of the first LexThink event at Catalyst Ranch, look here. 
  • On the first day, we are doing three interactive discussion tracks:
    • Blogging Basics will teach beginning bloggers all they need to know about starting a successful blog. 
    • Marketing and Client Development, will help attendees get the most marketing bang for their blog buck. 
    • Blogging 2.0 covers blogging’s more technical side and includes a podcasting how-to and other advanced blogging topics.
  • Each presentation will last for just 45 minutes with a full 15 minutes between each session for advanced questions, brainstorming, discussion, or networking.
  • At the end of the first day, we’ve reserved time to repeat the three most popular presentations so nobody misses something they really wanted to see.
  • We are also adding a fourth “potpourri track” with a room set aside for attendees to host their own session if something they want to talk about isn’t covered in Day One.
  • On the second day, we are opening up the floor for small group collaborative brainstorming.  This worked so well at the first LexThink! event that I believe this will be the best part of BlawgThink. 

I’m going to be posting some more BlawgThink details tomorrow.  If you’re interested in an invitation, e-mail me and let me know.

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