Legal Practice Pro» Tools For Success

There Is No Flannel Suit

Jay Fleischman — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:00:36 +0000

My father worked for the same company for over 30 years. He was a career man, grey flannel suit and all. When we talk about what I do for a living, he doesn’t quite understand.

His idea of stability is a career, whereas mine has always been the growth of my own skillset. I went to college in the aftermath of the 1987 stock market crash, and witnessed the carnage that was the economy in the years between Gordon Gekko and Marc Andreessen.

There is no flannel suit in my world. I’m pretty sure there isn’t one in yours, either. Because Congress could go ahead and change the rules of the personal injury game. Or class actions. Or arbitration-related matters. Or whatever.

You’ve Got To Make Your Own Flannel Suit

I learned early on that I could be fired but someone would always pay me for my time if I had marketable skills. After all, if you’re a crackerjack car mechanic there’s always going to be someone with a bum transmission that needs fixing.

If all you know how to do is perform a single task, you’re screwed if that skill ever goes out of style. Just think how bad off things were for buggywhip makers once the Model-T rolled off the assembly line.

I learned how to speed type (with two fingers, but still) in college, which helped me as a swing-shift word processor when I opened my practice and needed to make ends meet.

I was a writing minor in college (well, a few credits shy of making it official – again, but still) which helps in marketing my law firm online.

In law school I picked up a book about email and ended up with an Earthlink address. No clue what to do with it, I asked my employer after law school if I could put it on my business card. The managing attorney thought I was a nut case, but saw no harm in it.

The first phone call that came into my office in the aftermath of the Blizzard of 1996 was a woman asking if I did bankruptcy work. I met with her, bought a few books, and started learning the Code.

When I went solo I was approached by an engineering company that was trying to break into “this website thing”. They offered me a free website if I would come to speak at an event touting their prowess. I agreed, and was online in 1997.

And when I nearly went belly-up in 2002 I invested my last few bucks on a plane ticket and admission to a NACBA convention. Not because I had ever heard of NACBA, but because the convention was in Vegas and I needed to get away for a few days.

The Only Constant Is Change

Whenever possible I’ve made my own flannel suit, picking up skills at every turn. The more I know, the closer I come to the security my dad had in his job.

I’ve been a consumer bankruptcy lawyer for 16 years (it will be exactly 16 years on December 19), a marketing and practice management consultant since 2007. It’s funny to look at those numbers – they seem unreal.

In 2012 I’m going continue to evolve. Lots of things will get pared down so I can focus on a few choice projects. For example, Blizzard Coaching 2.0 will be the last self-contained coaching program I’m going to do. I’ll likely do a few live workshops like I did with Cathy Moran in Phoenix, but that’s not the focus anymore for me.

Legal Practice Pro is going to start branching out as well. You’ll hear from some new voice, stir the pot and see what comes of it. I’m not going anywhere, though – I don’t think I’m capable of sitting quietly.

As for my practice, it’s growing by leaps and bounds. 2011 has been a fun year for Shaev & Fleischman LLP, and we’re going to take 2012 by storm.

Your Turn

I think it’s important to keep evolving, educating yourself and growing. Become stagnant and there’s a good chance someone else is going to pass you by. More to the point, it makes things more fun when there’s something new going on.

If you’re interested in Blizzard Coaching 2.0, it goes live on December 19. Click here to get on the Early Bird list to learn more before anyone else.

Beyond that, think about what you want to do next. Professionally, personally, and educationally.

Buy a book. Take a CLE in a new area. Heck, sit in on a law school class. Take another lawyer to lunch and just listen.

The world’s going to keep evolving. How about you?

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WEBINAR ANNOUNCEMENT: How To Create And Optimize Your Google Places Page

Jay Fleischman — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:00:56 +0000

You’ve seen Google Places, right? Those are the listing in your search engine results that have the little red map pin next to them. Each time a locally-related search is done, Google Places shows up above most other results.

In fact, here are some stats from Google:

More than 4 million business listings on Google claimed by business owners (using the Local Business Center, now Google Places)
Nearly 2 million listings have been claimed in the United States (10 million to go)
20% of searches on Google are related to location (about 2.8 billion searches per month)
50 million Place Pages
Place Pages are viewed millions of times each day

Maybe you haven’t yet claimed your Google Places page. Or maybe you have, but you’re frustrated with the lack of traction it’s getting.

If you’re not showing up prominently, you’re sunk.

Join me for a webinar on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 1:00pm Eastern time to learn:

How to set up your Google Places page
How to optimize your Google Places page
How to understand the impact Google Places is having on your bottom line

There will be time for a Q&A at the end, and the entire session will be recorded for you to play back later on.

Cost = $47 including downloadable recording for replay on your desktop, laptop, or iOS device (iPad or iPhone).

Summertime And The Slowing Consumer Bankruptcy Market

Jay Fleischman — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 06:00:46 +0000

According to government statistics, bankruptcy filings in May 2011 were down 16% from May 2010 figures. Some places are in even worse shape.

I’m betting that this summer will bring the first “Summer Slowdown” for bankruptcy lawyers in the past few years.

More bankruptcy lawyers out there, fewer clients coming through the doors.

Not good at all. But then again, we all knew it would happen sooner or later.

You’ve got two choices:

take it in the groin; or
fight for your share of the market.

Your competitors are on vacation, playing in the park with their kids. They’re enjoying Summer Fridays, half days and sunshine.

Are you?

Or are you launching a blog and loading it up with content? Maybe navigating the deep waters of social media?

Maybe you’re looking at your in-house procedures and trying to figure out how to get your clients to pay their fees and provide documents in a timely manner, fall in love with you, and refer their friends and family members.

Whatever you’re doing, you need to be … well DOING something.

You can take this seasonal intermission as an opportunity to leap ahead of the competition. Learn a few things and set things up for the long haul. Or you can come back from your summer vacation with a tan and a silent phone.

What are you doing this summer?

Image credit: doug88888/Flickr

Consumer Bankruptcy Lawyers – Only The Strong Survive

Jay Fleischman — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:00:52 +0000

So, how’s business for you these days?

Ever since the change over to the current law in October 2005, many consumer bankruptcy lawyers have been running on fumes. Filings were down in most parts of the country for a long, time, and even now are still very low in some places. New York City, for example, is still running at below 40% of the filing numbers in 2004.

That means lots of bankruptcy lawyers are going hungry.

What interests me is the difference between those lawyers who have stayed in the game and those who have folded their tents and gone home. Not the firms that practice in lots of different areas of the law, but those pure-play consumer bankruptcy lawyers.

In my quest I stumbled upon an interesting post called Those Who Do vs. Those Who Don’t. It clarified things for me, and made me realize that there is only an imperceptible difference between the business owners who cross the finish line and those who do not.

One thing the really struck me was that winners believe sales and marketing drive success whereas losers believe that products and services drive success. At first blush it seems backwards, right?

You can have the best product but still fail if your marketing and sale machines don’t work properly. Look at Betamax.

Look at how to attract new clients.

Look at how you keep those clients engaged and happy.

Make your systems stronger. Keep at it until you think you’ve done the best you can, then do it some more.

Just like physical fitness, you can’t expect to get better unless you work at it.

Ready?

Image credit: Joel Price/Flickr

Books About Direct Mail And Copywriting

Jay Fleischman — Sun, 09 Jul 2000 19:00:26 +0000

When you’re doing your direct mail, you need to be sure that you’re doing it right. First time, every time. These are some of the books I like to use when I’m hunkering down to write:

Books About Marketing And Advertising

Jay Fleischman — Mon, 09 Jul 1990 19:00:06 +0000