Visibility, or lack thereof, is a common problem for lawyers who work in mid-to-large sized law firms.

Attorneys have a tendency to believe that colleagues will be eager to cross-sell their services.

They're wrong.

It happens often than you might think.

Why?

They fear the competition. Or,  they just don't know what you do.

Whatever it is that is preventing other lawyers from touting your services - now is the time to take a good look at yourself and your visibility within the firm.

Before people will refer work to you, they need to be clear about what you do.

Sara Holtz, author of Bringin' in the Rain, offers very sage advice on how to maximize your visibility.

Holtz writes that lawyers need to embark on an "internal PR campaign" by following these simple 8 steps:

1. Set clear objectives.

Ask yourself why you want to increase visibility. Do you want to build your book of business? More referrals?

2. Highlight what you want to be known for.

Try to develop a clear message highlighting the desired reputation you want among your colleagues.

3. Get to know your target audience.

Who will your message reach?

Once you answered that question, summarize your strategy into one sentence.

For example: I want to educate the partners in my practice group about my recent success negotiating a complicated lease for a biotech company so they will refer their technology clients with real estate needs to me.

4. Cultivate relationships within your target audience.

Ask questions about their practice, really get to know them.

Take the opportunity to share your strengths and emphasize why you're a good choice for a referral.

5. Share what you've learned.

Don't be shy about sharing what you've learned in a recent success case with others who might be interested.

6. Present to other practice groups.

Be sure to focus on issues that are useful to them and their clients.

7. Spread the word.

Talk up your achievements to other lawyers using in-house newsletters, ect.

8. Speak at all-firm or all-practice group events.

Again, make sure comments should be relevant to the group.

Raising your profile won't happen overnight. It takes time and diligence. But once word of your talent spreads across the firm - watch out!

Your book of business may burst at the seams!

Related articles:

Lawyer Marketing Mistakes to Avoid Now!

Common Legal Marketing Mistakes that Could Cost You a Client

Never Waste a Good Mistake

Why Won't my Phone Ring?

Report Shows Increasing Disparity for Women Lawyers

A survey conducted by the National Association of Women Lawyers casts an unfavorable light on U.S. law firms. The survey indicates that there is a relatively low percentage of women equity partners - about 15% - and that the compensation gap between men and women is growing.

What's even more startling is the information published in a different, yet similar report titled,  New Millenium, Same Glass Ceiling? The Impact of Law Firm Compensation Systems on Women. It revealed that "existing compensation systems in law firms were rank with subjectivity, lacked transparency, and left large openings for gender bias."

Even more shocking?

Nearly one-third of the women surveyed reported being bullied, threatened, or intimidated when it came to the issue of origination credit, which is a key factor in setting compensation.

"The focus for quite a long time has been on getting a critical mass of women into these leadership positions," says Joan William, co-author of the report. "One the other hand, once they get there, they face serious, serious problems even if they do everything right. What we saw were depressingly, tightly documented patterns of gender bias."

The study also showed:

• A lack of women and minorities on compensation committees.
• More than half the women surveyed reported being denied their fair share of origination credit.
• Women are not being given networking opportunities that lead to landing new clients.

Williams also notes that women are commonly asked to sit on diversity committees, mentor associates, work pro bono, and take on other team-work assignments that are more important to the firm's long-term health - all of which do not add up to billable hours. Because most compensation systems award rainmakers and billing hours instead of other roles and responsibilities, it appears that women are getting the short end of the stick.

While the study has been well received, the authors note that it's time for law firms to step up to the plate and begin assessing and cross-checking what they're doing. Women need to be advancing toward equity partnership, equity credit, and named to important committees - not taking a step back.

Source: Women Trapped Under the Same Glass Ceiling by Hannah Hayes.

Related articles:

Never Waste a Good Mistake

Networking: Ways to Connect OFF the Golf Course

A Surefire Way to Make New Connections Last

Be a Legal Networking Powerhouse

It's human nature for us to rattle off excuses when business slows down.

We blame it on the economy, the time of year, or our competition.

No more excuses!

There are good reasons why the phone has stopped ringing, and most of them - believe it or not - begin with you!

Sara Holtz, author of excellent book Bringin' in the Rain, offers these 7 reasons why you're not getting hired - and what to do about it.

1. You don't know your market.

If you don't yet know who has a need for your services, do some research to identify precisely who your target market is.

Read trade journals. Attend industry meetings, networking events, and ask a lot of questions.

Do online research. Tap into your network to find out who might be a good prospect for you.

2. Your market doesn't know you.

You need to get on your prospects'  radar screens.

Get quoted in a publication they read. Moderate a panel and ask them to participate. Become active in an organization they belong to.

3. Your market doesn't know what you do.

Educate your market about the full spectrum of your services.

Develop a good speech highlighting results you've achieved for your clients. Write an article on an area of expertise and circulate it.

4. Prospects don't like you enough.

The goal here is to build enough of a relationship for them to want to hire you.

Use empathizers when communicating with prospects.

Make a point of asking a question at the beginning or end of each phone call, touching on both professional and personal topics. Add a few sentences in your emails that reflect your own personality and interests.

5. You haven't established enough trust.

Trust has to be earned, so ask to be referred by someone with whom the prospect has established a trusting relationship.

Build your credibility by letting your referral sources know the types of matters you have handled in the past, the expertise you have acquired, and the successes you have achieved.

6. Prospects don't know you want their business.

Too often, busy lawyers share their "busy-ness" with their clients or prospects by telling them how overwhelmed they are.  Potential clients interpret this as not wanting more business.

Solution: stop talking about how busy you are and ask for business!

7. Prospects don't have any business to give you.

Lawyers often interpret not being hired by a prospect as rejection. More likely, it is because they don't have appropriate work to send your way.

Stay on their radar screens. When they do have business, you'll likely be top of mind.

Take a moment to reflect on why you haven't been hired lately.

Once you've made a determination, turn the situation around with a good marketing strategy.

Your phone will start ringing again in no time!

 ***REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN***

What: Business development webinar for lawyers.

When: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 -  6:00 PM EST; 5:00 PMCST; 4:00 PM MST; 3:00 PM PST   

Click HERE to register.

Join me for a FREE 45-minute webinar and learn how to:

1.  Overcome your aversion to marketing. 
2. Ask for business without feeling embarrassed. 
3. Convince someone to hire you instead of your competition.
4. Self-promote without sounding like a braggart.
5. Identify high net worth clients whom you have not been able to find.
6. Use LinkedIn to meet ideal prospects you do not know.
7. Make time for marketing and still bill your hours.
8. Follow up with prospects in ways that will lead to business.
9. Build a 2012 business development plan that will pay off.

Results from this webinar?

* You become more self-confident about marketing.

* You have a clear plan of action for building a bigger book in 2012.

Register today and get a clear plan of action! 

The new year is almost upon us. It's time to reflect on the year gone by... and what lies ahead. Chances are you're thinking about ways to grow your practice and your profits.

Thankfully the experts from ABA LPM are way ahead of us. Janis Alexander, Ed Poll, and Mark Robertson have outlined the following quick tips to help get our bottom lines fat and happy in 2012.

1. Develop a cash-flow statement.

A cash-flow statement is your firm’s single most important financial statement. It will project when you will need to borrow money, hustle for more business or increase collection efforts. It will also tell you when you will have sufficient reserves to make the capital investment you’ve wanted or to increase your own draw.

2. Use an electronic timekeeping system.

The efficiency, extra speed and greater accuracy of an electronic timekeeping system makes it far better than the traditional handwritten timesheet. And be sure to enter time as you go from task to task! Trying to create entries for work done earlier in the day much less in the distant past is very time-consuming and won’t be accurate or complete. Lawyers who contemporaneously docket time capture a significantly greater portion of the work they have done—up to 20 percent or more. Also, spend a few minutes at the end of the day reviewing your dockets, and make any necessary corrections or additions while things are still fresh in your mind.

3. Send out e-statements.

Reduce postage and stationary costs AND facilitate faster payment by sending out bills electronically. And, be sure to send the statements by no later than the 25th of each month, so clients can enter your statements in their systems and pay you in the following month’s accounts payable check run.

4. Make your bills client-friendly.

Your bill is the most important piece of paper you send to a client. Make sure it is easy to understand and indicates how the fee was calculated. Do a reporting letter explaining what you have done to help clients better understand the value of your work for them.

5. Reassess your rates.

Review your hourly rates once a year and determine whether the rates should change. If you are going to change your rates, don’t make small changes. For example, increase them from $180 to $225, not from $180 to $185. If current clients object to rate increases, tell them you will charge at the old rates if they pay up front. This ensures you get paid and also keeps clients happy.

6. Keep debt in check.

Make limited use of borrowing and carefully preserve your lines of credit. Borrow for long-term projects, for capital growth and for increasing the size of the firm. Do not borrow for payroll or short-term project funds that should be taken from current cash flow. And never borrow for partners’ compensation.

7. Accept credit cards.

Make it easy for people to do business with you by accepting credit cards for payments and retainers.

8. Brush up on your time management skills.

Manage your time effectively so you can dedicate more hours to billable work. Schedule a meeting with your assistant at or near the start of each day, so you both get up to speed on the tasks at hand and avoid wasting time interrupting each other all day. Identify your most productive time of day and try to block it off in your calendar, so you can protect it from meetings and the like in favor of getting bigger tasks done. Also, at the end of each day, plan for the following day before you go home.

9. Don't work for clients who won't pay.

Bad clients are bad for business. Don’t take on new clients without a retainer, especially for litigation, and remember to stop work if the client will not pay you. Allocate the time and resources you would have spent on the non-paying file to work on other matters, or dedicate that time to marketing or other efforts to improve your firm.

10. Investigate alternative billing.

Investigate other billing alternatives by weighing the risks and rewards from the eyes of both the client and your firm. For example, your fee amount could be based on end results—such as closing a deal with favorable terms.

The new year is a great time to re-evaluate what's working - and what isn't - in your practice, particularly when it comes to finances. Making just a few small changes in your billing and accounting methods could yield BIG results in 2012.

Adapted from article Financial Tips: 25 Quick Tips for a Healthier Bottom Line by Janis Alexander, Ed Poll, and Mark Robertson.

More resources from Top Lawyer Coach:

Move Beyond the Billable Hour

Price Yourself to Win More Business

Show Me the Money!

Tackle the Time Crunch

Weeding out the Best of the Best in Office Apps

The Apple App Store has literally hundreds of thousands of applications in its library. With so many to choose from, how do you know which apps are relevant to your work? You certainly do not want to pay and download one, only to have it be a big FAIL.

Here are five iPhone apps recommended by Entrepreneur Magazine that could be quite useful for busy firm attorneys and corporate counsel.

1. ProOnGo Expense

This expense-tracking app is particularly useful for small firm lawyers, or solo attorneys.

Users can manage their expenses on the iPhone using the app's options and features, or export the data to QuickBooks, an Excel spreadsheet, a CSV file, or in XML format. Since CSV data is also ASCII text data--with the fields separated by commas--you can export an expense report to any text-based application on any platform. You can use predefined expenses or add your own; choose from expense, mileage, or time; then just add the data requested by the other fields, such as vendor, category, date, description, and then watch the running total. Touchscreen buttons provide options to sort, export, save, and restore backups.

The Receipt Reader service, which takes a scanned or photographed receipt, deciphers the text on that document, and sends it back to your iPhone.

Free (optional ProOnGo Receipt Reader has subscription fees based on number of scanned receipts).

2. Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite 

The primary advantage of this app is the capability to view, create, open, and edit Microsoft Office files on your iPhone.

$9.99.

3. Bump for iPhone

Don't let the funny name fool you. This app can be quite useful. It is an excellent time saver for lawyers who deal with lots of people, in person, on a daily basis. 

Setup is easy; just follow the application's prompts. When you meet another "Bumper," both users must open the app on both devices; bump hands while holding the phones, abd then confirm the exchange. The application checks for duplicates, and it compares contact lists for shared entries.

Free.

4. Workday 

Workday allows management to review, approve, and sign off on employees' expense reports, time sheets, and vacation requests. It also provides a quick method for HR and purchasing departments to secure approval for new hires, terminations, requisitions, purchase orders, and other such documents. Plus, it's a breeze for remote workers to secure approval on any document.

Be aware, however, that although Workday for iPhone is free, the core application, Workday Solutions, is not. This program requires a subscription to Workday.

5. SurePayroll Mobile Payroll

This is an ideal app for small firms that contract out payroll to another payroll management service.

SurePayroll provides a long list of features, including calculating wages and deductions, managing payroll taxes, issuing checks or direct deposit funds to your employees, providing 24/7 online access to files, sending alerts, and providing labor law information. The service also includes tight security protocols, employee self-service options, HR tools and support, time clock options, and accounting software integration with programs such as QuickBooks, Peachtree, and MYOB.

Price is based on payroll frequency and number of employees.

All of these apps are available now at the Apple iPhone Store.

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Time Saving Web Apps

Want to Stay in Touch with Clients? There's an App for That!

RECOMMENDATIONS: Tech Books that Boost Productivity

iPads Helps Lawyers and Clients Stay Connected

When you want to expand your practice niche or transition to another specialty, here's how.

No matter where you are in your legal career, it may be time for a change - a PERSONAL BRAND change.

Professionals reinvent themselves all of the time. They want to be known for something better or something different. They want their reputations to be respected - and remembered. They also want their brands to help them win new clients.

The key to brand reinvention is to convince others to embrace it - and take you seriously. Dorie Clark, author of How to Reinvent Your Personal Brand, offers these five steps on how to successfully rebuild a brand for business.

1. Understand your new identity.

You need to develop a detailed understanding of where you want to go, and the knowledge and skills necessary to get there. If you've been a real estate attorney for the past decade, you may understand every new law and matter out there. But can you effectively convey that knowledge to a non-legal audience? Learning the skills you need will help you gain the confidence necessary to start identifying (and publicizing) yourself in your new identity.

2. What's your Unique Selling Proposition?

What makes you different from anyone else? That's what people will remember, and you can use it to your advantage.

3. Develop a narrative.

To protect your brand you need to develop a compelling narrative that explains to people exactly how your past fits into the present.

It's like a job interview — you're turning what could be perceived as a weakness (he doesn't know anything about commercial litigation, because he's been a medical mal lawyer for 20 years) into a compelling strength that people can remember.

4. Reintroduce yourself.

With hundreds (or thousands) of Facebook friends and social connections, you can't expect everyone to remember all the details of your life. So you have to strategically re-educate friends and colleagues — especially if you're launching a new business venture. That means a concerted effort to phone or email everyone on your list — individually — to let them know about your new direction and, where appropriate, ask for their help, advice, or business.

Note: Blast emails are a start, but too often go unread.

5. Prove your skills.

Unless people see proof of your skills, they may hesitate to put their own reputations on the line by sending you referrals.

So, here's where blogs, podcasts, videocasts, and other forms of social media come in. It's critical to let potential customers see what you're about and test drive your approach before they make a large commitment.

A successful brand is the key to having a stellar practice - and good reputation. You want others to notice you, remember you, and more importantly, trust you enough to retain your services.

Related articles:

Give Your Brand a Powerful Voice

Develop a Dynamite Personal Branding Message

Protect Your Brand Online

What's Stopping You from Achieving Your Goals?

Become More Resilient by Learning How to Handle Life's Demands

No one is immune to adversity. We've all been through it. And, while it's not fun, stressful situations can be manageable. In fact, you can even thrive on them.

This is called RESILIENCY -  the ability to adapt well in the face of trauma or stress and - bounce back!

Research shows that resilient people are more positive, healthier, and they tend to do the following:

• Take a break when stress sets in.
• Accept others and themselves - flaws and all.
• Avoid reacting to situations impulsively or with anger.
• Set personal goals and plan time and effort to achieve them.

Of course, knowing what resiliency means is one thing. Being a resilient person is a whole different ball game. Negative experiences and poor communication often cloud our judgement when it comes to coping with life's demands.

But there is good news!

Resiliency can be learned!

Here are some tips to help you ignite your inner-resiliency.

1. Maintain good relationships.

Your friends and family should serve as a foundation when life throws you a curve.

Seek out people who are supportive and respectful and take care to avoid those who are critical and controlling. Join a faith group for spiritual grounding and growth, or a self-help group for emotional support when times are tough.

2. See crises as solvable problems.

You cannot change that fact that negative events happen but you can change how you respond to them. Put structure and control into your life by having short-term and long-term goals. Those goals will help you learn how to deal with negative feelings and avoid lapses of judgement when the going gets tough.

3. Communicate!

Communicate effectively by understanding both verbal and non-verbal cues. Also, be an active listener by conveying that you understand and validate the other person - even if you don't necessarily agree with what he or she is saying.

Not being able to communicate with others leads to anger, conflict and increased stress.

4. Nurture a positive view of yourself.

Take care of yourself. Get plenty of sleep a night. Eat three meals a day. Exercise. Cut out smoking. Have a close friend to share your ideas, hopes and dreams with. Laugh a lot. Feed your soul with activities that make your spirits soar whether it be painting, theatre, golf or reading.

5. Learn from mistakes.

Mistakes are not failures!

Resilient people look at mistakes as experiences and opportunities for learning and growth. Even though they do not enjoy mistakes, they are not easily discouraged by them.

When things go wrong, don't fall to pieces. Learn how to roll with the punches by getting in touch with your inner-resiliency. All of us have it. Bring yours out and make it work for you!

Article adapted from Resilience by John Starzynski.

Related articles:

5 Ways to Deal with Difficult Coworkers

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How to Stave Off Stress

Harnessing Empathy for Effective Communication

Resolve to Give Yourself a Break in 2012

Everyone makes mistakes. But in 2012, instead of beating yourself up over a gaffe, learn how to move forward and not be too hard on yourself.

Here are three ways you can focus on self-compassion, and less on self-criticism.

1. Be compassionate to yourself.

Think about it, when friends make mistakes you lend a shoulder and offer encouraging words. Yet, when you miss a mark, you're probably likely to rehash every little thing you did wrong.

Stop!

Try to come to the realization that achieving perfection all the time is impossible. Show yourself the same care you would a friend.

2. Take a break.

When you feel self-criticism coming on over a shortcoming, take a break.

Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion: Stop Berating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind, recommends reciting a set of phrases, such as:

• "This is a momentary setback."
• "It's part of life."
• "May I be kind to myself in this moment."

3. Think positive.

There's always a silver lining. Always. You waste valuable energy being negative and beating yourself up over things you can't control.

The next time you're tempted to blame yourself, remember that you're not the only one who slips up. Think of mistakes as learning opportunities.

Related articles:

Never Waste a Good Mistake

Adopt a Resilient Mindset

Conquer Your Fears and Take a Leap

5 Tips to Help You Advance in the Firm

Real leadership is more than having authority.  You can grant someone a position, but you cannot grant him real leadership. Real leadership is being the person others will gladly and confidently follow regardless of your position.  Simply put, leadership is INFLUENCE.

How do you know if you have influence?  Leadership expert John Maxwell uses this acrostic in his acclaimed book, Becoming a Person of Influence:

• Integrity—builds relationships on trust
• Nurturing—cares about people as individuals
• Faith—believes in people
• Listening—values what others have to say
• Understanding—sees from their point of view
• Enlarging—helps others become bigger
• Navigating—assists others through difficulties
• Connecting—initiates positive relationships
• Empowering—gives them the power to lead

Mark the qualities listed above that you excel in.  Now  list the qualities you need to work on—along with a short note on how you are going to improve in that area.

Evaluate Your Leadership

Rate your leadership by placing the number 1, 2, or 3 next to each statement:

1=Never    2=Sometimes    3=Always

1. People seem to want to follow me.
2. Within the context of new acquaintances, I emerge as the leader.
3. As an elementary-school child, I was recognized as a leader.
4. My family recognizes me as a leader.
5. I find it easy to recruit people for volunteer projects.
6. I feel I am understood as a leader.
7. I have a great relationship with at least 80 per cent of the people in my firm.
8. When conflict arises between someone in the firm and myself, I confront that person one-on-one to deal with the situation.
9. Most of the key leaders in the firm agree with my leadership.
10. My partners and practice group members respect me as a leader and follow my lead enthusiastically.
11. It is easy for me to patiently listen when in a conversation, and I avoid interrupting until the other part has finished.
12. I make mistakes, but I do not make the same mistake twice.
13. I find it easy to relate to and connect with new people.
14. Concerning issues that are important to me, other leaders vote in a positive and supportive way.
15. I do not have trouble getting people to follow through with their commitments.
16. People trust me as a person and as a leader—my integrity is unquestioned.
17. I am definitely an encourager of people, so much that people migrate toward me in a crowd.
18. My influence is growing.

• 50-60 This is an area of strength.  Continue growing as a leader, but also ss area may not be spend time helping others to develop in this area.
• 40-49  This area may not be hurting you as a leader, but it isn’t helping you much either.  To strengthen your leadership, develop yourself in this area.
• 20-39 This is an area of weakness in your leadership.  Until you grow in this area, your leadership effectiveness will be negatively impacted.

Action Steps to Unleash Your Leadership Potential

Would you consider yourself to be a leader? Whom do you influence?

This week try to influence five people:

1. Your superior
2. A colleague on the same position level
3. A follower in your sphere of influence
4. A follower not in your sphere of influence
5. A family member or close friend

What you do to exert your influence could be as simple as suggesting where to go eat, or as important as suggesting a new project.

The measure of your success will be:  Did people follow you?