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Brought to you by Today's Leadership Coaching
April 2006

Greetings!

Welcome to the April edition of the Rainmaker Report. This month's issue focuses on low cost things that you, as an attorney, can implement so that people remember you. Also, make sure you read about the expert teleseminar we are hosting next Tuesday about client billing.

In This Issue
  • The Biggest Crime In Law Firms
  • New Teleseminar Exclusively for Attorneys!
  • Upcoming Events...

  • The Biggest Crime In Law Firms

    by: Stephen Fairley

    The biggest crime in law firms today goes unnoticed by most outsiders. It is not reported in the media. There are no police reports filed and firms don’t even mention it on their websites. People don't talk about it on the street and partners often overlook it. Even though this crime is rampant, its presence is so subtle that many attorneys fail to recognize when it is happening. Unfortunately, this crime is the same one that is most likely to kill a small law firm. It is not stealing by employees, burglaries, or client complaints.

    The biggest crime in law firms today is the crime of being forgotten. Think about it-you can recover from most other crimes by installing an alarm system, filing a lawsuit, or buying insurance, but if your firm falls victim to the crime of being forgotten, it is on the fast track to failure. There are opportunities every day for your firm to be forgotten by existing clients, potential clients, your best employees, referral partners, and the media.

    SIGNS OF THE CRIME

    Here are some signs that your firm has fallen victim to the crime of being forgotten:

    • Decrease in year over year revenues
    • Less than 5,000 people a month visiting your website
    • Less than a dozen inquiries every month from prospective new clients
    • Losing large or long term client accounts
    • High staff turnover
    • Inability to attract and retain top people
    • No mention of your firm in the media in the last 3 months
    • Less repeat business from clients
    • No word of mouth referrals coming in the door


    New Teleseminar Exclusively for Attorneys!

    How many times have you said to yourself, “I could retire on the money I have written off!” or “Why don’t my clients pay their bills?

    On April 26th, we will be sponsoring a 1-hour teleseminar on “ The Untold Secrets of Client Billing: Turn Your Billing Process into a Money Making & Marketing Machine .”

    There's no doubt about it: chasing clients for unpaid fees must be the most demeaning and depressing thing a lawyer has to do.

    If you suffer from this problem, you’re not alone. Many hard working, honest lawyers find that their expectations about getting paid aren’t shared by their clients.

    How does this happen? And how can you stop it from happening? What may surprise you is it has nothing to do with collections!

    Join us for an enlightening 1-hour program that will significantly and immediately improve your bottom line by giving you practical tools and techniques to:

    • Avoid the most common billing problems
    • How to handle upset clients when they call about their bill
    • Get a client to pay even after they have refused

    Here's just a few more things you will discover on our next Expert Teleseminar Series:

    • What can I do to address non-payment issues with my clients?
    • How can I determine if a client is “credit worthy” or when I should set up a security retainer up front?
    • 6 keys to keeping your client contracts “tight”
    • How to resolve billing disputes with clients while keeping them happy
    • Using the Can’t / Don’t / Won’t Analysis
    • Ways to use a client survey to discover problems before they happen

    Register for this Teleseminar

    About the Expert

    Reid Trautz, JD is an attorney and presently serves as the Practice Management Advisor for the District of Columbia Bar, where he provides practice management advice and business consulting services to thousands of attorneys. Prior to creating the D.C. Bar program, Reid practiced law for nine years with a small firm in Virginia.

    Reid is a nationally-recognized speaker on practice management issues and the author of numerous practice management articles and publications.

    Your |nvestment is only $29 (Regular $49)—this includes access to a downloadable recording of the seminar for future learning.

    Space is limited. Register today online or by calling 800-447-3852


    Upcoming Events...

    Your Practice Made Perfect starts Tuesday, April 25th
    Is your legal practice completely full?

    If you're like the more than 50% of attorneys out there who are struggling to make serious money, then you absolutely need to consider the Your Practice Made Perfect Program.

    Your Practice Made Perfect Program is an intensive 3-month, business development program for legal professionals who want to increase their revenues and create a financially successful practice.

    Check out the Your Practice Made Perfect coming up next week www.YourPracticeMadePerfect.com

    ___________________________________________


    Rainmaker Retreat - in Las Vegas

    Join us in Las Vegas for a weekend that will forever change the way you market your firm.

    In 2005, more than 2,500 attorneys attended Stephen Fairley’s “Becoming A Rainmaker” seminar that took the legal community by storm. In two information-packed hours they learned how to start building a plan for attracting more and better clients on a consistent basis.

    The new Rainmaker Retreat will cover more topics on a significantly deeper level. At the end of these 2 power-packed days you will understand and be able to apply the core concepts and sec’ret strategies of top leg@l marketers and you will experience dozens of opportunities to put these into practice in your firmthrough the use of Action Steps and Action Groups.

    Visit the link below to learn more about these Rainmaker Retreats.

    Join us in May in Las Vegas for a weekend that will forever change the way you market your firm.
    Quick Links...

    RainMaker Report Archive

    Register for April 26 Teleseminar

    The Rainmaker Retreat

    Your Practice Made Perfect



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