Marketing and Management Tips
Consider Some Self-Discovery
Jill Kohn, Ph. D.
Attorneys are great at discovery. For 2007, plan some self-discovery and become better acquainted with your feelings. The importance of understanding one's feeling states is often devalued in the workplace. This is because people often interpret "self-awareness" as permission to inappropriately burden others with unnecessary sharing of feeling states or use articulation of feelings as a tool for manipulating others. The key to effective self-awareness lies in understanding (not necessarily sharing) one's complex feeling experience. Another reason people minimize the usefulness of self-awareness is because feelings are often uncomfortable and people like to avoid being aware of feeling uncomfortable. By avoiding unpleasant feelings, we often fail to address the reasons that cause them. So, we are powerless to create lasting change within ourselves and within our relationships with others.
Becoming more conscious of one's feelings is the doorway to a better work product, happier clients, better relationships with colleagues and greater self-confidence. Understanding what we feel opens the pathway to underlying beliefs and motivations that drive behavior. Through a one, two process we can understand motivations that lie outside our consciousness. We ask ourselves first, "What am I feeling?" Then, second, "What belief is driving me to feel this way?" For example, understanding feelings of impatience may reveal unjustified negative self-assessment, unrealistic expectations of others, responding to imagined pressure or unrealistic feelings of entitlement. This self-examination process empowers us to change behavior previously "out of our control" and leads to a more effective and fulfilling work experience.
Write An Article
Maureen Legg
Articles are important marketing tools. They support your personal brand. But too many would-be authors fail to write because they can't think of a topic. They assume they must be the first to write on a subject or that no one would be interested in what they have to say. The fact is that every matter you touch has the kernels of an interesting article. When you solve a problem for a client, chances are there are others who are interested in that topic. And editors actually are looking for people just like you who are willing to take the time to document your thoughts. So write down the issues you are working on today and see if you can't explain them in writing, so others can benefit from your expertise.
Improve Your Rainmaking Skills
Robert Kohn
The New Year is always a good time to assess the marketing skills you would like to improve. Improving your marketing skills can lead to greater efficiency, effectiveness, and comfort in your marketing effort. Here are three examples of skills you may want to focus on in 2007:
Contact management: A lot of marketing opportunities are lost because of a lack of follow-through. Contact-management skills will help you prioritize your best targets and then develop comfortable strategies and for staying in touch.
Public Speaking: If you are not comfortable with speaking, it may be time to overcome your discomfort by taking classes, joining Toastmasters, and practicing your speaking in non-threatening environments. If you already do a lot of public speaking, perhaps you want to become more inspirational or be more effective in converting your speeches into new business.
Marketing Management: Perhaps you have colleagues who are not living up to their marketing potential. You may want to become more effective in motivating your colleagues to tap into their resources and earn their fair share.
Take a look at the The Elements of Selling on our website to see additional skills you may want to improve in the New Year.
Build Your Future by Contemplating Your Past
Jan C. Gabrielson
One great source of potential clients and referral sources is your college and law-school classmates. Over the years, many have matured into positions of responsibility in business. Even if you didn't stay in touch, you have access to them through activities, newsletters and rosters. Your common experience of having attended the same school makes it easier to approach classmates--even those you don't know. And, it is easy to stay connected. Take a few moments and compile a list of school contacts from memory or from your yearbook. Find out about events and reserve the dates in your calendar. You may even decide to participate in fundraising activities, which will give you a reason to contact old friends who could become new business allies.
Survey Your Clients
Jeff Miiller
A great New Year's resolution is to survey your clients to make sure they are satisfied with your work. Now, as clients are thinking about the New Year, you want them thinking about you as a part of their plans. One effective technique is to implement a satisfaction survey. Offer to talk with your client in person or over the phone. Review your relationship over the past year. It will remind them of the value they receive from you. Ask for candid feedback and confirm satisfaction. Candid feedback gives you the ability to improve service. A satisfaction survey is also an opportunity to ask your client what their goals are for the upcoming year. Talking about their goals sets the stage for you to appropriately and comfortably discuss how you can help. Perhaps there are other services you can provide. An in-person or telephone survey is emotionally bonding and keeps the relationship fresh.
Meet New Contacts
Harriett Greenbaum
The New Year is a time for resolutions. Maybe one of yours is to meet new contacts. One of the best ways is through organizations.Now is a good time to take a good look at the organizations in which you are currently involved. Do they still meet your current business objectives? Is the membership roster still filled with people who you want to meet? If so, maybe you should get more involved. If not, perhaps its time to look for other organizations that offer more opportunities. If you're not sure how to find new organizations, ask your current clients and referral sources about the organizations they recommend.
Notice Your Knee-Jerk, Negative Thoughts
Melissa Udell, Ph. D.
We all have thoughts that pop into our minds so quickly that we do not even recognize they are there. These automatic thoughts can get in the way of a successful marketing effort if we are not aware of them. For example, when attending a work-related cocktail party the thought "I'm terrible at networking" might automatically enter a person's mind and impair their attitude and behavior during the event. Because it happens so fast, we need to stop and take a moment to become aware of the thoughts. When we become aware we then have a choice regarding what to do with them. Continuing with the previous example, the individual can replace the negative thought with a more positive one such as "I have the opportunity to learn something new about someone."
Block Out Time For Making Rain
Lawrence Kohn
Rainmaking requires time. Natural rainmakers prioritize marketing tasks and easily blend them into their busy day. People who don't like marketing or who don't see it as a priority always find other activities that get their attention. We regularly hear our clients complain that they have no time to market because they are so busy serving current clients. One way to help build rainmaking into a busy day is to block out time in your calendar. Block out an hour to work on an article. Block out time for some marketing breakfasts or lunches. Then, respect those blocks of time - even if you have work to do for clients. Although you may never get over anxiety about taking time away from serving clients, remember that clients regularly leave. And, the process of blocking out time will help you acquire replacements.
If you would like more information about our marketing and management support services, please visit our web site at http://www.kohncommunications.com/ or call Larry Kohn at 323.461.6253. Thanks.
Jill Kohn, Ph. D.
Attorneys are great at discovery. For 2007, plan some self-discovery and become better acquainted with your feelings. The importance of understanding one's feeling states is often devalued in the workplace. This is because people often interpret "self-awareness" as permission to inappropriately burden others with unnecessary sharing of feeling states or use articulation of feelings as a tool for manipulating others. The key to effective self-awareness lies in understanding (not necessarily sharing) one's complex feeling experience. Another reason people minimize the usefulness of self-awareness is because feelings are often uncomfortable and people like to avoid being aware of feeling uncomfortable. By avoiding unpleasant feelings, we often fail to address the reasons that cause them. So, we are powerless to create lasting change within ourselves and within our relationships with others.
Becoming more conscious of one's feelings is the doorway to a better work product, happier clients, better relationships with colleagues and greater self-confidence. Understanding what we feel opens the pathway to underlying beliefs and motivations that drive behavior. Through a one, two process we can understand motivations that lie outside our consciousness. We ask ourselves first, "What am I feeling?" Then, second, "What belief is driving me to feel this way?" For example, understanding feelings of impatience may reveal unjustified negative self-assessment, unrealistic expectations of others, responding to imagined pressure or unrealistic feelings of entitlement. This self-examination process empowers us to change behavior previously "out of our control" and leads to a more effective and fulfilling work experience.
Write An Article
Maureen Legg
Articles are important marketing tools. They support your personal brand. But too many would-be authors fail to write because they can't think of a topic. They assume they must be the first to write on a subject or that no one would be interested in what they have to say. The fact is that every matter you touch has the kernels of an interesting article. When you solve a problem for a client, chances are there are others who are interested in that topic. And editors actually are looking for people just like you who are willing to take the time to document your thoughts. So write down the issues you are working on today and see if you can't explain them in writing, so others can benefit from your expertise.
Improve Your Rainmaking Skills
Robert Kohn
The New Year is always a good time to assess the marketing skills you would like to improve. Improving your marketing skills can lead to greater efficiency, effectiveness, and comfort in your marketing effort. Here are three examples of skills you may want to focus on in 2007:
Contact management: A lot of marketing opportunities are lost because of a lack of follow-through. Contact-management skills will help you prioritize your best targets and then develop comfortable strategies and for staying in touch.
Public Speaking: If you are not comfortable with speaking, it may be time to overcome your discomfort by taking classes, joining Toastmasters, and practicing your speaking in non-threatening environments. If you already do a lot of public speaking, perhaps you want to become more inspirational or be more effective in converting your speeches into new business.
Marketing Management: Perhaps you have colleagues who are not living up to their marketing potential. You may want to become more effective in motivating your colleagues to tap into their resources and earn their fair share.
Take a look at the The Elements of Selling on our website to see additional skills you may want to improve in the New Year.
Build Your Future by Contemplating Your Past
Jan C. Gabrielson
One great source of potential clients and referral sources is your college and law-school classmates. Over the years, many have matured into positions of responsibility in business. Even if you didn't stay in touch, you have access to them through activities, newsletters and rosters. Your common experience of having attended the same school makes it easier to approach classmates--even those you don't know. And, it is easy to stay connected. Take a few moments and compile a list of school contacts from memory or from your yearbook. Find out about events and reserve the dates in your calendar. You may even decide to participate in fundraising activities, which will give you a reason to contact old friends who could become new business allies.
Survey Your Clients
Jeff Miiller
A great New Year's resolution is to survey your clients to make sure they are satisfied with your work. Now, as clients are thinking about the New Year, you want them thinking about you as a part of their plans. One effective technique is to implement a satisfaction survey. Offer to talk with your client in person or over the phone. Review your relationship over the past year. It will remind them of the value they receive from you. Ask for candid feedback and confirm satisfaction. Candid feedback gives you the ability to improve service. A satisfaction survey is also an opportunity to ask your client what their goals are for the upcoming year. Talking about their goals sets the stage for you to appropriately and comfortably discuss how you can help. Perhaps there are other services you can provide. An in-person or telephone survey is emotionally bonding and keeps the relationship fresh.
Meet New Contacts
Harriett Greenbaum
The New Year is a time for resolutions. Maybe one of yours is to meet new contacts. One of the best ways is through organizations.Now is a good time to take a good look at the organizations in which you are currently involved. Do they still meet your current business objectives? Is the membership roster still filled with people who you want to meet? If so, maybe you should get more involved. If not, perhaps its time to look for other organizations that offer more opportunities. If you're not sure how to find new organizations, ask your current clients and referral sources about the organizations they recommend.
Notice Your Knee-Jerk, Negative Thoughts
Melissa Udell, Ph. D.
We all have thoughts that pop into our minds so quickly that we do not even recognize they are there. These automatic thoughts can get in the way of a successful marketing effort if we are not aware of them. For example, when attending a work-related cocktail party the thought "I'm terrible at networking" might automatically enter a person's mind and impair their attitude and behavior during the event. Because it happens so fast, we need to stop and take a moment to become aware of the thoughts. When we become aware we then have a choice regarding what to do with them. Continuing with the previous example, the individual can replace the negative thought with a more positive one such as "I have the opportunity to learn something new about someone."
Block Out Time For Making Rain
Lawrence Kohn
Rainmaking requires time. Natural rainmakers prioritize marketing tasks and easily blend them into their busy day. People who don't like marketing or who don't see it as a priority always find other activities that get their attention. We regularly hear our clients complain that they have no time to market because they are so busy serving current clients. One way to help build rainmaking into a busy day is to block out time in your calendar. Block out an hour to work on an article. Block out time for some marketing breakfasts or lunches. Then, respect those blocks of time - even if you have work to do for clients. Although you may never get over anxiety about taking time away from serving clients, remember that clients regularly leave. And, the process of blocking out time will help you acquire replacements.
If you would like more information about our marketing and management support services, please visit our web site at http://www.kohncommunications.com/ or call Larry Kohn at 323.461.6253. Thanks.
