Happy New Year! The turning over of the calendar is a popular time to get a fresh start. If you're like most Americans, you have vowed to get in shape, quit smoking, or spend more time with family and friends. But what management and marketing resolutions have you made? Below find some tips from our consultants to help you get started.

Harriett Greenbaum: At this time everyone should do an assessment when it comes to his or her marketing. First of all, what went well? These are things you want to continue doing. Secondly, what have you done that hasn't or won't bear fruit and is not worthwhile? Stop doing those things. A very important third is what have you not done or only done minimally that you feel you need to do to be successful in your marketing? Numbers one and three then become your marketing initiatives for the New Year.

Linda Hardenstein: Create business plans and goals that incorporate managing more effectively by identifying your strengths so you can delegate appropriately, be more productive, and have more balance in 2010.

Larry Kohn: Since the most important issue in rainmaking is confidence in the value you offer, one smart resolution is to improve the training program for the lawyers to whom you delegate. As they learn, you will increase your willingness to delegate. When that happens, you have more time for rainmaking and you will be more enthusiastic as you describe the capabilities of your support lawyers to your prospects.

Jeffrey Miiller: Get clear about your goals for 2010. In the past, you may have been vague when it came to planning for the future. You may not have set specific goals, other than to bring in more business.

This year, resolve to be more focused and efficient by writing a brief marketing plan with clear, obtainable goals for each of the following categories: new targets, referral sources, public speaking, client service, internal marketing, and articles. Use these examples to get started:

• New targets: Identify three new potential clients, introduce yourself, and add them to your database with a follow-up date and clear next step.
• Referral sources: Identify three new potential referral sources, introduce yourself, and add them to your database with a follow-up date and clear next step; every month, check in with one past referral source.
• Client service: Visit client X at his or her office and do a thirty-minute educational seminar for the staff; take client Y to lunch and conduct a casual satisfaction survey.
• Internal marketing: Every month, take at least one fellow partner outside of your practice group (a cross-selling opportunity) to lunch.
• Articles: Write and publish one article.

In essence, your 2010 marketing plan will be a checklist, keep you focused, and motivate you as you check off the goals you have accomplished. It's a simple resolution and one that you can get excited about.

Labels: management, marketing