Email Address
Password
Forgot Password?
............................................................................................................................DescriptionThe essential guide to successful practice developmentMost lawyers are too busy earning their fees to worry about customer care, public relations, office management or marketing. Or so they think. In the current economic climate it is becoming increasingly important for lawyers to turn their attention to the more commercial aspects of practice development. Iain Campbell shows how this can be achieved, without compromising the quality of advice — and without adding to the already straining workload.Areas covered include:• making the right impression• adapting services to meet customer needs• handling complaints• billing• office management• how to get more work from existing clients• how to get new clients• and much, much more....lain Campbell was a practising lawyer for 15 years and is a qualified law lecturer. He has written for The New Law Journal, The Solicitor's Journal, Professional Practice Management and the Legal Executive Journal on management and the marketing of legal practices in addition to legal matters. He is presently undertaking research into the marketing of legal practices in America and England and the regulation of the profession in England and Wales.............................................................................................................................ContentsWhat's in this for Me?Start Off with the Right Attitude and Get Yourself and Your Office Ready for Action!• Passion! • Have a good clear out • The first impression and the reception • The layout of your desk to make money • Those silly reasons • Expectations and perceptions - the vital difference • The magic of rapport • The power of ‘We’ • Differentiation - Service • Differentiation - Product • Forget file-driven - become client-driven • The interview • Treat the client as a lifetime client • The 'it’ ll do' attitude • Return the client's phone calls • Super-please the client • Quality • Tell the client • Risk reversal • The New Business Co-ordinator What Else Needs Looking At?• The mail room • The case plan • Complaints by clients • What is in your window?• How to sell papers to clients that they will love• Thank-you letters and cards• Christmas cards• Birthday cards• The voice at the end of the telephone• ImageAn In-Depth Look at Billing• What should I put in the bill itself?• When do you submit the bill?• Should the bill be a narrative one or a short one?• How to bill friends and relatives and anyone• else who you want to give a discount to The cost of running the firm• Time recording• Time recording as an aid to billing• Billing - let's go deeper!• How to work out the correct amount to bill Non-routine cases• Routine cases• How to deal with overtime• Dislocation• Travelling time• Teamwork• Telephone calls• Specialists• The bills approval form• Who should prepare the bill The clients' curve of gratitude Agreeing fees• What to do before you send the bill Remuneration certificate• Getting away from hourly billing• The non-contentious business agreement• Problem files • Get moving! • Linkup • Fast service • What do I think the client wants?? • Pinch somebody else's idea • Where's the next bright idea coming from? • Thinking differently! Note: The text of this book generally avoids the cumbersome 'he or she’ construct, but sprinkles the pages liberally with 'he' or 'she' in broadly equal numbers. Of course, either is immediately replaceable with the other. It is hoped that this arrangement will seem sensible.............................................................................................................................
