Lawyers With Purpose

What Your Team Really Sees

Don’t you just wish your team would tell you what they really see day in and day out on the front lines? The opportunities they see that your firm’s not slowing down enough to make a path and plan for. The new additions, 2 mm shifts and prospective pools they easily witness but are hesitant to create more work for you, and the team, so they let the chances pass.

“Business as usual” will not work anymore…Take control and position your company for the future!

Do you need to find a way to get money in the door? Your phone to ring more? Build your team? Actually finish a project from ideation to completion?

A major outcome of Intentional Planning is enhanced strategic thinking and massive mindset shifts. Some of the things you will walk away with from Thursday October 23rd of the Practice Enhancement Retreat:

• Generating of new ideas—ideas that, otherwise, would not be considered.
• Going beyond the status quo—beyond one’s competitors.
• Bringing new perspectives and approaches together—and combining them in realistic ways.
• Identification of critical, high payoff strategies and the prioritization of team efforts accordingly.

Firm Retreats ensure that your Big Ideas and Plans will no longer rest on the shelf or be dependent on solely you as the business owner—teach, show, do, go…grow.

In our experience, it is very difficult (impossible) to carve out time to really work ON the business when the phones are ringing and its business as usual.

Register TODAY as you don’t want to miss out on this strategic planning “Money Plan” day led by Dave Zumpano on Thursday October 23rd at the LWP Practice Enhancement Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat. Contact Marci Otts at [email protected] to register TODAY! 

Uncovering “Hidden” Pre-Planning Opportunities with the Asset-to-Income Ratio

Uncovering “Hidden” Pre-Planning Opportunities is one of the biggest shocks from attendees at our Medicaid training is when they learn about the asset-to-income rule to qualify clients for Medicaid sooner. The Medicaid law states that, when the income of the community spouse of a Medicaid applicant is less than the minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance, then the community spouse may exempt additional assets needed to attain the minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance.

Said simpler, if the community spouse doesn't have enough income, they can exempt additional assets to ensure the necessary income is produced. This situation happens all the time, but the exemption is rarely used.

That's why Monday October 20-22^nd we are hosting a 3 Day Asset Protection, Medicaid and VA CLE Program.

In this event we will be sharing crucial information such as:

 

●       Why clients don't care how much you know, and what they want from you.

●       There's no such thing as crisis Medicaid planning, and the preplanning you are missing out on is right in front of you.

●       The key features and provisions of grantor, non-grantor, and pure grantor trusts and when to use each for asset protection, Medicaid and VA planning.

●       The newest forms and procedures to file VA apps and appeals and receive timely decisions.

●       Why annuities are often the "lazy-attorney" approach to Medicaid planning and what that method fails to consider.

●       How to calculate whether an IRA should be liquidated and when not to use personal service contracts when Medicaid planning.

At a recent two-day summit we hosted with national veterans expert Victoria Collier, these were the biggest issues raised by your colleagues who attended. Are you prepared? Is your level of understanding in these areas sufficient to serve this growing marketplace? Here is what a few attendees said was the most useful to them:

"The most valuable thing about Day 1 was learning about asset to income rule."

-- Carl, Baton Rouge, LA

"The worksheets and having a way to explain Medicaid planning to clients on their level was the most valuable part."

-- Susan, Cypress, TX

"Was thrilled to learn there is no such thing as crisis planning and now I have so many more pre-planning opportunities I didn't see before."

-- Lisa, West Palm Beach, FL

The asset-to-income rule is just one of several overlooked rules that are overlooked or not fully utilizes to help clients qualify for Medicaid. Feel confident using them in your practice! Click here to to join this must attend event to get the essential strategies you need to protect your clients.

See you there!

David J. Zumpano, Esq, CPA, Co-founder Lawyers With Purpose, Founder and Senior Partner of Estate Planning Law Center

It's Already Packed!

Are you going to be in on the groundswell of what is occurring in the Estate & Elder Law Industry right now? We want to make certain you have been receiving our invites to the October 20-22^nd  Asset Protection, Medicaid & VA Practice With Purpose CLE Program. Its already a PACKED ROOM. You don’t want to wait to get your seat.

Click here to get the full details, agenda and what to expect.

There are 100 days remaining in the year. Don’t “wait until the next one”, there's just too much opportunity to wait until next year to get in the conversation with clients. Trust me, you need to get going now.

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.

 

More Than Your KOLBE

I’m a Fact Finder, which makes it a sure bet that I’m fascinated by all things KOLBE and how a KOLBE A index can predict levels of success in any given position.  As a CC&I Implementation Coach, I review KOLBE scores with teams on a regular basis.  I’m always particularly interested (and generally amused) when I have a husband and wife working together and review their KOLBEs. 

Occasionally I have a business owner tell me that they’ve had to let a team member go, and in several instances, we’ve found that the team member simply did not live up to the expectations the KOLBE index had indicated.

For example, a Client Services Coordinator with a high Follow Through was found to be trashing prospect contact information because she ran short of time to enter the information into the firm database.   Her attorney totally depended upon her Follow Through and her sense of integrity to get the job done.

What does it mean when a team member … or an attorney … doesn’t get the job done?

Unfortunately, I’ve been hearing from a number of frustrated attorneys who went on vacation this summer, only to return and find their team had dropped the ball in their absence. 

Just to keep the record straight – I’ve also heard from frustrated team members as well.

It was summer.  A time when we’d like to slow down just a bit and stop and smell the roses.  Play with the kids while they’re out of school, or feel the need to tackle some of those home improvement projects that went left undone when you were so focused on the business.

The good news is the kids are back in school, summer is over, and it’s time to focus on making up for lost time.

The bad news is that this issue may not just be seasonal. 

Enter the Strength Finder.

The Strength Finder is an additional tool that can supplement what the KOLBE tells us.  It measures 34 different areas to identify and rank your top strengths.    The results can be enlightening and life changing.

For example, I discovered that while my KOLBE Follow Through is not incredibly high, my Strength Finder lists one of my top strengths to be “FIXER.”  I am literally driven to “FIX” or complete what is incomplete.  My “FIXER” strength boosts my unimpressive KOLBE Follow Through.

The Strength Finder, when coupled with the KOLBE and the Language of Appreciation, provide great insight into talents, strengths, willingness and passions.

You can discover your strengths, free of charge - click here.  You can discover your Language of Appreciation, free of charge here.  The KOLBE A retails for $49.95 (click here) but a $10 discount is currently offered at http://www.kolbe.com/pages/special-partner/jkw/.

I must warn you that using these tools is no substitute for holding each other accountable in your office.  One way to “check in” and be held accountable is through the Weekly Team Meeting.  A Weekly Team Meeting, led by the Client Services Coordinator, with an agenda that promotes the accountability of each team member in front of the team, including the attorney, is a way to systematically inspect the moving parts that operate your business.  Internally publishing notes with dated assignments is also an accountability tool.

If you would like to schedule a team evaluation using the KOLBE A, Strength Finder and Language of Appreciation, please contact me at [email protected].

There are still a few days left to register for our Practice With Purpose Program in October.  If you want to grow your business with Medicaid, VA & Asset Protection by year end, show up!  You can see the full agenda and register here.

Nedra Catale - Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

 

Special Live Legal Update On The Aplin Case & The Peterson Case

Monday, September 29, 2014 - 4:00p-5:00p EST

Join us on Monday, September 29th at 4:00 EDT, where Dave will be providing a legal update to our membership regarding the recent decisions that have come down on the Aplin case and the Peterson case. Please be sure to join us as Dave discusses the impact of these cases on current planning.

Registration Web Link: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/770759510

Why You’re Not Reaching Your Revenue Goal

Just as we each need to create and declare our goals for personal growth, our teams need to create and declare common goals for the continued growth of our practice. We see firsthand over and over again…this is the common denominator for those making their revenue goals and those that are not. The difference is a growth path for team and attorney alike.

Every team needs time to step away from the daily tasks that we perform in our effort to create a great experience for our clients. Have you ever thought to yourself “What a luxury it would be to have T-I-M-E!!” … time to brainstorm with each other about what’s not working and what’s working … time to focus on the practice and really, actively plan for your future … time to set realistic goals and put in writing an action plan that includes who is doing what, by when, and how to carve it out in their weekly calendar. All with the reality that if we stick to this plan and hold each other accountable to it by checking in during our weekly team meeting, we can actually bring the goals to fruition …

The LWP™ Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat offers you exactly what you’ve been dreaming about … T-I-M-E … an entire afternoon dedicated to your team and your practice … with a working plan to get you started and coaches available for when you get stuck. Imagine having time for your entire team to work ON the practice rather than IN the practice … imagine the possibilities. No need to imagine, because you can make the possibilities into probabilities and arrive at the office with a workable plan for creating the reality.

That is time well-spent … That is a Team Retreat.

To take part in the half day “Intentional Retreats: How to get you to where you want to go” contact Marci Otts at [email protected] to reserve your seat. All registration closes September 29th, 2014.

Being A Competent Attorney Is Only Half The Battle

I've always thought of myself as an excellent attorney -- well-versed in all of the strategies that we use on a daily basis to protect our clients, their loved ones, and their legacies.

It wasn't until several years ago, however, that I really began to understand that a thriving practice is built on more than just being a great attorney -- it requires systems to handle your marketing, to generate a steady flow of referrals to your door, and a tried and true method to increase your closing rate.

I invite you to take 90 seconds and check out the video -- it's all about the systems I've put into place in my office, and how you can do the same in yours. Take your practice to the next level!  

Click here if you'd like to look at the agenda and all you'll learn at the Lawyers With Purpose Practice With Purpose Program in Phoenix October 20-22nd.

Warmly,

Jeff Bellomo, Esq., Certified Elder Law Attorney, Bellomo & Associates, LLC 

This Is Not What I Signed Up For

I have been told that the job hunting process can become mundane and can leave you feeling defeated and hopeless on most days. The “process” begins with turning on the TV to watch the TODAY show, brewing a fresh cup of joe and clicking on all your bookmark tabs: Monster, Craigslist, Indeed, local listings, etc.

You begin to browse the latest listings and can recite the standard ad posting word for word. I have been told it gets to the point that you don’t even read the ad any longer, as the average “bookkeeper” ad doesn’t tend to deviate much. There isn’t much creativity or uniqueness in a standard position. You get called in for the interview, and you pass with flying colors. You review the job description at the interview and scan through it with lightning speed. “Yay, blah, yep, standard. Got it. So where is the part about hours, vacation and holidays?”

At LWP we spent years and years with a communication expert to help us carefully craft the job descriptions and organization charts our members use to create their own versions, all in the spirit of “who's doing what to reach the goal” in their business. Last week I was on an LWP implementation call with a new team member serving in the role of the relationship and community outreach coordinator. The attorney requested that I go through her job description line item by line item with her, comparing it to the system for her job side by side to make certain she understood where in the system she could fulfill each responsibility. He wanted to make certain she understood how to carry out each of the actions within the job description, which we had carefully tweaked to make specific to his needs.

Since she has been in the marketing industry for a decade, I knew I had my work cut out for me. After 17 years of this, I’ve learned that the veteran employees can often be the most inflexible. She understands the power of nurturing relationships and showing up as a “GO Giver” everywhere you go. She truly was a superstar when it came to talking the talk. But when we broke down the job description and its implications for her day-to-day activities, she quickly became quiet. Her chiming in and interrupting with what she did at the last job plainly came to a standstill. We were meeting via Skype, but I could still see her entire body language shift. “Tammi, I want to check in,” I said. “I am noticing you leaned back from the screen. Your hands are no longer flopping with excitement. Your bubbly persona is in dire need of fix-o-flat. What’s up?”

“This isn’t what I signed up for. I am a marketer; this is all follow-up work,” Tammi scarcely peeped out. I could hear the fear of the possibility that the very words that left her lips may have just produced her walking papers. “Tammi, did you not read the job description before you took the job?” “I glanced at it,” she replied. “But I thought it was like every other job, boilerplate.” The direction of the conversation took a 2mm shift. We talked about how not following up with your prospects and customers is the same as filling up your bathtub without first putting the stopper in the drain! I always tell my attorneys, you’re better off staying home than wasting your time making contacts if someone on your team isn’t putting in the time (and heart) on the follow-up.

A study done by The Association of Sales Executives revealed that 81% of all sales happen on or after the fifth touch. And I have actually seen it much higher in the personal services industry (which we are); it is usually more like nine touches. This is especially true when you don’t have a fancy retail marketing budget, meaning your firm’s branding is probably all over the place. Solopreneurs sadly lose too much business because of one reason and one reason only – lack of follow-up. We discussed how the follow-up is NOT grunt work. It’s not admin work. It is enrollment. It is where you get to marry all your marketing genius and integrate it over and over again. If you shift your mind from a place of “task” to a place of “marketing” you will see how this IS not only your job, but the most important part of your job. She got it.

We created ways to make the follow-up creative, with personal connection and tracking and measuring. We made a game of it in a way where we would know when we reached the goal. “This is not what I signed up for” is what we hear from people, but usually only when it’s too far gone. Take the time to go through your team’s job description with your system of how to do what they are supposed to do. You will be surprised that most people don’t spend the time going through this piece, and it’s crucial to getting your team properly up to speed and trained. And the act of doing it with them is essential. The biggest piece that is getting glossed over is usually a mainline to why you may be struggling with lead generation, lead conversion and/or consistent cash flow.

If you're an estate planning attorney and want to learn more about Lawyers With Purpose check out the agenda for our Practice With Purpose Program from October 20nd-22nd in Phoenix, Arizona.  We still have a few seats left so register today to make sure you reserve your spot!

Molly L. Hall, Co-Founder, Lawyers with Purpose, LLC, and author of Don’t Be a Yes Chick: How to Stop Babysitting Your Boss, Transform Your Job and Work with a Dream Team Without Losing Your Sanity or Your Spirit in the Process.

The Price Of The Relationship Management System

Have you ever gone to a restaurant where there were no prices on the menu?  I’m told that if you have to ask the price, you probably can’t afford to eat there.  Really?  In my world, I always want to know the price before I commit to anything.

Perhaps this is why I see so many member firms hesitating with implementing a Relationship Management System (“RMS”).  It’s possible that we haven’t been clear about the cost of implementing such a system.

It’s 12 hours a week.

That’s right.  Six hours from an attorney, and six hours on the administrative side.  That covers two RMS meetings a week for the attorney (including travel time), plus the time needed for a couple of phone calls, plus the hourly marketing meeting.  A minimum of six hours a week from a Professional Services Coordinator (“PSC”)  in which to identify and qualify potential partners, make introductory phone calls, schedule meetings, follow-up after meetings, track results and attend a weekly marketing meeting.

Sounds fairly simple, doesn’t it?  And it is!  So why do so many members either procrastinate the implementation of an RMS process, or sabotage what they accomplished in the past by not following up? 

Let’s look at the minimum requirements for a successful RMS.

1. Absolute dedication on part of the attorney to 6 hours a week and building this into his/her time template;
2. Absolute dedication on part of the Professional Services Coordinator to 6 hours a week and building this into his/her time template;
3. A weekly marketing/RMS meeting that is never hijacked;
4. A start date 3-4 weeks in the future;
5. Determine which type of professional your firm should focus on at first – either financial advisors or other law firms that do not practice elder law/estate planning are an excellent starting place;
6. Identify those professionals within a certain mile radius of your office(s);
7. Dig a little deeper to determine their credentials and experience;
8. Create a list (Excel, anyone?) listing their name, company name, credentials, address, phone number, email, assistant’s name and distance from your office.  Depending upon the number of professionals you identify, either increase or decrease your radius around your office until you have 20-30 names.
9. Review the list together and identify any professionals whom you’ve already met or worked with.  You will approach them a bit differently.  Rank each name according to distance from the office and level of experience or credentials.  Someone at the limit of your geographic radius with little experience would receive the lowest ranking.
10. Starting with your lowest ranking prospects, begin making introductory calls.  Suggested scripts can be found on the LWP website if your PSC is inexperienced in making such calls.
11. Schedule 2 meetings per week on the attorney’s calendar, starting 3-4 weeks into the future and continue until you have scheduled a full month.  Thereafter, continue to schedule at least one month out.
12. Watch the LWP webinar on using the RMS focusers.
13. Watch the LWP webinar on getting the financial advisors to do their homework.
14. The attorney should study the Synergy meeting outline and watch the Synergy meeting videos.
15. The CSC should prepare the introductory materials that the attorney will take to the Synergy meeting.
16. Follow up … follow up … follow up!

Remember that an RMS process should always be implemented with consistent attention.  Starting a process, making promises, and then failing to follow up on those promises will not only damage your firm's reputation but your firm's consistent referral stream as well.  We tell attorneys all the time, "You work so hard to get your phone to ring in the first place. You work so hard to get a referral in the door - nurturing and consistent touches to your referral sources are crucial. The key is giving your RMS system dedicated, consistent time."

If you have any questions or would like additional assistance in implementing your own RMS Process, please let me know.  You can reach me at [email protected].

We still have a few spots left for our Practice With Purpose Program October 20nd - 22nd in Phoenix, Arizona.  You'll learn all you need to know about Asset Protection, Medicaid & VA in just 2 and 1/2 days! Click here for the full agenda.  It will be worth every minute of your time to experience first hand what it's like to be a Lawyers With Purpose member!  Hurry, seats are filling quickly!

Nedra Catale - Coaching, Consulting & Implementation, Lawyers With Purpose

 

I’m Sick Of Finding Myself Repeating The Same Things & Feeling Unheard

I’m sick of repeating the same things over and over to my team! I feel like they don’t know what to do!  Sound familiar?

Does your team truly know their role day in and day out? Is it clearly defined? Clearly defining roles must be step one to an engaged employee. Why? Because it helps them plan for the work anticipated and more importantly for the work NOT anticipated. The nature of the beast in most law firms.

If you’re personally experiencing any of the below symptoms register for the 90 minute focus session “You've Defined Roles...Now What?”

• Blaming others for the job not getting done
• Out of balance workloads
• Lack of action because of ineffective communication
• A “not sure” so “take no action” attitude
• A reactive work environment
• Poor morale
• Multiple stops needed to find an answer

During our time together we’ll look at each role in the firm and work on a recipe for success owning roles in your practice. To attend the 90 Minute break-out session at the LWP Tri-Annual Practice Enhancement Retreat, “You've Defined Roles...Now What?”

Contact Marci Otts at [email protected] to reserve your seat. All registration closes September 29^th, 2014.