Legal Research

"Are You Too Busy or Just Disorganized?"

Posted by Tom Kane: "I'm reminded during this busy time of the year how important it is for lawyers and firms to start organizing their marketing planning for next year. The same theme is covered by Trey Ryder in an article in his current newsletter.

Then I realized that both of us covered the same topic over 15 months ago when I reference his advice in a post at that time. After rereading my post, I decided that an encore was in order so here it is:

September 4, 2008 
Too Busy For Marketing? Or Just Unfocused?

Often one hears from lawyers "I'm just to busy to be marketing." Maybe they are just focusing on the wrong stuff? Reasons might include they're too busy with:

• Administrative tasks best left to others, or
• Working on files they wish they didn't have, or
• Representing clients they don't like working for.

Marketing is not only healthy for one's law practice (as in keeping the family fed), but can also lead to doing the kind of work one enjoys doing for clients the lawyer enjoys working for. Granted it takes focus, planning and perseverance to ensure that business development efforts get the results that will bring enjoyment to one's legal practice.

My friend Trey Ryder has a great article in his current newsletter (sign up for free) that endorses the points raised above. He states:

"When I ask busy lawyers what they're busy doing, they often grumble about handling cases they don't want, dealing with the hassles of running an office, and so on."

Trey goes on to tell the story about a client, who almost hired him a couple of years earlier. When he asked why he was hiring him now, the lawyer said that he never got a marketing program going and "is no further ahead than he was then."

I have the same questions that Trey asked in his article:

• "Are you bringing in the cases you want?
• "Are you spending time in ways you find enjoyable?
• "Are you investing your time in the most profitable ways?
• "Are you delegating or referring out cases you don't want?"

Most lawyers have the best intentions when it comes to undertaking a marketing and business development program. But many lawyers are too busy doing things that keep them from undertaking those activities that will produce desirable results.

So, don't let two years pass before you realize that although you're busy, you may be too "busy" on the wrong stuff.

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Making a New Year's resolution to work harder at getting more focused and organized will definitely help your marketing and business development efforts in 2010."

The active links are available at the source site listed below.

Source: Law Marketing Blog.com, 3 December 2009

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on December 04, 2009 (boomark / email).