Heed the coaches ‘Market you must’thelawyerscoach.com/pdfs/NJ_Lawyer.pdfSo lawyers increasingly...
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By Dana E. Sullivan ace it. Most lawyers would rather be lawyering than marketing their opera- tions, but market they must. Or go hungry they might. After all, as in any business, growing a successful law practice means bringing in new clients. But unlike many other businesses, most lawyers are novices when it comes to mar- keting. Some just don’t want to do it. Others want to, but think they don’t have time. Others need their hand held. So lawyers increasingly are turning to coaches to help show them how to do it and how to make the time, and — here’s where the term “coaching” comes in — how to make sure they stick to the game plan. “You get so hung up on work, you forget about your business,” said Jerold E. Rothkoff, an elder-law practitioner in Cherry Hill. The trend clearly is taking hold as lawyers — from solos to partners in large firms — are turning to coaches to get them over the marketing hump. Rothkoff said until he hired a coach, his pursuit of a marketing plan was “haphazard.” The result after 2 1 /2 years of coaching: He tripled his gross. And he had to hire more staff to handle the workload, but that was part of the plan — even with the added overhead tripling. It’s still not bad for a solo. Clearly there are other lawyers traveling the same route with a variety of coaches. Talk to those lawyers and they generally regret not having done it sooner. The coach Rothkoff hired is Phyllis Sisenwine who, he said, kept him focused on his goals — for marketing and time management issues — and guided him through weekly and even daily steps. Sisenwine encouraged him to do some marketing every day. Although “encour- age” might be too tame a word. As Rothkoff put it, from time to time it was more like “a kick in the ass.” Although they only met a couple times during the entire process, they instead talked on the phone or e-mailed three or four times a month. Joseph L. Basralian said he and his col- leagues at Winne Banta Hetherington Basralian & Kahn in Hackensack get a sim- ilar kick when they need it from Christine S. Filip. New York-based Filip is the firm’s mar- keting representative, but her role includes coaching groups and two dozen individuals through networking, cross-selling “and other things lawyers are loath to do,” Basralian said. “They do love their work and that’s about it,” was how he described the predicament lawyers find themselves in when they have to get off the dime and do some marketing. Recently, he said, Filip coached the part- ners in networking with boutique law firms, so Winne Banta can assist clients looking for other services. Does the coaching work? Basralian said Filip has been working for Winne Banta eight years and in a business climate where everyone’s expendable, her longevity speaks for itself. Know thy partner There’s one fundamental problem with the notion of cross-selling, which involves members of a firm referring clients to other specialists there: They might not know each other well enough. Another opportunity for a coach. Epstein Becker & Green in Newark was building a national litigation department and felt the need to start right in its own office “to make sure we were cross-selling each other’s services,” said partner Herve Gouraige. Enter Karen Kaplowitz, who, Gouraige said, met with the concerned partners indi- vidually to assess their group together to make sure they took every opportunity to get to know each other and each other’s clients. “The message is you can’t take lawyers in your own firm for granted,” Kaplowitz said. Different backgrounds Business coaches tend to come from dif- ferent backgrounds, and some lawyers’ coaches have law backgrounds and some don’t. Langhorne-based Sisenwine was in sales more than 20 years before she began spe- cializing as a consultant to lawyers eight years ago. Kaplowitz was a trial lawyer in a Los Angeles law firm for 25 years before mov- ing east and setting up shop in Princeton as a consultant and coach. Filip went to law school and tried lawyer- ing for a while, but decided it wasn’t for her. So for 18 years she’s been coaching and marketing from her office in New York. Making the time Coaches emphasize building skills through creating and practicing new habits. Unlike motivational speakers or seminar leaders, coaches stick with their client until they’ve reached a goal. Filip, for example, said a lawyer’s typi- cal public relations goal could be giving a speech, publishing an article or organizing a conference. The coach then works with the lawyer to establish a series of weekly — sometimes daily — steps to take. She and the client consult two or three times a month for three to six months to monitor the progress and make adjustments. “By the end of our time together, they’ve actually performed the skill,” she said. Both consultants and their clients agree there are two general problems to overcome when adding marketing to a lawyer’s daily grind: time and inclination. “A lot of lawyers are just superb at mar- keting,” Kaplowitz said. The rest, though, tend to live with the myth that they’re on the other side of some divide, not cut out for that kind of endeavor. But like any skill, marketing can be learned, she said. And lawyers generally have a head start on many other professions because they have the verbal skills and already know many people. “They don’t do marketing because they just don’t know how,” she added. When it comes to finding the time, mar- keting coaches turn into time management coaches, trying to get lawyers to work more efficiently by organizing, delegating and — of all things — taking some time off now and then. Sisenwine said there’s something not quite right about high-priced lawyers paw- ing through clutter on their desks or doing work their support staff should be doing. “You want to be doing your genius work,” Sisenwine said. Comments about this story may be sent to [email protected] Heed the coaches ‘Market you must’ F Phyllis Sisenwine Jerold Rothkoff
Transcript of Heed the coaches ‘Market you must’thelawyerscoach.com/pdfs/NJ_Lawyer.pdfSo lawyers increasingly...
BByy DDaannaa EE.. SSuulllliivvaannace it. Most lawyers would rather belawyering than marketing their opera-tions, but market they must. Or go
hungry they might.After all, as in any
business, growing asuccessful law practicemeans bringing in newclients.
But unlike manyother businesses, mostlawyers are noviceswhen it comes to mar-keting. Some just don’twant to do it. Others
want to, but think they don’t have time.Others need their hand held.
So lawyers increasingly are turning tocoaches to help show them how to do it andhow to make the time, and — here’s wherethe term “coaching” comes in — how tomake sure they stick to the game plan.
“You get so hung up on work, you forgetabout your business,” said Jerold E.Rothkoff, an elder-law practitioner inCherry Hill.
The trend clearly is taking hold aslawyers — from solos to partners in largefirms — are turning to coaches to get themover the marketing hump.
Rothkoff said until he hired a coach, hispursuit of a marketing plan was “haphazard.”
The result after 21⁄2 years of coaching:He tripled his gross.
And he had to hire more staff to handlethe workload, but that was part of the plan— even with the added overhead tripling.It’s still not bad for a solo.
Clearly there are other lawyers travelingthe same route with a variety of coaches.
Talk to those lawyers and they generallyregret not having done it sooner.
The coach Rothkoff hired is PhyllisSisenwine who, he said, kept him focusedon his goals — for marketing and timemanagement issues — and guided himthrough weekly and even daily steps.
Sisenwine encouraged him to do somemarketing every day. Although “encour-age” might be too tame a word.
As Rothkoff put it, from time to time itwas more like “a kick in the ass.”
Although they only met a couple timesduring the entire process, they insteadtalked on the phone or e-mailed three orfour times a month.
Joseph L. Basralian said he and his col-leagues at Winne Banta HetheringtonBasralian & Kahn in Hackensack get a sim-ilar kick when they need it from ChristineS. Filip.
New York-based Filip is the firm’s mar-keting representative, but her role includescoaching groups and two dozen individualsthrough networking, cross-selling “andother things lawyers are loath to do,”Basralian said.
“They do love their work and that’sabout it,” was how he described thepredicament lawyers find themselves inwhen they have to get off the dime and dosome marketing.
Recently, he said, Filip coached the part-ners in networking with boutique law firms,so Winne Banta can assist clients lookingfor other services.
Does the coaching work? Basralian saidFilip has been working for Winne Bantaeight years and in a business climate whereeveryone’s expendable, her longevityspeaks for itself.
KKnnooww tthhyy ppaarrttnneerrThere’s one fundamental problem with
the notion of cross-selling, which involvesmembers of a firm referring clients to otherspecialists there: They might not know eachother well enough.
Another opportunity for a coach.Epstein Becker & Green in Newark was
building a national litigation department andfelt the need to start right in its own office “tomake sure we were cross-selling each other’sservices,” said partner Herve Gouraige.
Enter Karen Kaplowitz, who, Gouraigesaid, met with the concerned partners indi-vidually to assess their group together tomake sure they took every opportunity to getto know each other and each other’s clients.
“The message is you can’t take lawyersin your own firm for granted,” Kaplowitzsaid.
DDiiffffeerreenntt bbaacckkggrroouunnddssBusiness coaches tend to come from dif-
ferent backgrounds, and some lawyers’coaches have law backgrounds and somedon’t.
Langhorne-based Sisenwine was in salesmore than 20 years before she began spe-cializing as a consultant to lawyers eightyears ago.
Kaplowitz was a trial lawyer in a LosAngeles law firm for 25 years before mov-ing east and setting up shop in Princeton as
a consultant and coach.Filip went to law
school and tried lawyer-ing for a while, butdecided it wasn’t forher. So for 18 yearsshe’s been coaching andmarketing from her office in New York.
MMaakkiinngg tthhee ttiimmeeCoaches emphasize building skills
through creating and practicing new habits.Unlike motivational speakers or seminar
leaders, coaches stick with their client untilthey’ve reached a goal.
Filip, for example, said a lawyer’s typi-cal public relations goal could be giving aspeech, publishing an article or organizinga conference.
The coach then works with the lawyer toestablish a series of weekly — sometimesdaily — steps to take. She and the clientconsult two or three times a month for threeto six months to monitor the progress andmake adjustments.
“By the end of our time together, they’veactually performed the skill,” she said.
Both consultants and their clients agreethere are two general problems to overcomewhen adding marketing to a lawyer’s dailygrind: time and inclination.
“A lot of lawyers are just superb at mar-keting,” Kaplowitz said. The rest, though,tend to live with the myth that they’re onthe other side of some divide, not cut outfor that kind of endeavor.
But like any skill, marketing can belearned, she said. And lawyers generallyhave a head start on many other professionsbecause they have the verbal skills andalready know many people.
“They don’t do marketing because theyjust don’t know how,” she added.
When it comes to finding the time, mar-keting coaches turn into time managementcoaches, trying to get lawyers to work moreefficiently by organizing, delegating and —of all things — taking some time off nowand then.
Sisenwine said there’s something notquite right about high-priced lawyers paw-ing through clutter on their desks or doingwork their support staff should be doing.
“You want to be doing your geniuswork,” Sisenwine said.
Comments about this story may be sent [email protected]
Heed the coaches ‘Market you must’
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