« September 20, 2009 - September 26, 2009 | Main | October 04, 2009 - October 10, 2009 »
October 03, 2009
Montmartre
Posted by JD Hull at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)
October 02, 2009
The Economist: The U.S. Manufacturing Slump.
In a continung recession, the Wolf will visit every house. See in yesterday's issue of The Economist "Wanted: New Customers". Excerpt:
Manufacturers were hammered in the recession of the early 2000s in large part because they were at the centre of the preceding boom in capital spending. They seemed far removed from the housing and finance bacchanalia that spurred the latest recession. Indeed, employment never recovered from its previous collapse. But much of America’s manufacturing output is destined for new homes and buildings, from bricks to bulldozers, and a lot also goes into cars. When sales of both collapsed, manufacturers were clobbered.
Posted by Rob Bodine at 12:40 AM | Comments (0)
October 01, 2009
Distinguish your law firm--if you can.
It's not about the lawyers anymore. No one cares you're a lawyer. Not an impressive club. A big so-what. In America, they made it easy to become a lawyer. Some day, everyone, including your waitress in Richmond, Kentucky, will be a lawyer. So get going. Distinguish your firm by serving clients. And get higher standards.
Secret: You do that by surprising clients you already have. But most of you can't--or won't--do it Why? It's hard. Rule 4: Deliver Legal Work That Change the Way Clients Think About Lawyers. From our annoying-but-true 12 Rules. Note: Blase, our happy waitress below, is a night law student. She is going to graduate from law school soon. She's a fine student. Through persistence, charm and the way she talks about real life, she will land a position as an associate at your law firm, inadvertantly make you look bad at your job, and generally eat your lunch. She gets it. She wants it. And most lawyers, even at fine firms, are pretty easy to beat. Nice people--but no guts, no gospel, and no plan. But Blase will surprise first co-workers and then clients with her work, her energy, and her Moxie.
Have a nice day.
Posted by Rob Bodine at 11:59 PM | Comments (0)
September 30, 2009
An American deadline in Paris?
Law is no longer local--and neither is the apparatus for doing it.
The court. A colleague. A crisp clerk named Zoe at the hotel. Face-to-face beats all other modes of getting points across. And you can't pick a jury over the phone in the SDNY from Cardiff, Brussels or Prague. But in most U.S. courts you can file documents electronically from anywhere. Three issues: (1) staying organized, (2) managing jet-lag, and (3) the quality of the tech infrastructure once you get there--real challenges for clients and lawyers who know that travel is rarely that smooth, pretty or glamorous. "No. 'Eze impossible, Mr. Hool, you must wait for our technician Mr. Pare who comes back in the morning. Yes? Try new business center. And no--no page 3 of fax for you. Have very nice evening. Goodbye for now. Yes? Of course my pleasure." For fun, see Ile St Louis: U.S. litigation conducted from Left Bank.
Posted by JD Hull at 11:58 PM | Comments (0)
Gare d'Orsay
Taken of the former famous train station, now a famous museum, on January 9, 2008 by Eric at ParisDailyPhoto. Called Photo of the Year in 2008 by The Paris Blog.
Posted by JD Hull at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)
September 29, 2009
Great targeted clients aren't that into you. Show you're good at what you do. And get a plan.
Fred, where'd you buy those dandy two-toned golf shoes? May mosey on down to BassPro this weekend and get a pair myself. Having lunch at the Boom Boom Club, playing golf in Scotland, attending services at the Church of the Final Thunder, religiously following Ball State sports, or even spending three idyllic weeks a year in Tuscany with your most prized targeted client or GC and his wife/mistress means zilch unless (1) you are really good at what you do, (2) you can show that meaningfully, (3) and you have a plan to move the ball toward landing business.
Don't get me wrong; that GC you seek likes and even trusts you.
But so what? Landing the business of great companies takes more than being in the same clubs and running in the same circles. Are you and yours really that good at what you do? Can you distinguish your firm from other firms? Why should the in-house hire you?
"Advances". One more thing. Please understand that the client not only needs a reason based on merit; once you "qualify", he/she must have your firm "present to mind". On the subject of moving the ball once you start getting noticed, read Jim Hassett's "How to increase results by planning sales advances" at his Legal Business Development. In his live presentations and tapes, Jim talks convincingly on the need to "plan advances" while prospecting for new business--and how to do it. We don't tout biz development consultants that much. We made an exception a long time ago with Hassett.
Barney Fife knew the Art of the Hassett Advance. (Paramount)
Posted by Rob Bodine at 11:12 PM | Comments (0)