Worrying too much about how people will judge the way we market our law practice not only makes no sense, but it is also prejudicial for our business. The truth is, people will judge you for better or for worse, regardless of what you do. That is why sometimes, you might need to get out of your way, overcome the fear of being judged and market your business with creativity and freedom. In this episode, I invite you to determine why your fear of being judged and looking bad is ruining your law firm's business. 

In this episode:

• What we are concerned about as lawyers [00:01:00]
• Looking bad and watching myself on videos [00:03:00] 
• What most divorce lawyers aren't doing [00:04:00] 
• The law practice with videos on their website [00:05:00]
• Marketing versus service [00:06:00] 

Time taught me that attracting great clients is not only about giving 110% in every file. As private divorce lawyers, we must deliver a high-quality job to each client, but we also need to think about how to attract the customers capable of paying what we deserve for that high-quality work. Our efforts should balance between delivering the best outcome possible and strategizing to get clients from the higher end of the market. Today's episode is about what I've learnt of my mistakes and why I can confirm that great lawyers fail to attract great clients. 

In this episode:

• I thought clients would come in droves if I worked hard [00:01:00]
• The kind of clients I was attracting [00:03:00] 
• My hamster wheel [00:05:00]  
• The importance of location [00:07:00] 
• What we learn in Law School about business [00:09:00] 

Save your spot at Val's Academy for our next Webinar

https://academy.valhemminger.com/livewebinar

Our practice could have a dud client haunting our staff, sucking our energy or invading our thoughts on weekends, and we might not be aware of that. Dud clients represent a burden to anyone that approaches its files or try to deal with them. The repercussions of dealing with this kind of client could have a massive negative impact on our businesses, and we should do our best to avoid reaching that point. In this episode, I would like to teach you how to detect a dud client in five easy steps. 

In this episode:

• What makes us anxious as private lawyers [00:01:00]
• The truth about dud clients [00:02:00]
• Are you helping your clients? [00:04:00]
• The tailspin effect inside our practice [00:06:00]
• When the client demands too much [00:08:00]
• Reasons to get rid of dud clients [00:10:00]

Save your spot at my next FREE live training on September 11 

https://academy.valhemminger.com/livewebinar

If you've chosen to become a lawyer, doing numbers is most likely, not your specialty. Still, to have a profitable law practice, you must run it like a business. It is vital to know things like where your clients hear of you or what happened with those who sent an email asking something. Do you know how often clients hire you after a meeting? Only after knowing this information is when we can tweak our strategies to make them work. In this episode, I want to share some hints about the data you should keep an eye on and make sure you're not running your law practice as an expensive hobby.   

In this episode:

• Knowing where is your practice every week [00:03:00]
• Where did your client hear of you[00:04:30]
• How many leads end up being a client after a phone call? [00:06:00]
• The lifetime value of a client [00:07:30]
• Keeping track of your Google Ads [00:08:30]
• If you don't know your numbers, you have an expensive hobby [00:10:00]

Most of us have a case from "h-e-double hockey sticks" in our practices. No matter how hard we work on it, we will always feel something is missing, or perhaps that we could have done something different or better. I have one of those that has haunted me for the past eleven years. Luckily I've found a way to deal with it, and I would love to share it with you. Today, I would like to show you how to reach peace at your law practice in three easy steps. 

In this episode:

• We all have a case that takes our sleep at night [00:01:30]
• Our thoughts are real [00:03:00] 
• How do I get back to that place of peace? [00:04:30]
• Wise-breathing technique [00:06:00]
• The last 10 seconds [00:07:30]
• Firing your client [00:09:00]

When we think about our law practice, work hard seems to be the best idea. Working on weekends, skipping lunch, hitting the desk early in the morning and staying late makes perfect sense. After all, it is our profession, our life. Still, being so immersed in the daily routine could stop us from taking a look at the big picture. Perhaps we work hard because we have an inefficient method, and that hard work might bring better results if used more wisely. Today I would like to tell you why sometimes, the worst thing you can do is working hard.

In this episode:

• The working-hard honour badge [00:01:30]
• How my life used to be [00:03:00]
• Adding extra-work for no apparent reason [00:04:30]
• Making hard what is already difficult [00:06:00]
• What working hard can stop you from seeing [00:07:30]
• Do you know how many people reach you? [00:09:00]
• Do you know if your marketing is working? [00:10:30]

These days it is hard to imagine a law practice without a web page. However, it is easy to find big companies (not only law practices) with low quality, annoying, slow, or "user-unfriendly" websites. Failing to see the importance of having a smooth, professional and fast website can cost you lots of new clients. Today, I would like to share a few simple yet useful tips to upgrade your site and take your law practice to the next level. 

In this episode:

• How do you use Google? [00:03:00]
• Implementation is better than perfection [00:04:30]
• Remember that Google is the place to start [00:06:00]
• How fast does your website load? [00:07:30]
• Make it mobile-friendly [00:09:00]
• Book an appointment here! [00:10:30]
• A general physician or a brain surgery specialist? [00:13:30]
• Showing up in video [00:15:00]

The new reality forced us to adapt our lives. Nowadays, we have virtual birthday parties; we added the facemask to the indispensable items list before going out, and we can appear in court over the phone. But this change doesn't have to be necessarily negative. For instance, last week, I decided to work from a place I love, Whistler, in British Columbia. We can't change the way the world is working, but we can adapt our law practice and exploit the new normality. 

In this episode:

• What have you done during this pandemic to grow your practice? [00:01:30]
• Now that I have the time I wanted, what? [00:03:00]
• Location-independent work [00:04:30]
• Working from an Airbnb on a Tuesday [00:06:00]
• Using the spaces in my calendar [00:07:30]
• Things you shouldn't forget while working from home [00:09:00]

Most lawyers think sales is cheesy, yet, we are all in sales. I believe the secret is to find a way to do it without wasting your time and energy. The good news is you can market your law practice in 4 easy steps without consuming your whole life in the process. Walk with me through this episode, I'll tell you how. 

In this episode:

• The first step into being different from the other lawyers [00:03:00]
• Your company's voice must be posted regularly [00:04:30]
• First step - Virtual assistants [00:06:00]
• Step two - Video [00:09:00]
• The video will take your law practice to a new level [00:10:30]
• Step three - Testimonials [00:12:00]
• Step four - Schedule your posting [00:15:00]
• Work smart, not hard on your marketing [00:18:00]

Many of us run like headless chickens in our daily routines. We give our best in our jobs; we leave everything we have in the pitch, and at the end of the day, we are so tired that we wish we could create a better life for us. But we don't have time for that because we need to be ready for battle the next day. That cycle restarts and without noticing it, five, or maybe ten years go by. 

Where do you think your life and practice will be five years from now if you live the same way you did last week?

In this episode: 

• One of my old habits [00:01:30]
• Legal aid clients vs my vision [00:04:30]
• Tracking my time and seeing the truth [00:07:00]
• I was way too busy to take care of me [00:08:00]
• Creating new habits and seeing results [00:10:30]
• Adapting me and the business to the new reality [00:12:00]
• Someone who can strategically direct and guide us [00:13:30]
• Where would I be in the next five years? [00:15:00]