Benefícios da portabilidade

Não se engane achando que seus clientes acessam o site do seu escritório todos os dias para procurar o que vocês estão fazendo ou o que estão escrevendo.

Aproveite todos os benefícios e facilidade das redes sociais para interagir com seus amigos, contatos e clientes.

Ter um site moderno, atualizado e repleto de informações é importante sim, mas se ele não vai diariamente até os olhos dos seus contatos ele não é tão funcional.

Invista tempo, estratégias e pessoas para ter uma boa performance nas redes sociais.

100 Law Marketing Ideas and Strategies

Marketing is all about satisfying customer needs. The following represents a comprehensive list of marketing ideas; use it to help better understand customer needs and ways to satisfy those needs.

General Ideas

• Never let a day pass without engaging in at least one marketing activity.
• Determine a percentage of gross income to spend annually on marketing.
• Set specific marketing goals every year; review and adjust quarterly.
• Maintain a tickler file of ideas for later use.
• Carry business cards with you (all day, every day).
• Create a personal nametag or pin with your company name and logo on it and wear it at high visibility meetings.

Target Market

• Stay alert to trends that might impact your target market, product, or promotion strategy.
• Read market research studies about your profession, industry, product, target market groups, etc.
• Collect competitors' ads and literature; study them for information about strategy, product features, benefits, etc.
• Ask clients why they hired you and solicit suggestions for improvement.
• Ask former clients why they left you.
• Identify a new market.
• Join a list-serve (e-mail list) related to your profession.
• Subscribe to an Internet usenet newsgroup or a list-serve that serves your target market.

Product Development

• Create a new service, technique, or product.
• Offer a simpler/cheaper/smaller version of your (or existing) product or service.
• Offer a fancier/more expensive/faster/bigger version of your (or existing) product or service.
• Update your services.

Education, Resources, and Information

• Establish a marketing and public relations advisory and referral team composed of your colleagues and/or neighboring business owners; share ideas and referrals and discuss community issues. Meet quarterly for breakfast.
• Create a suggestion box for employees.
• Attend a marketing seminar.
• Read a marketing book.
• Subscribe to a marketing newsletter or other publication.
• Subscribe to a marketing list-serve on the Internet.
• Subscribe to a marketing usenet newsgroup on the Internet.
• Train your staff, clients, and colleagues to promote referrals.
• Hold a monthly marketing meeting with employees or associates to discuss strategy and status and solicit marketing ideas.
• Join an association or organization related to your profession.
• Get a marketing intern to take you on as a client; it will give the intern experience and you some free marketing help.
• Maintain a consultant card file for finding designers, writers, and other marketing professionals. Hire a marketing consultant to brainstorm with.
• Take a creative journey to another progressive city or county to observe and learn from marketing techniques used there.

Pricing and Payment

• Analyze your fee structure; look for areas requiring modifications or adjustments. Establish a credit card payment option for clients.
• Give regular clients a discount.
• Learn to barter; offer discounts to members of certain clubs/professional groups/organizations in exchange for promotions in their publications.
• Give quick pay or cash discounts.
• Offer financing or installment plans.

Marketing Communications

• Publish a newsletter for customers and prospects (it doesn't have to be fancy or expensive). Develop a brochure of services.
• Include a postage-paid survey card with your brochures and other company literature. Include check-off boxes or other items that will involve the reader and provide valuable feedback to you.
• Remember, business cards aren't working for you if they're in the box. Pass them out! Give prospects two business cards and brochures - one to keep and one to pass along.
• Produce separate business cards/sales literature for each of your target market segments (e.g. government and commercial and/or business and consumer).
• Create a poster or calendar to give away to customers and prospects.
• Print a slogan and/or one-sentence description of your business on letterhead, fax cover sheets, and invoices. Develop a site on the World Wide Web.
• Create a signature file to be used for all your e-mail messages. It should contain contact details, including your Web site address and key information about your company that will make the reader want to contact you.
• Include testimonials from customers in your literature.
• Test a new mailing list. If it produces results, add it to your current direct mail lists or consider replacing a list that's not performing up to expectations.
• Rather than sending direct mail in plain white envelopes, use colored or oversized envelopes to pique recipients' curiosity.
• Announce free or special offers in your direct response pieces. (Direct responses may be direct mail, broadcast faxes, or e-mail messages.) Include the offer in the beginning of the message as well as on the outside of the envelope for direct mail.

Media Relations

• Update your media list often so that press releases are sent to the right media outlet and person.
• Write a column for the local newspaper, local business journal, or trade publication.
• Publish an article and circulate reprints.
• Send timely and newsworthy press releases as often as needed.
• Publicize your 500th client of the year (or other notable milestone).
• Create an annual award and publicize it.
• Get public relations and media training or read up on it.
• Appear on a radio or TV talk show.
• Create your own TV program on your industry or your specialty. Market the show to your local cable station or public broadcasting station as a regular program, or see if you can air your show on an open access cable channel.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or trade magazine.
• Take an editor to lunch.
• Get a publicity photo taken and enclose with press releases.
• Consistently review newspapers and magazines for possible PR opportunities.
• Submit tip articles to newsletters and newspapers.
• Conduct industry research and develop a press release or article to announce an important discovery in your field.
• Create a press kit and keep its contents current.

Customer Service and Customer Relations

• Ask your clients to come back again.
• Return phone calls promptly.
• Set up a fax-on-demand or email system to easily respond to customer inquiries.
• Use an answering machine or voice mail system to catch after-hours phone calls. Include basic information in your outgoing messages such a business hours, location, etc.
• Record a memorable message or tip of the day on your outgoing answering machine or voice mail message.
• Ask clients what you can do the help them.
• Take clients out to a ball game, show, or another special event - just send them two tickets with a note. Hold a seminar at your office for clients and prospects.
• Send handwritten thank you notes.
• Send birthday cards and appropriate seasonal greetings.
• Photocopy interesting articles and send them to clients and prospects with a hand-written FYI note and your business card.
• Send a book of interest or other appropriate business gift to a client with a handwritten note.
• Create an area on your Web site specifically for your customers.
• Redecorate your office or location where you meet with your clients.

Networking and Word of Mouth

• Join a Chamber of Commerce or other organization.
• Join or organize a breakfast club with other professionals (not in your field) to discuss business and network referrals.
• Mail a brochure to members of organizations to which you belong.
• Serve on a city board or commission.
• Host a holiday party.
• Hold an open house.
• Send letters to attendees after you attend a conference.
• Join a community list-serve (e-mail list) on the Internet.

Advertising

• Advertise during peak seasons for your business.
• Get a memorable phone number, such as 1-800-WIDGETS.
• Obtain a memorable URL and email address and include them on all marketing materials.
• Provide Rolodex® cards or phone stickers preprinted with your business contact information.
• Promote your business jointly with other professionals via cooperative direct mail.
• Advertise in a specialty directory or in the Yellow Pages.
• Write an ad in another language to reach the non-English-speaking market. Place the ad in a publication that market reads, such as a Hispanic newspaper.
• Distribute advertising specialty products such as pens, mouse pads, or mugs.
• Mail bumps - photos, samples, and other innovative items to your prospect list. (A bump is simply anything that makes the mailing envelope bulge and makes the recipient curious about what's in the envelope!)
• Create a direct mail list of hot prospects.
• Consider non-traditional tactics such as bus backs, billboards, and popular Web sites.
• Project a message on the sidewalk in front of your place of business using a light directed through words etched in a glass window.
• Consider placing ads in your newspaper's classified section.
• Consider a vanity automobile tag with your company name.
• Create a friendly bumper sticker for your car.
• Code your ads and keep records of results.
• Improve your building signage and directional signs inside and out.
• Invest in a neon sign to make your office or storefront window visible at night.
• Create a new or improved company logo or recolor the traditional logo.
• Sponsor and promote a contest or sweepstakes.

Special Events and Outreach

• Get a booth at a fair/trade show attended by your target market.
• Sponsor or host a special event or open house at your business location in cooperation with a local non-profit organization, such as a women's business center. Describe how the organization helped you.
• Give a speech or volunteer for a career day at a high school.
• Teach a class or seminar at a local college or adult education center.
• Sponsor an Adopt-a-Road area in your community to keep roads litter-free. People that pass by the area will see your name on the sign announcing your sponsorship.
• Volunteer your time to a charity or non-profit organization.
• Donate your product or service to a charity auction.
• Appear on a panel at a professional seminar.
• Write a How To pamphlet or article for publishing.
• Produce and distribute an educational CD-ROM or audio/video tape.
• Publish a book.

Sales Ideas

• Start every day with two cold calls.
• Read newspapers, business journals, and trade publications for new business openings, personnel appointments, and promotion announcements made by companies. Send your business literature to appropriate individuals and firms.
• Give your sales literature to your lawyer, accountant, printer, banker, temp agency, office supply salesperson, advertising agency, etc. (Expand your sales force for free!)
• Put your fax number on order forms for easy submission.
• Set up a fax-on-demand or e-mail system to easily distribute responses to company or product inquiries.
• Follow up on your direct mailings, email messages, and broadcast faxes with a friendly telephone call.
• Try using the broadcast fax or email delivery methods instead of direct mail. (Broadcast fax and email allows you to send the same message to many locations at once.)
• Use broadcast faxes or email messages to notify your customers of product service updates.
• Extend your hours of operation.
• Reduce response/turnaround time. Make reordering easy - use reminders. Provide preaddressed envelopes.
• Display product and service samples at your office.
• Remind clients of the products and services you provide that they aren't currently buying.
• Call and/or send mail to former clients to try and reactivate them.
• Take sales orders over the Internet.

By U.S. Small Business Administration

(National Women's Business Center, Washington, D.C., 4/97)

Mapeamento das áreas do escritório

Independente do tamanho do escritório, ou se o mesmo atua em todas as áreas ou apenas em algumas, seria importante que todos os sócios (ou pelo menos o Conselho) tivessem em mente o cenário real da cada área.

Alguns índices que indicam o cenário de uma área:

• Quem são os clientes
• Quais são os mais e os menos rentáveis
• Novos clientes nos últimos 12 meses
• Clientes que deixaram de contratar a área nos últimos 12 meses
• Setor mais importante da área (telecom, financeiro, TI, etc, etc)
• Sócio / Advogado que fez mais captações
• Possíveis prospects

O Mapeamento completo identifica a performance da área e facilita o cross-selling.

Com o relatório em mãos, o sócio (ou o Conselho) tem uma visão real de cada área e assim possui condições de criar um estratégia de crescimento pautada em números. 

Tratar bem os outros

Tratar bem os outros torna as pessoas mais atraentes e bem-sucedidas.

“Como cortesia com o próximo usuário, sugerimos deixar a pia limpa.” A mensagem, comum em banheiros públicos, é um convite à cordialidade desinteressada. Alguns, porém, poderiam se perguntar: Por que me preocupar em deixar o ambiente asseado para um estranho? Por que gastar tempo e energia em algo que não me beneficia diretamente? A resposta é simples: por respeito aos outros. Na correria do dia a dia, porém, esse tipo de cuidado tem se tornado secundário, quase inexistente em algumas pessoas. Um livro que chega agora ao Brasil coloca em xeque o comportamento do “eu por mim mesmo” e afirma que ser gentil traz muitos benefícios e faz a pessoa sentir-se mais feliz, tornar-se mais produtiva e até ser mais atraente.

Escrito pelo psicólogo italiano Pier Forni, o livro Pessoas gentis são mais felizes (BestSeller) faz a defesa de características básicas e muito antigas que tornaram o ser humano civilizado: a educação, a gentileza e a consideração pelo outro. “Pela falta de educação, tentamos dominar, intimidar, coagir, ameaçar, humilhar, dissuadir e rechaçar. A falta de educação é uma forma de controlar pelo desdém”, pontua Forni na obra.

Para o pesquisador, hoje diretor da organização Civility Initiative (Iniciativa da Civilidade), da Universidade John Hopkins, nos Estados Unidos, quem é menos educado do que deveria acaba privado dos efeitos positivos da cordialidade. Afinal, quem quer ficar perto de uma pessoa grosseira, que não respeita o próximo sem o menor remorso? “O que dizemos e fazemos quando somos cordiais é apreciado e nos torna mais atraentes, faz com que o outro queira estar perto de nós”, explica Forni, em entrevista ao Correio.

Para o psicólogo Marcus Pires Barreto, apesar de a sociedade hoje valorizar muito as pessoas pelo que elas possuem, o caráter ainda é visto como algo importante. “No fundo, os indivíduos buscam quem os ouça. Por isso, a gentileza ainda é valorizada e admirada”, acredita.

A gentileza se estende para todos os tipos de relações, como as profissionais, familiares e de amizade. Segundo Forni, a cordialidade abre diversas portas: seja a que leva a novos amigos, seja a de uma promoção no trabalho. “Quem é gentil circula bem em qualquer lugar”, garante o italiano.

Juliana Cunha Castro, 28 anos, é um exemplo disso. Quando ainda frequentava a faculdade, a advogada era bastante popular, simplesmente pelo fato de ser simpática e educada com todos. Isso fazia com que a jovem circulasse pelas diversas tribos sem qualquer problema, o que acabou chamando a atenção da amiga Andréia Cordeiro, 28. A moça conta que chegou à faculdade no meio de um semestre, quando todos já se conheciam. “Era bem difícil. Não tinha espaço para mim”, lembra. Foi então que ela percebeu como Juliana era querida por todos e buscou se aproximar dela. Iniciava-se ali uma amizade profunda, que as duas cultivam até hoje. “Tenho muita admiração pelo jeito da Juliana. Ela é uma inspiração”, elogia.

Os benefícios de tanta gentileza são vários. “No primeiro estágio que fiz, comecei acompanhando as audiências nos tribunais regionais. Minha função era digitar o que era dito. Eu era péssima, não sabia digitar direito. Mesmo assim, continuei sendo mandada para as audiências, e depois descobri que era porque os conselheiros e os advogados gostavam de mim”, revela Juliana.

De acordo com Forni, pessoas como a advogada têm mesmo tudo para serem bem-sucedidas em vários aspectos da vida. A gentileza, ele afirma, quebra qualquer clima ruim e ainda impõe respeito de forma indireta a quem está sendo desagradável. “É o mesmo que falar baixo quando o outro estiver gritando. Chegará uma hora que ele verá o erro e lhe pedirá desculpas. É aí que você, indiretamente, impõe respeito”, ensina.

Fonte: http://www.plox.com.br/caderno/homem-e-mulher/tratar-bem-os-outros-torna-as-pessoas-mais-atraentes-e-bem-sucedidas

Lawyers in marketing efforts

In an era when consolidation and reliance on in-house counsel are becoming more and more common, marketers must continually involve their lawyers in marketing efforts if their firms hope to stay competitive and successful. Whether the focus is on new business development or cross-selling, lawyers -- partners and associates alike -- must learn to see marketing as a continuous, fluid, essential effort, an effort which should extend beyond cold calls and new business pitches.

This extension offers several benefits: increased firm and lawyer visibility,reputation building and support, and extended message outreach. The successful lawyer-based marketing program introduces its participants to all aspects of marketing,encouraging them to author articles for trade and client publications, speak at a conference or meeting, or even be a guest on business talk shows.

Involving lawyers in your firm extends the reach of your marketing program and supplements brochures and tombstone advertising. It can build a positive reputation for the firm as well.

More and more highly successful firms are realizing this marketing reality, and are making the commitment to lawyer-based efforts. They encourage all partners and associates to be proactive. The focus is not on involving the lawyers sporadically for particular pitches, but on incorporating their efforts on a continual, on-going basis.

A solid lawyer-based marketing program depends on the strong foundation of regular partner involvement. This starts the trickle-down process. The more involved and dedicated your senior partners are to the marketing effort, the more enthusiastic the associates will be. Apathy at upper levels translates into reluctant or non-involvement at lower levels.
Even with a strong foundation, there still may be obstacles to overcome. Visions of law firm marketing often bring to mind images of cold calls and television commercials. Expose your lawyers to the other facets of marketing; make sure they know all of the marketing avenues they can pursue.

To whet attorneys appetites for marketing activities, let them know what the competition is doing; circulate articles about (or by) competitors and their firms.Encourage them to establish themselves as expert sources for the media, speak at a meeting or conference, write an informative piece for a trade publication.
Encourage attorneys to pick up the phone and call clients every so often, or drop an article they find interesting and applicable in the mail with a short note. It is these extra efforts that can make your marketing program -- and your firm -- stand out in existing and prospective clients' minds.

Be sure your lawyers know why they are needed: The benefits of their involvement span many areas. Often, lawyers do not participate in the marketing effort simply because they do not know what is expected of them. Let your lawyers know you want them to be involved,and why their involvement is important.
For example, involving lawyers in the marketing effort from the beginning can make a prospective client feel important. Meeting lawyers who will be doing the work also can be reassuring.

Articles lawyers publish become surrogate spokespeople for the firm -- there is an implied authority and expertise in a published story. Appearing in the media as an expert source may not only support a good reputation, but may also introduce the firm, with an implied recommendation, to a wider audience of prospective clients. This wider audience also includes general interest publications, not just those intended for corporate counsel.
In the effort to involve your lawyers in your marketing program, it is important to understand that their reluctance may be due to the fact that they don't feel they posses the necessary skills.
Writing a legal brief is not like writing an article for a client or industry publication, just as a question and answer session in a new business presentation has little in common with a cross-examination. Speaking on a panel at a conference is very different from arguing at a deposition or hearing.

Your lawyers may need skills training or enhancement sessions in vital marketing skills-- personal skills, writing and oral communication skills. Set up help networks, open communication pathways between marketing and legal staff. Offer skills programs and classes, and offer your own help in proofreading, writing and brainstorming.
In addition, be sure to recognize the marketing successes in your firm. Ask the managing partners to send a memo congratulating Senior Associate X on an article or quote.Distribute copies of a magazine in which a firm member has an article. This recognition shows that effort is appreciated, appealing to personal pride and encouraging further effort.
In addition to supporting the lawyer-marketing infrastructure, these announcements serve as a marketing tool for the program, and can attract more lawyers to the effort. Success breed success, and attracts followers.

There are clear benefits to involving lawyers in your firm's marketing program. As you extend the reach of the marketing program, you extend the audience of potential clients you address. While it may be a challenge initially to get lawyers to participate, it is a necessity in today's marketplace, and the results will soon be evident.


Andrew Gilman is president of CommCore, a New York- and Washington, D.C.-based communications consulting firm. A lawyer, Gilman often assists law firms with their marketing efforts.

Rainmaker - Legal Definition

Rainmaker is an employee who brings a significant amount of new business to a company. This term is often used in the context of a financial services company, such as a brokerage. A rainmaker may also be someone who creates a lot of business for himself/herself. A rainmaker is also a person who can initiate progress, take a leadership role, and have the drive to succeed. It is important for an entity to cultivate new generations of rainmakers as a rainmaker is considered a key person who continually brings in new business, or enhances the existing business.

In the legal context: 

A rainmaker can be a lawyer who brings many clients to a law firm. In other words, a rainmaker is a lawyer who generates a large amount of business for a law firm usually through wide contacts within the business community.

Fashion Law: um braço da Propiedade Intelectual

Fashion Law - Practice Overview

Fashion law (also known as apparel law) is an emerging legal specialty that encompasses the legal issues surrounding the life of a garment, from conception to brand protection.

Fashion lawyers advise clients on legal issues facing the fashion, textile, apparel, luxury, footwear, jewelry and cosmetics industries. These issues run the gamut from licensing, merchandising, distribution and franchising agreements to intellectual property, employment and labor relation issues to safety, sustainability and consumer protection issues. Various aspects of corporate, real estate, tax and business law also come into play.

Fashion lawyers perform a broad range of duties from drafting and negotiating contracts; addressing and litigating trademark, copyright and other intellectual property issues; forming and dissolving business entities; advising on branding development and protection; and consulting on design protection, import-export, licensing and other issues.

Fashion law clients include designers, fashion houses, distributors, manufacturers, modeling agencies, retailers and photographers.

Why Fashion Law is Growing

Fashion law is an emerging area of law that is just beginning to be recognized as a distinct practice specialty. The Internet age has exacerbated many of the legal issues that designers and fashion companies encounter, fueling the necessity for fashion-specific legal advice and protection. For example, design piracy and copycat litigation have grown in recent years, prompting new legislation that provides legal protection for fashion designs. In August 2010, New York Senator Charles Schumer introduced the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Protection Act which aims to protect designs deemed to be "unique" and "original", and, if passed, will apply to apparel, footwear, and accessories.

How to Break In

Although it is growing, fashion law is a unique and rare specialty and few law firms specialize in this area. Taking courses in fashion law, intellectual property, business and finance, international trade, government regulation, and consumer culture can provide a foundation that may boost your chances of employment in this specialty.

Volunteering to assist in providing pro bono legal services to the fashion community is another way to gain contacts and related experience. Alternatively, you can intern with a law firm that specializes in fashion law or works with fashion clients.

Networking, getting to know the players in the fashion law area (it's a small circle) and finding a mentor can also help you break into the field of fashion law.

 

Making Your Law Office Client-Friendly

How effective is your law firm at welcoming clients? Is your office more likely to make them feel at home or scare them away? We look at several ways you can make your office friendlier and more comfortable for the most important people at your firm — your clients.


The design and layout of your law office, the amenities you offer and how your clients are treated once they arrive speak volumes about your firm. There are many ways to help your firm appeal to clients. By putting even a small amount of time and effort into making your office more welcoming, you can make existing clients happy. Their positive experiences can spread by word of mouth to new clients.

If you have a big budget, as is the case with many large firms, you can afford extras like private client rooms and upscale entertaining. However, even if your firm is small or medium-sized, there are ways to make clients feel at ease.

Little things can go a long way towards welcoming clients and making them comfortable — and they don’t have to break the bank.
Simple touches, like fresh flowers in the reception area or offering

Snacks and fresh coffee, can make clients feel comfortable, while things like dust bunnies floating by or shabby, threadbare couches in the reception area can be an instant turn-off.

What can you do to give clients a good first impression? “Have the right staff to welcome your guests,” says Pierre Brais, a designer and project director at design firm lemay associés in Montreal, who has advised many law firms on design issues over the years.

“Lawyers tend to want to take good care of their clients, and most want to make them feel comfortable and welcome.” Give your offices “a bit of window, a bit of light, a bit of lighting.” At a minimum, he advises, offer clients a small corner at the firm where they can work, use the phone, and relax. Provide a spot where they can store their suitcase if they’ve travelled from out of town. “It’s not that complicated,” says Brais.

Look Inward First
The signals you send your clients can make or break the relationship. The way you speak to and treat your clients sets the tone of your relationship and it can be one of the most important and effective ways to make your firm a client-friendly place. Give each client your full attention. Most lawyers prefer to come to the reception area personally to greet clients and escort them to an office or meeting room. Taking this hands-on approach right from the beginning of your business relationship sends a strong signal that you care.
Do you regularly take calls while you’re meeting with clients? If you ask the receptionist to hold all your calls while you’re busy with a client, it’s clear that your client knows how important he or she is to you. Even when you’re speaking with a client on the phone, don’t put him or her on hold while taking calls from others.
Make it clear that you’re happy to take clients’ calls and e-mails. Return their calls as soon as possible, and if you can’t, have your assistant call to set up a phone appointment right away. Reserving time with them tells them how important they are to you.

The Power of Design
The overall look and feel of a firm’s offices conveys a strong message to clients. Is your firm traditional or modern? Is it open and airy or stuffy and dark?
If you’re thinking of renovating your office space, take some advice from those who have been through it — get a designer, plan well in advance, and avoid making last-minute changes. Changing your mind will cause a lot of disruption to the project and cost you a lot more in the end. Figure out what your firm’s functions are and plan the office around them. Whether you need a lot of storage or boardrooms of varying sizes to accommodate clients, work those factors into your plans first.
Ian Roland, a name partner at 22-lawyer firm Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP in Toronto, advises lawyers to do a lot of thinking and designing before construction starts. “You need help,” he says. “Get somebody who knows what they’re doing in legal office design. It’s money well-spent to get help at the outset.”
He adds that there are typically two questions a designer will ask up front: what sort of image do you want to portray and what is your budget? When he and his partners left the large firm setting five years ago to create their own firm, Roland says, “We wanted something different than the stuffy, corporate look—something cleaner, more accessible to modest clients. A younger, fresher, contemporary image.”
One of the things Roland and his partners wanted to convey to clients was that the firm consists of a collegial group of lawyers who all share the same perspective. To portray a sense of democracy, all the firm’s offices are the same size and everyone uses the same Italian modular furniture. Overall, Roland describes his firm’s look as elegant but spare, “not a typical law firm look.” For example, the floors are concrete, and there are sliding doors instead of hinged ones. As Roland points out, “you gain efficiency of space by not having doors on hinges.” And efficient use of space is important from a business perspective, since it’s such a large part of operating costs.
“Our institutional clients are very concerned about cost,” says Roland. “They’re budget-conscious about who they retain and how they spend their money so we didn’t want anything opulent. We wanted to reflect the fact that we’re careful with our money as we’re careful with their money.”
Movable walls between boardrooms can be ideal for meetings of variable sizes, but expect a certain lack of privacy. One of the new features that Paliare Roland will add to its upcoming expansion is at least one boardroom that has solid walls and soundproofing. The firm’s lawyers have discovered that even with retrofitting movable walls can’t be made as soundproof as a fixed wall. “It’s not possible,” says Roland. And sometimes, your clients need a great deal of privacy.
Designer Brais says that many Canadian law firms tend to be conservative and “afraid to look outlandish.” If they’re serious about spending money on design and on their clients’ comfort, firms must “accept that you need qualified staff to make it work and make it look the best.”

A Case Study in Cutting-Edge McCarthy Tétrault LLP completed a massive, multi-million-dollar redesign of its Montreal office earlier this year. In addition to the move to a new building and totally revamped staff offices, the firm created a huge conference centre for clients on the 25th floor of le Mille de la Gauchetière, complete with a variety of meeting rooms and offices that overlook sweeping views of the St. Lawrence River. Chief administrative officer Jacques Bisson, who headed the design team at McCarthy Tétrault, visited several law firms in the U.S. and England during the planning stages in order to take a look at cutting-edge law firm designs. “We wanted to do something a bit different than what we have seen in Canada so far.” The firm created a variety of spaces to accommodate clients, who stay only on the conference floor when they’re visiting. In addition to conference rooms, there are two lounges, several visitor offices and informal meeting rooms, and two telephone rooms. Even the reception area has separate seating areas. “Better technology for our clients was a must,” says Bisson. The firm spent more than a million dollars on AV equipment alone. Clients have access to wireless hotspots, computers, a printer, photocopier, and fax machine. The firm has a commercial kitchen and a chef on staff. In addition, contracted caterers can set up food in a separate room. Lighting was a big priority for the firm. The east and west walls are glass, which adds a lot of natural light to the core of the floor. There are two lounges for clients made of opaque glass, which lets light come in while providing privacy. Light fixtures were carefully thought out. Brais points out that although the lighting industry has “exploded” with new products in other countries, office space in Canada normally includes lighting fixtures that are now obsolete. McCarthy Tétrault decided to start from scratch and buy new lighting for the entire office. “Don’t blare the fluorescent lighting,” advises Brais. “Provide comfortable, more intimate lighting…that has an enormous influence on how people feel. It’s a neglected part of design in Canada.”

The Not-So-Little Things

Location and Signs
A good location for your firm is gold, but its value drops considerably if clients can’t find the office easily. Do you have signs in the lobby? Is your office up a rickety set of stairs or down a long, badly lit hallway? Can clients even find the place? Even if the building is easy enough to find, getting to a specific office can be a challenge — in some lobbies, it’s hard to track down the building directory. When you’re speaking to a prospective client on the phone, give clear verbal directions or send them a map via e-mail. That way you won’t waste their valuable time — or yours if they end up being late for an appointment.

Reception Area
First impressions count. People make decisions about people or situations instantaneously, within seconds of a new encounter, according to Malcolm Gladwell in his 2005 book Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. “Snap judgments are, first of all, enormously quick: they rely on the thinnest slices of experience.”
What impression does your lobby give clients when they first walk through the door? Is the furniture shabby? Does it say “tidy and professional” or does it scream “cheap and unappealing”? The look and feel of your reception area offers the perfect opportunity to make a good first impression on clients. After all, you’ve got a captive audience as soon as they walk through the door and before they’re greeted. The right image can sell your firm to prospective clients—or turn them away. Make sure the furniture is comfortable and presentable and that the atmosphere is pleasant.

Greetings
Your receptionist is your clients’ first point of contact with the firm. Does he or she greet clients politely, professionally, and with respect? Does he chat endlessly to friends on the phone? Does she leave clients standing around for any length of time? Treat your clients as you would treat guests coming into your home — usher them to a seat and offer them drinks or snacks.
Make sure the receptionist is informed about lawyers’ whereabouts. “We have a manual of things to say on the phone and in person,” says David Varty at Varty & Company in Vancouver. As he points out, “some untrained receptionist might say ‘oh, he usually gets in around 10:30 or he takes off afternoons for golf.’ That’s not the sort of thing you want anyone to say.” Ensure that the person answering the phone asks if he or she can put a caller on hold. A terse “please hold” is impersonal and offputting.

Business Centre
It’s not a new idea — many law firms have been trying to group their conferencing facilities for clients in one space for years. But firms, especially the larger ones, are making them bigger and providing more amenities for clients. Clifford Chance’s million-square-foot headquarters at Canary Wharf in London goes all out, offering clients a well-being centre, reading rooms, a dining room, and a hospitality lounge with a bar, a library, showers, and even a prayer room.
McCarthy Tétrault’s recent redesign of its Montreal office included a full floor of space specifically devoted to use by clients. “Having all the clients on one floor provides you the capabilitiy to offer services that you wouldn’t be able to offer otherwise,” says Bisson. The main conference room is comprised of five rooms divided by four walls that can be opened or closed depending on the space that’s needed. It can accommodate as many as 300 people in a classroom set-up or 160 at a dinner event with tables for eight. The room doubles as a videoconferencing room with two screens, a projector and a camera.
Lawyers are moving away from meeting clients in their own offices. The so-called “front-end” of an office is where lawyers meet with clients, and larger firms typically have several boardrooms of various sizes to accommodate meetings. “Over my career, we’ve gone from meeting clients in our offices to meeting clients in boardrooms,” says Ian Roland. “Offices to a very large extent are for workspace and for meeting amongst ourselves.”

Wireless Access
With the proliferation of laptop computers, it’s becoming more common for firms to offer clients wireless Internet hotspots. Roland says his firm plans to implement wireless access for clients in its upcoming expansion. “We’re going to build that in. A couple of little client rooms will have that so that clients can actually have some privacy.”

Designated Client Parking Spots
Depending on your location and situation, think about providing client parking spaces in the closest lot that say “Reserved for clients of [your firm name].” It may be costly, but it can create an incredible amount of goodwill — and it’s an excellent way to advertise your firm’s services to a broader market.

Magazines/Newspapers
We’ve all been there — reception areas that time forgot. Magazines date back months or years, day-old newspapers are ripped apart, re-folded like badly done origami, and scattered about. Granted, this tends to happen more often in doctors’ waiting rooms, but it’s something for lawyers to be mindful of as well. If clients absolutely have to wait in the reception area, make an effort to provide a daily newspaper and some up-to-date magazines. Have your receptionist tidy up reading material after it’s been read and before other clients visit. If reading material gets damaged, get rid of it. These are small things that don’t require a lot of effort, but they do get noticed.

Firm Brochures/Literature
Use the (hopefully short) time clients spend in your reception area as a marketing opportunity. Display firm brochures, annual reports and other literature, as well as lawyers’ business cards, on a table. This doesn’t have to be an in-your-face advertising attempt, but subtly done it can be an effective way to let clients know a bit of background information about the firm, what you’ve accomplished and the services you offer.

Coffee and More
There’s nothing like a stale, lukewarm cup of coffee to tell clients “we don’t care.” If you offer coffee to guests, ensure that a fresh pot is available. If you offer a soft drink, serve it in a glass with ice. Some firms provide cookies and other snacks, such as chocolate or fruit — just make sure that whatever you offer is reasonably fresh. Most people would agree that it’s better to provide no food at all than something that’s stale and unappetizing.

Cleanliness and Organization
A tidy, organized office sends a big message. When your clients come into your law office, what do they see? Is it a rabbit’s warren of cluttered offices surrounded by bankers’ boxes of files? The management of paper files is a common challenge for law firms. Ian Roland advises lawyers who are planning a new firm design to think about the huge number of files that they may be collecting.
Boxes of paper can clutter the firm’s halls and offices and detract from a clean, organized look. Storing it offsite is one good option, as long as it’s close enough that it’s easily accessible. An office redesign can also be the ideal time to finally move to a paperless system for storing files. “Focus on what systems you need in place to keep trying to prevent the paper from becoming overwhelming,” says Roland.

Accessibility to Persons with Disabilities
When you’re looking for office space, think about finding an office that will make it easier for people with disabilities to get to you. It makes good sense from a business perspective to be able to offer your services to everyone, including those with disabilities. Some things to look for that will help make a law office accessible are parking for disabled persons close by, a wheelchair accessible entrance, barrier-free washrooms and pathways, and a braille elevator with lowered buttons.

Art
What’s hanging on your walls? Do you have prints or do you have the budget for original art? Art is so subjective that it can be hard to choose just the right piece. Most firms like to play it safe and stick with non-controversial artwork. Choose carefully — some art can offend a client’s sensibilities.

Plants/Floral Arrangements
Flowers can add a warm and welcoming dash of colour and life to a reception area. Add a brightly flowering plant to cheer things up. If you choose cut flowers, make sure they’re changed once a week. You don’t need to spend a fortune on plants and they can make a real difference. Have someone responsible for looking after them — a lifeless plant can send a strong negative signal.

Moot Court
If you have the space, set up a moot court, complete with raised platform and judge’s bench. Clients who have never set foot in a courtroom can better visualize what to expect when they’re about to give testimony in court. The room comes complete with A/V equipment for filming witnesses and then watching the results.

Food and Drink
Designer Brais has seen several law firms that have wine cellars and chefs on staff. “It’s very common in Washington and New York City for a law firm to run a 24-hour-a-day, seven-days-a-week restaurant or cafeteria, complete with the wine cellar and the wine steward…. They set up big buffets with the chef in the white hat at lunch and people came out of the conference rooms to help themselves to the food. It’s a big production.”


Ann Macaulay is a Toronto-based freelance legal affairs writer.
http://www.cba.org/cba/practicelink/cs/friendlyoffice.aspx

O ambiente dentro dos escritórios

O ambiente no seu escritório é cordial?

Já pensou em fazer uma pesquisa sobre o tema?

Então pense...e faça.

Voce pode se surpreender com os resultados.

Se o clima é pesado e hostil, reflete diretamente nos funcionários  que saem do escritório todos os dias e vão para suas casas, cursos, faculdades e happy hours, e falam com outras pessoas que por sua vez, falam com outras.

Então de nada adianta um projeto de Branding, um projeto de estratégia, um site lindo cheio de auto-elogios e fotos arquitetonicas.

A mudança interna, focada no tratamento com as pessoas (seus colegas de trabalho) traz muito mais resultado do que tudo isso.

Voce pode começar falando um simples "bom dia" no elevador, seguido de uma frase: "Está tudo bem com voce?".

Voce vai ver como essa simples mudança vai gerar um ótimo resultado.

Ah...e não se esqueça de usar também a palavrinha mágica: Obrigado(a).

Cross Selling

Selling more to existing clients

One of the best - and easiest - ways to increase your revenue and profitability is to sell more to your existing clients. Many clients only know about the services they have bought from you. Simply telling your clients about all the services in your range can bring in more business.

Cross-selling is all about relevance. Look at what your clients have bought before and offer them other relevant services that might be useful. They will see this as good clients care, rather than an intrusive sales pitch.

How to approach existing clients

Never underestimate the importance of your existing satisfied clients. It costs less to sell to them than it does to find new business.

Selling to existing clients is quite different to approaching new prospects. You don't need to establish your reputation, skills or the quality of your services. The client is already convinced.

The fact that you're telling them about other services shows that you understand their needs and care about their satisfaction.

Your approach should reflect the fact that you already have a good relationship. Listen to your clients and let them give you feedback before you make your pitch. As long as you tell your clients about something that's appropriate to them, they will appreciate the offer.

Don't assume your clients know your services as well as you do. Most people are focused on one thing when they make a purchase. Has a client ever said to you 'I didn't know you did that'? Clients are often unaware of everything that your firm can provide.