Do you manage expectations?

Law firms: Do your fee-earners manage clients’ expectations well or not?

In many instances, I would expect the answer to be no.

You would think it would be easy, wouldn’t you? Yet it’s not.

Why? For a few reasons:

🧿Because they are focused on the legal work and not on communicating clearly with the client.

🧿Because they lack confidence.

🧿Because they don’t know what to say.

🧿Because they under-estimate how long a job will take.

This means that they tell the client that the job will be completed on a certain date or at a certain time, but it is unrealistic.

Why do they do this?

🟣Because it’s human nature to under-estimate and they don’t know that.

🟣 Because they are people-pleasers and want to keep the client happy, but it backfires on them.

🟣Because it’s a habit that they keep on repeating.

Then what happens?

💧They miss the deadline and worse still,

💧they do not go back and tell the client!

Result: One not-so-happy client who then has ammunition to ask for money off the bill.

What’s the solution?

💥Ask the client how urgent the job is. It may not be.

💥Ask the following question: How long will it really take me to do this job?

💥Add on another 20%.

💥Communicate clearly with the client, unapologetically, about how long it will take.

💥Add in that if you can improve on the time, you will, but not at the expense of the quality.

💥Reassure the client that you will keep them informed.

💥If things change, always let the client know.

✅Using, my unique True Worth methodology, I help law firms (and other service-based businesses) to get paid their true worth consistently and unapologetically while keeping their clients happy.

Result: Billing up, recovery rates up, confidence up.

Want to know more then do get in touch.

I’m Vanessa Ugatti, author of Amazon Best Seller, True Worth: How to Charge What You’re Worth and Get It. I help accountants, lawyers and consultants to generate more income, have more time and create more freedom without having to get more clients, do more work or compromise value or values.

Ready to talk?

For an initial no-obligation chat, call 00-44-1202-743961 or to order your complimentary copy of Amazon Best Seller click here

1)   Plan your Christmas tasks so you have plenty of time and stick to them. It reminds me of that old age: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”

2)   Have a budget for what you’re spending on gifts, food, etc. and stick to it. What’s the point of over-spending if it means you spending the next 3 months catching up?

3)   Programme in short bursts of “you time” so you can rest and recuperate. This is critical and, paradoxically, the busier you are, the more important it is for you to do this. When working with clients, I see the tendency to move from one task to another, like an automaton, and without giving themselves the time to think, acknowledge wins or rest.

4)   Keep a positive mental attitude. Not much more to say on this one, except that it will be easier to achieve if you apply points 1-3 and 5-8.

5)   Don’t take it all too seriously!

6)   When buying gifts, it’s not how much you spend, it’s how much thought goes   into them and how you feel when you buy them that counts. If you’re feeling stressed and buy something expensive in a rush, then the receiver is receiving your stress. On the other hand, if you buy gifts when you’re feeling relaxed and happy, then the recipients will receive that energy.

Which do you think they will prefer?

7)   When you notice the stress creeping in, stop, take a deep breath and feel grateful for everything and everyone in your life. This only takes a few minutes to do and yet the benefit can be proportionally much greater.

8)   If you have lost loved ones, it’s normal to feel sad that they’re no longer with you. I can personally relate to that one! Then you can flip it around and be grateful that they were a part of your life. Then focus on what you’re grateful for now. You may not always choose the circumstances in which you find yourself, however, you are always at liberty to choose what you think about them. Understanding and realising that is true power.

9)   If all else fails, just get drunk! 
When all the jobs are done, you can just relax and enjoy yourself. Then when you’re ready, reflect on the wins, challenges and insights that 2017 brought you and prepare for the coming year.
Thank you for reading and for your comments and I look forward to sharing more with you in 2018.
It only remains for me to wish you the happiest Christmas and a very prosperous 2018.