Marco Brown’s Post

When I post about raising prices for attorney services, there's always some attorney who says something like: "Attorneys shouldn't do that. We're too expensive for people to afford." First, that's almost never true as a general statement. If people find value in the problem we solve, they will find a way to pay. Second, I have never had any attorney say outloud, "Yeah, attorneys should raise prices. We're underestimating our own value, and we have a responsibility to provide for our families, our teams, and their families." Now, when I speak with attorneys in private, they almost all express a desire to raise prices, but they won't voice it because they don't want others to think of them as greedy. Well, you know what, it's not greedy to do great work for clients and provide exceptionally well for your family. It's not greedy to provide exceptionally well for your team and their kids. In fact, that's our duty and responsibility. So, please, feel free to reject this idea that you and your family come last, and that you have to keep your prices artificially low because of social pressure. In fact, feel free to charge as much as the market will bear and accumulate large amounts of wealth in the process.

Dear Attorney, If your intake team does not have a phone sales script that is memorized and practiced every day, you're losing $100,000s per year. And you're failing to serve as many clients as you could and should. How do I know? Because of my failure to act, my team spent years without a script and without practicing. The moment we wrote a script and practiced every day, new client and revenue numbers shot through the roof. Please, don't make my mistake. Professionalize your intake team. Today. P.S.: If you'd like to see our script so you have a possible idea about where to begin, let me know. Happy to share.

Dear Law Student, Had an almost law student ask me about networking with attorneys. Here was my response: It depends, but I think the best general approach to networking with attorneys is to network with those who practice in the geographic area you'll want to get a job in once you graduate. So, if you want to live in San Diego, network with every attorney you can in San Diego. The reason is because these people will be those who hire you or help you get a job once you graduate. And while you don't know exactly what you'll do once you graduate, you know you'll be in San Diego and you'll have a good wide pool of contacts to help you.

Attorneys, clients and $ are in the follow up. For so long, I figured potential clients called in, we talked to them, they came in for a consult, they signed up, or if they didn't, they would call back and sign up later. Nope. If you want to close potential clients, follow up. Follow up 5-12 times. Follow up before you meet at the consults (texts, emails, videos). Follow up after the consult (calls, texts, emails, cards, videos). Follow up however you want, but follow up a lot. That's how you close potential clients, help people, and make lots of $.

Dear Young Attorney, When it comes to pricing your services, aim higher than you're comfortable with. Not so high that you cannot attract the clients you want, but certainly don't compete on price. I competed on price for the first few years of my practice. Huge mistake. There's only emotional pain, lack of time, angry clients, bad family life, and low profit margins. Now, and here's a serious piece of advice: If you somehow do aim too high, don't lower your prices, increase the quality of your services, and your ability to sell your services, such that potential clients are compelled to hire you. (This is how you get great and make inordinate amounts of $.)

When an older attorney finds out that you charge a higher hourly rate than he does, and he says something sarcastic to you about it.

About to cross another item off my 300 List: Eat Khachapuri in Georgia. A 300 list doesn't need to be all huge goals, although much of it should be exactly that. Some items should be for shear enjoyment and discovery. I first learned of khachapuri from Nassim Taleb, one of my favorite thinkers. The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted to eat it in its place of origin. So, a flight to Tbilisi it is.

Dear Attorney, Want to know what to fix in your law firm? Ask yourself: "Why am I not able to charge more?" Whatever the answer is, fix that.

How to start a law firm that will make $ from day 1: 1. Get paid 100% for the work you do. 2. Create systemic client communications. 3. Charge more than your competition. 4. Learn how to communicate value and close potential clients. 5. Ask yourself, "If my next client could only come from a referral from my current client, how would I treat my current client," then treat all clients that way.

Within the first 3 months of my first law firm job, I knew I wouldn't last. This story, one of many, illustrates why. I was putting together an order from a hearing. I found a template to use, but the beginning was larded up with a bunch of colorful lawyer language. It seemed completely worthless verbiage meant to obfuscate rather than communicate clearly. I went to the partner over me and asked, "So, is this language necessary, or it is something we include because we've done it this way for a while?" He said responded, saying, "I don't know. I've never thought about it. I don't think the rules require it, but if it's in the template, you should probably leave it in there." I took it out anyway. He put it back in. I took it out the next time. He put it back in. Eventually, I capitulated to the institutional stagnation, and I resented every second of it.