One lawyer, two statements: all said within three minutes.

1. “It’s slow. I’m not taking home nearly what I took home two years ago. I’m dying here.”

and

2. “I spend way too much time answering calls from old clients asking about old issues. I closed her file four years ago, and she still has questions. I don’t have time to go out and beat the bushes because of all these calls.”

Do you see it yet? Read it again.

I’m paraphrasing, but he’s saying, “I can’t make the phone ring because the phone won’t stop ringing.”

See it now?

Read Between the Lines

Any chance there’s work in those calls? Any chance there’s gold in those hills?

He’s got former clients calling (people who already trust him) about finding solutions to legal problems. That’s the plan, right? We want the phone to ring with calls from people needing legal help.

It’s working. It’s happening, and he hasn’t noticed. He has money ringing his phone, and he hasn’t noticed. I had to slap him—twice.

Then he woke up (and my hand was sore). Note to domestic violence prevention advocates: give me a break, okay? I was kidding. No one was slapped in the writing of this article. Also, joking about violence is wrong. I feel admonished now. I’m guilty. Enough?

Redefine Your Concept of Providing Legal Services

Back to my guy:

He’s got people with a problem on his phone. These people think he’s the cat’s meow or they’d be calling someone else.

These people need help. In fact, they’re calling him asking for help.

All he needs to do now is move these people from the phone to the cash register. He needs to offer them a solution.

For some, it’ll be actions to enforce a contract or a court order. For others, it’ll be actions to clarify old documents to apply to new situations. Some will need mediation, arbitration, or litigation. Some will just need some wise advice. They need his help.

For whatever reason, historically, he hasn’t been moving these folks back into the flock. He took the attitude that once they were done they were done. That was a mistake.

Stop thinking about what you do for clients in the way you define it. Start thinking about what you do for clients in the way they define it.

When they call asking for help, you need to sell them help. Figure out how you can meet the need they bring to you. Stop worrying about finding people who have the need you want to meet. Start accepting the clients who think you’re the solution to their problem.

If the phone is ringing, answer it. The people on the other end of the line are ready to pay you for the answer. They’re ready to use you to solve their problem.