Guest blog by OREN D. SALTZMAN
Managing Member, Adelberg, Rudow, Dorf & Hendler, LLC
“Summertime,” the iconic song from Porgy and Bess, starts with what, many believe, should be a motto for the summer: “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…”
This sentiment should not reflect actions relating to your business or the legal industry, however. In fact, summertime — when activity tends to slow down slightly — can be the ideal opportunity for your organization to step back and evaluate processes and strategies.
Do not lose this chance to examine every aspect of your business during the summer, in hopes of enhancing your business for the balance of the year.
Here are some examples of programs to remain productive all summer long:
- Take a one- or two-day retreat with your management team. Discuss the victories from the beginning of the year. Identify the biggest opportunities to take advantage of and biggest threats to eliminate in the upcoming months. Help focus and gain alignment on the direction of your company. Go through your processes and determine if they can be streamlined or if there is a better way to meet the needs of your customers.
- Revisit legal matters which require your attention such as contracts, leases or collection issues that take time and often are ignored. Work with a strong outside counsel to help identify these needs.
- Review your prospect pipeline to create a process for improving and expanding this list. Take the processes you create and convert them into a workable list so that you can fit them into your summer schedule to meet or communicate with potential customers. Perhaps assign tasks to the appropriate staff in your office to help assemble the list.
- Reconnect with existing customers. The best way to do this is to take current customers out for breakfast, lunch or coffee. Ask them how you can help them achieve their current goals and implement their own strategic plan. Customers who are doing well economically can better afford your services and help you to increase business.
At Adelberg Rudow we intend to develop a plan this summer to help us become a paperless law firm. Many of us also have pledged to spend more time working in the community to address and advance worthwhile causes.
We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with our clients and helping them to achieve their goals, no matter what the season. Here’s to a great summer!
