Practical Magic: Calendaring, Referrals and Educating to Go from Inconsistent Clients to Four Consistent Per Month

Ali Katz:
Imposter syndrome might just be showing you a place where you get to look. Oh, here's where I don't believe in myself. Okay. Okay. I don't believe in myself. There. I don't believe in my service. I don't believe in myself.

Ali Katz:
Well, rather than just naming it as imposter syndrome and ignoring it, which I think a lot of people teach us today, do, I actually want you to turn towards that place and say, what is it that I don't believe in?

Ali Katz:
Hello, and welcome to the NewLaw podcast, where we guide entrepreneurial lawyers to build law practices into businesses they love. I'm Ali Katz.

Ali Katz:
Wow, this episode is so great. Today you are going to hear me speaking with one of our members to help her to tackle a very common challenge around the magic of setting up your calendar in the right way so that you can take the actions that result in consistent clients, rather than the cash flow rollercoaster of one client one month to the next, then none, and then another three. Instead, what we want is a consistent four clients a month to start. That's the foundation that you can build from. So you're going to hear me share my strategy with one of our members on how to turn her desperation into consistent cash flow using strategic calendar mapping. We call it practical magic to how to work with referrals in her community, and then looking at how she can use curiosity questions, and education to get all of the clients she needs. Now, in this session, you are going to hear us speak about some tools, like the family wealth planning session and some educational presentations. So if you want to learn how to use these tools yourself, be sure to stay till the end and listen in on how you can book a call with a law business advisor. But for now, go ahead and listen in on this episode and get some practical magic in your own life.

Ali Katz:
So, Melissa, you're stressed out. People can feel the desperation, and that makes a lot of sense. I was there, too. I really get it. You can hear. It's where many of us start. So tell me, what's your next step?

Melissa:
I have to get in four clients per month. Consistently, I have been going from one client to zero to one to zero, and I feel struggling. Most in lead generation. And recently making the turn to focusing more on online, focusing more on creating videos. Because the feedback I'm getting is I come across well on video, and I also would like to create a virtual practice. I had started marketing to a community I'm very new to. And so the trust building is very important here, and it's just beginning.

Ali Katz:
Yes.

Melissa:
So I need to own that and accept that and go where perhaps the need is more urgent, I guess. And so that's why I think online. But I'm in that phase very much of not making great decisions because I make them under panic. And I do have a solid zen meditation practice, so I feel that I'm addressing that. But of course, it's always present with me, and that's part of the goo that sticks on me, that desperation.

Ali Katz:
Right.

Melissa:
So, yeah, I think my next goal is consistent four per month.

Ali Katz:
Okay. And so is your calendar mapped for that?

Melissa:
I have maybe like eight or ten sessions available, for sure.

Ali Katz:
Well, I will tell you this, that if you're doing 0,1,0,1 and what you need is four or having eight available, I don't want to call it egregious because it sounds like a bad thing. What I will tell you is that you lose the magic. You lose the magic. And the reason the magic works, this is one of these practical magic things. The reason it works is because it hones your focus. And it actually, if you send out your calendar link, it shows people you don't have that much availability, which makes them want to work with you more, and it frees up your energy and attention because you only have eight slots to fill for the whole year. So now every day when you wake up and you're in your meditation and you're saying, okay, I've got eight slots to fill for the year, for the whole year, I really only have four for next month. Who do I need to talk to today to put in one of those eight slots? It's a much different experience than having your energy completely scattered out, trying to fill way more than you could even serve.

Ali Katz:
So. So then, from the lead generation standpoint, especially because you're new in the community, how can you get out there more in your community and be doing the curiosity questions?

Melissa:
Yes, I've recently. So I expended quite a lot of energy doing my own live seminars, and that did get my name out in the community, and I was noticed, but I didn't book a lot from them, and I started to realize and I actually received the specific advice. It's more valuable to be seen at other people's events. So that's the shift that I'm taking. And I am booked at the wazoo with networking events, and I just did two referral meetings. So I'm trying to work the angle of being in the place to open those conversations. I did just go to C4 to learn more about having those conversations. That has been certainly a barrier for me, that I feel I'm more empowered on now, but I'm getting the vibe and the specific advice go to other people's things.

Ali Katz:
Okay. So if you're going to networking events and you are doing referral conversations, then I want to make sure that you've seen our resources on supporting you with those referral conversations. Okay?

Melissa:
Okay.

Ali Katz:
So I just went into the little search bar here, and I typed referral. I think I typed referrals. But "Educate your referral partners" is a very important resource. Okay. And what we give you here is we give you a meeting agenda to meet with referrals. We teach you how to educate your referral partners. Okay? So that's really important. I want to make sure that you have watched that and that you use this meeting agenda when you're meeting with referral sources.

Melissa:
Okay.

Ali Katz:
The other thing that I want to make sure, especially since you've just been into C4, but this is for everybody in the "Find your first two practice clients" we give you a whole lot of resources on setting context and using the curiosity questions and using curiosity in your community. Okay. So I want to make sure that you've reviewed these.

Melissa:
I have, yes.

Ali Katz:
Okay. Because what I'm curious about myself is how can you do these curiosity questions with more people in your community where you get to stay? I'm new to the community. I wonder if you just be willing to talk with me for ten or 15 minutes so they can ask you a few questions about how things work in this community.

Melissa:
Sure.

Ali Katz:
Then you bring the curiosity questions. You could tell them, you know, again, you're new, so you're looking for thoughts about how best you know to reach and serve people with your estate planning practice, where you help people keep their families out of court and out of conflict and not lose any of their assets. And then you ask them the curiosity questions. Now, the key here is if they say to you, oh, yeah, I need to do that, you say, great, I would love to help you with that. The key is, I'd love to help you with that. And I can make it very, very easy for you. I have a very streamlined process because a lot of people get stuck by procrastination. The first step would be for us to have a family wealth planning session.

Ali Katz:
It's a two hour working meeting, and normally it's $750. I'll walk you through, your family dynamics and your assets and everything that you need to look at to choose the right plan for you at your, at your right budget. And normally it is $750. But if you'll do some homework ahead of time, I can. I can waive that fee. And my next session is November 7. How's that timing for you? Mm hmm. Okay. So it's very streamlined. It's very direct.

Melissa:
Okay.

Ali Katz:
Okay. Now you're going to do a bunch of networking. You're going to have your calendar set up properly so that that networking is really effective to fill all the rest of those slots for the rest of the year from the networking you're doing.

Melissa:
Mm hmm. Mm hmm.

Ali Katz:
Okay. Anyway, is there anything in your way?

Melissa:
You know, nothing other than the standard imposter syndrome, I guess.

Ali Katz:
Would you love direct support? To help you grow your law practice into a business you love, go to newlaw.co/show and sign up for a call with one of our trusted law business advisors. Each of our advisors has been trained directly by me over the past five years plus to help you chart your path from wherever you are now to where you want to go as efficiently and effectively as possible. You're ready to grow. We are here to help.

Ali Katz:
Okay, let's talk about imposter syndrome then, really, really briefly. Let's also talk about the desperation part for a moment. The solution to desperation is service.

Melissa:
And I'm sorry to interrupt you there. I just want to say I do feel quite strongly that I am coming from that place, because I have made this firm about serving and empowering women, which is a very strong heartbeat for me. And so I feel as though I'm doing that. I feel like I might be given away a lot in the name of service. That's something that might be happening. I'm definitely undervaluing my time, especially as I'm trying to build trust.

Ali Katz:
Okay. What does that look like when you're giving away a lot?

Melissa:
I'll give away a lot of, like, this is the California statutory form for X, Y, Z. A very simple digital estate plan would look like this. So, like my referrals, for example, I'm doing the whole first half of a family wealth planning session, so hopefully they'll come in the door and I will reap the benefit of having done that education as well as a, you know, kind of. This is what my process is so that, you know, when you are referring people that you can trust what's happening, but there is. Yeah, there's a lot of trust building that's happening through gifting.

Ali Katz:
Okay. So I would like you to create a presentation because you said you're good on camera. I would like you to record a short presentation that is really focused on what can people do themselves and what do they need to work with you on, who can do it. But the key is that I want you to make it clear what people can do themselves and when they need a lawyer.

Melissa:
Okay.

Ali Katz:
People can do it themselves if they will do it themselves and if their situation is simple.

Ali Katz:
And then how do they do it themselves? Statutory form, kids protection plan, long term guardian nomination, freewill.com, five wishes. And I thought there was one more that I'm not thinking of, but there might be one more legal document, right. That they have to go somewhere else to get.

Ali Katz:
Oh, and then, of course, their personal resource map, creating their inventory. If their situation is simple and they will do all those things, they can do it themselves. If not, they need to work with you because you will help them get it done as easily as possible, and you make sure that it works, and then you'll be there for their family when they can't be. So I want you to make a little presentation about that. So that when people have a question, can I just do this myself? You say, oh, let me just send you my presentation. Because at the end of that presentation, you say, if you don't want to do it yourself, if you have any of these complications, a blended family, assets in multiple states, or you're just disorganized, and no, you won't do it yourself. Or if you're part of an unmarried couple, or if you don't have minor kids, or if you do have minor kids and you want to make sure that they're never raised by anybody you wouldn't want, then you can't do it yourself. You need to come in and see me for a family wealth planning session. I only have four appointments a month. Here's where you book.

Ali Katz:
The goal is, now that you've watched the presentation, if you can, if you will not or cannot do this yourself and you want me to guide you through it and do it right and be there for your family when you can't be. Schedule a family wealth planning session. Now, just, I'm going to end today with the imposter syndrome piece because some of you have imposter syndrome. So I have a feeling about imposter syndrome, which is that imposter syndrome is actually quite good if we handle imposter syndrome in the right way. When is imposter syndrome good? Imposter syndrome is good when it is pointing us to where we may need to improve. Imposter syndrome might just be showing you a place where you get to look.

Ali Katz:
Oh, here's where I don't believe in myself. Okay. Okay. I don't believe in myself. There. I don't believe in my service. I don't believe in myself. Well, rather than just naming it as imposter syndrome and ignoring it, which I think a lot of people teach us to do, I actually want you to turn towards that place and say, what is it that I don't believe in? What is it that I don't believe in? Do I not actually understand what I do differently than somebody just doing this themselves online? Because if that's the case, I can fix that.

Ali Katz:
I can fix that. I can make a list of all the ways doing it with me is better than somebody doing it themselves online, even if the main way only is that they actually get it done. Because, look, I, Ali Katz, am a lawyer who trains other lawyers, and yet my own daughter, who I've printed out her healthcare directive and her power of attorney 20 times, has not signed them. Why? Because when we're doing it ourselves, we don't get it done. I have a million other things that I'm doing. It's not that I don't know how. It's that I don't do it. So would it be worth it for me to hire a lawyer just to get that done for her? Because would the cost of her not getting it done be higher than me just paying somebody to do it? Yes.

Ali Katz:
So even if that was the only additional value that you provided. But you provide so much more than that. You provide so much more than that. You provide counsel, you provide handholding, you provide comfort, you provide care. You help people to look at their assets, see what they have, where it is, recognize that they probably have a lot more than they think they do. That in and of itself, is huge. You help people feel the relief of knowing that they did the right thing for the people that they love, that they're not going to leave their family in the lurch with a big mess when something happens to them. These are all really valuable and important things that you do.

Ali Katz:
And so I want you to turn towards the imposter syndrome. I want you to turn towards the imposter syndrome and look at what does it want to tell you about where you don't believe in yourself, where you don't believe in the value of the service, so that you can shore that up. And it might mean that you need to ask for help and post in the Facebook group and say, I'm having a crisis of not believing in myself. Help me. Listen, y'all. Misty, who celebrated yesterday, a $13,500 day not that long ago, maybe six months or so, Misty can tell us, posted on the Facebook group and said, help. I'm thinking of going to work at H&R Block for $150 an hour. And everybody came in and said, no, don't do it.

Ali Katz:
And today she's one of our star students and had a $13,500 day. So asking for help when you're doubting yourself can be extremely valuable. And I know it can be hard because you're like, I don't want people to see me like that. But our group of Personal Family Lawyer firms is a safe place for you to bring whatever doubts you might have so that the community can rally around you and support you. So on that note, we are going to end for today. Thank you. I know it's not easy. We are in a place in a moment where there is a tremendous amount of pressure in the world.

Ali Katz:
And we are, I think, oftentimes. One of the things that I noticed in myself, this is an aspect of money dysmorphia, is that sometimes when my mind doesn't know how to handle things that feel beyond my control, it will throw me into a place of money dysmorphia. It will focus me just on not having enough money as the problem. And the truth is, not having enough money is never the problem. The problem is not knowing where to focus my time, energy and attention, all of us, because we have an incredible service to offer to people who need it and want it. It's not money. It's the use of our non renewable time, energy and attention. So focus yourself in service.

Ali Katz:
Turn towards that which is scaring you. Ask for help when you need it. And don't just ask for help from your coach, although that is a great place. Ask the community to help you. We have the most incredible community of lawyers that I've ever met. I did not want to be a lawyer or serve lawyers until I brought this community of lawyers together. We have heart, we have soul. We've got your back. We understand you. We get you, and we've got you.

Ali Katz:
I hope you loved this episode as much as I did. I really loved coaching this member on how she can have consistent clients. And since having this coaching session, she has gone on to do exactly that and is now moving on to her next level, which will be eight new clients a month. And remember, those are average fees of about 4,000, 4,500, $5,000 per client. And so this is really the foundation to having a business, that consistent income you can count on. If you want to use our tools to create consistent income that you can count on in your law practice with life and legacy planning, your next step is to book a call with a law business advisor. You can do that by going to newlaw.co/show.

Ali Katz:
That's newlaw.co/show. And when you book that call and you talk with one of our qualification specialists to make sure that you qualify for that call, go ahead and make sure that you reference this episode and let them know that you would love to check out our curiosity questions. I speak about the curiosity questions in this episode and we have a curiosity questions playbook for you. So when you book a call, if you qualify for that call, you can get that playbook. Simply ask for it when you talk with our qualification specialist and do all of that at newlaw.co/show, newlaw.co/show and I look forward to seeing you next time. Bye for now.