Introduction to Wirken Tips
This is the inaugural column in what will be a weekly column in The Daily Record giving tried and true tips on law office marketing, management and economics.
Having participated in giving many seminars, and having written about law office management topics for over 30 years, it finally hit me that even though the legal “business” seems so complicated to so many people, that in fact, a law office is just like every other business in the world if you break it down into its basic component parts.
Literally, every business in the world needs:
• Clients or customers;
• Administrative procedures;
• A way to get the work done or the product out;
• A method to bill for the work or product; and
• A way to collect that bill.
A law firm is no different! For the rest of this year, I will be exploring these five basic parts of every business from the point of view of operating a law firm and will pass on information to the readers that will give you some objective standard to measure how your firm is doing in these five areas. The scoring will be by a point system through the means of a self-audit concept. The checklists will also give you items that you may want to put on a wish list, and also even provide an agenda of topics for a firm retreat for lawyers and staff.
The five parts of every business that apply to a law firm are as follows:
Clients: Getting them, satisfying their needs, making them happy;
Administration: Organizing the administrative structure;
Getting the legal work done: Organizing the work flow process;
Billing and accounting: Making sure the bills contain all billable items, are properly made, and timely mailed with appropriate explanation if necessary, and the basic accounting information needed to run a firm; and
Collecting: Monthly reminders, collecting moments and successful collection procedures.
As we go through each and every one of these five items and all of the sub-parts that will be discussed under each item, you will want to keep score to see how your firm is doing. At the bottom of every column will be a note with regard to the points that should be assessed if you are actually doing the item in your practice and in your firm that was talked about in that column. For instance, in the first category dealing with clients, each item that you are actually doing would be awarded five points. The following scale would be used to determine how you are doing in terms of being able to market, obtain and keep clients:
Points:
90-100 On the Cutting Edge
80-89 Getting There
70-79 Coasting
60-69 Need of Help
50-59 Inert
Under 50 In the Stone Ages
As you can easily see, you should strive for 100 points in every category. These tips are tried and true with many law office management audiences of many varied size practices and firms. These “tips” can be used for a practice of firm tune-up and a self-audit of your practice and your firm to make it run smoother. Remember the definition of tune-up is “to adjust to efficient working order.” The definition of audit is “an examination of records or accounts; an adjustment or correction of accounts.” The “tips” will allow you to look at your practice and your firm as both a profession and a business. These “tips” will allow your practice and your firm to run smoother by setting up systems that force lawyers and staff to “cover the bases.” These “tips” will help you create “ordered space” and to get information that allows you to measure and manage.
Next week’s column will start dealing with “tips” dealing with clients and after you have read the column, give yourself five points if that item is routinely accomplished in your practice and in your office. If you are not doing the activity yet, start immediately, make it a habit and you will be surprised at the outcome!
Next week’s topic is writing congratulatory letters to people you know and do thins with and always putting in those letters the phrase “let me know if I can ever be of any help.”
Talk with you next week!
Jim Wirken is a civil trial attorney and the Chairman of the Board of The Wirken Law Group in Kansas City.