The odds are you’re doing the big things right. You do good work, you avoid major mistakes, you deliver on your promises, and you keep your clients happy.
I know this because if you didn’t, you would soon be out of business.
But it’s the little things that make a difference. Little errors in judgment that compound and corrode your relationships. Little extras you do for your clients that differentiate you from the rest of lawyerdom.
These little things can make or break your practice. Things like how often you communicate with your clients. The attention you give them when they are on the phone or in the office. The way you show them you care about them as people, not just check-writing entities.
It’s all about the details.
Isn’t that true in any relationship? It’s not whether or not you remembered your wedding anniversary, it’s about what you write on the card.
If you want long-term success in your career, you need to attend to the little things. You need to consciously look for opportunities to strengthen relationships and deliver more value to your clients.
You also need to be aware of little things you’re not doing, or doing poorly, and when you find a bug in your system, you have to squash it.
Unlike apps, however, your clients are unlikely to report these bugs to you. They’re not going to tell you that you don’t seem to care enough or don’t communicate often enough, you have to figure this out for yourself.
How do you do that? How do you get better at spotting mistakes and opportunities?
You can read books and take courses, you can observe what other lawyers do and don’t do, you can hire a coach or consultant, but while those things can help, nothing will help as much as a sincere desire to serve others.
With that desire as a foundation, you will naturally and effortlessly do the little things, not out of obligation or a fear of loss but because of the joy you feel in doing them.
Your clients can and will send you more referrals
