Dysfunction doesn’t Make Cents
By Jill Kohn, Ph.D. Kohn Communications
HR professionals are often called upon to intervene when the behavior of grown-up employees isn’t so, well, grown-up. This article offers three steps to help you better address perfectly legal yet rude, crude and socially unacceptable behaviors that can cripple productivity.
STEP ONE: CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT THE PROBLEM FIR
HR professionals hear all kinds of things about people sent to you for help. Most of the time, however, the in-dividual isn’t the ogre they’ve been por-trayed to be. However, it’s easy to fall victim to what social psychologists call the fundamental attribution error. This is the tendency to blame character de-fects instead of situational defects when something goes wrong.
Perceiving the problem in terms of character defects keeps you stuck in the problem because this thinking limits you to only one solution: personality reconstruction! That solution requires the individual spend the better part of a decade in intensive psychotherapy. Who has time for that? Expanding your thinking beyond personality and into situational deficiencies will help you to ask different kinds of questions, look for different kinds of causes and bring more effective solutions to the table.
While training to become a psy-chologist, I conducted behavior modification groups for perpetrators of domestic violence. It is very easy to fall victim to the fundamental at-tribution error when addressing this extremely dysfunctional behavior. Looking at the problem through the situational lens, however, leads to dif-ferent ideas about cause such as lack of self-awareness, lack of awareness of impact on others, lack of education about frustration tolerance and woe-ful deficiency in coping skills.
What I came to learn thiough that work and what I fundamentally believe is this: People are always doing the best they can with what they’ve got.
Take, for example, the angry em-ployee, a.k.a. the one in your office that everyone is convinced is a psychotic lu-natic. This employee yells, screams and flings various heavy objects about his office during fits of rage.
The easy conclusion to draw is that this person is a jerk. Maybe that’s true. However, following the principle that he or she is doing the best they can with what they’ve got, it leads to a solution-oriented assessment that goes beyond dismissive and unproductive labeling. It leads to the conclusion that the problem (and therefore the solution) rests in ad-dressing what resources the individual has, not who the individual is. In sum, it is the skill set that needs improvement. Aha! Now we have a way to a solu-tion. We can teach skills to increase self-awareness and, in time, change specifically identified behaviors.
STEP TWO: FOCUS MORE EFFORT ON THE PERSON IN THE POSITION OF POWER
HR professionals are often called upon to intervene in a situation that in-volves multiple people and has escalat-ed to the point of crisis. So, the commit-ted HR professional rolls up his or her sleeves and begins to investigate. While these may not be the actual words used, the message communicated to HR goes something like this:
“Help me! Help me! My boss is an evil villain. She’s Darth. Fader! She is controlling, micro managing, and ma-nipulative. She’s mean. She’s rude. She doesn’t even give me so much as a, `Hello. How are you?’ before she starts barking out orders.”
Then HR speaks with “Darth,” and hears something like this
“The problem isn’t me. It’s my report. He lies. He slacks off. His behavior is completely unprofessional. Last week he hung up on our biggest client! I can’t trust him. 1 hold high standards of pro-fessionalism and require that client care always comes first. Frankly, I think that he is part of a rebel alliance trying to get me fired.
“People in conflict like to create nar-rative about what has occurred that’s easy to understand, such as good ver-sus evil. While these story lines make for great fantasy, here in the real world it’s usually much more complex. Both sides probably have some atoning to do. However, there’s no disputing that the person with more ascribed power within has more ability to negatively af-fect others with his or her dysfunction. Sure you have to deal with all guilty parties, but when both parties are en-gaging in unsportsmanlike conduct, it’s usually wisest to put your primary effort into the person with the most as-cribed power.
The person with the most ascribed power enjoys more privilege, wields greater influence and therefore has more responsibility to bring his or her behavior under control. By focusing on this person, you accomplish more. Peo-ple in positions of power impact many work lives. Helping these individuals to improve behavior changes the culture within their entire sphere of influence. This could mean tremendous return on the time and energy you invest.
STEP THREE: ENGAGE IN MANY, SHORT MEETINGS FOCUSED ON CLEARLY DEFINED BEHAVIORAL CHANGES
Giving someone a good talking to may feel like you’ve done something and it may even yield some short-term results. But substantial, qualitative change takes patience and a long time to create. Research indicates that in order to change the way we do some-thing we literally have to rewire our brain. This takes time, patience and practice.
The undesired behavior has been practiced many, many, many times over the course of the individual’s ca-reer. This means it has become auto-matic. It’s sort of like driving your car to work. It seems that you leave your house and all of a sudden you find yourself at the office. It’s as if the car drove itself. That’s because the be-havior is so rehearsed, you aren’t con-sciously aware of doing it.
Learning new behavior requires paying attention. When you learned to drive, for example, you had to con-sciously remember to look in the review mirror. Now, it’s automatic. It’s the same with learning to behave differently.
Research also indicates that learn-ing is much more effective when dosed out in little sips over time, rather than swallowed in one big gulp. This is because new learning requires that we load new information from our short-term memory into our long-term memory. This requires multiple expo-sures to the material in order to create successful transfer.
Your intervention does not need to be either elaborate or complicated. Supportive conversation focused on goal attainment will do the trick. One HR professional found a short walk with his employee once a week during the lunch hour to be highly effective. They spent the time talking about al-ternatives to problem behaviors and strategizing better ways to approach frustrating situations. This went on for about six months and much improve-ment was gained. Both left the experi-ence quite satisfied with the outcome.
In terms of expectations, first and foremost: Expect backsliding. Change doesn’t happen in a straight-forward progression. It’s often a case of two steps forward, one step back. Backslid-ing is a normal part of the process.
Secondly, don’t expect a total transformation. The identified indi-vidual will still have skill set defi-ciencies and may continue to be dif-ficult and unlikable at times. There still may be a lot about interpersonal interactions he or she doesn’t under-stand. When the training is over, the individual still may not understand, for example, that it affects people negatively when you purposely ig-nore them at staff meetings. This deficiency is certainly not desirable. However, it’s far better than humili-ating an employee at a staff meeting by calling him or her some kind of animal body part or throwing a cell phone at that person’s head.
So, remember: Focus on changing specifically identified problem behav-iors with the individual in power, and plan to spend several months engaged in the effort.
We live in the real world and you can’t change everything. However, by using these three steps as a starting point, you have a better chance at success. A successful outcome can make a significant contribution to the func-tionality of your organization.
Jill Kohn, Ph.D., is a marketing and management consultant for Kohn Com-munications. Dr. Kohn helps individuals acquire new clients and better manage workplace interactions with superiors, subordinates, and peers. She has created several programs for Kohn Communica-tions regarding interpersonal communica-tion in the workplace. Kohn can be reached at [email protected].
Testimonials
“Bob Kohn at Kohn Communications is a marketing and time-management Guru. Bob is patient yet persistent, and he knows how to inform and lead busy attorneys as they refine their marketing strategies.
The experts at Kohn Communications make strategic and worthwhile connections, and that is invaluable. In fact, after I attended one of Bob’s presentations, he arranged for me to participate in one of his attorney networking meetings, and in one week I have already received a client referral and I have made several strategic contacts with other attorneys who are great referral resources for me.
I’m a busy family law attorney, but it is clear to me that time spent with Bob and his staff is worthwhile.”
“I have been working with Bob since I was an associate. Early in my career he helped me to develop a business development plan that was clear and concise. Over the years I refined the plan through practice and regular meetings with Bob. I have now been promoted to Principal and I believe that Bob played a role in that by helping me demonstrate a commitment to business development to my firm through the years.”
“Larry did a phenomenal job helping focus our marketing efforts. He is knowledgeable and insightful; a true asset. Larry provides real-world useful guidance that makes an impact almost immediately. Happy to recommend Larry and Kohn Communications to my friends and colleagues.”
“I’ve been working with Bob for years about marketing concepts that have been resonating with me since we first starting talking about them, and now most of these concepts are just second nature. It’s amazing how ingrained they become and how easy they are to implement after a while.”
“Larry has been a great resource for me. He helped me look at marketing in a whole new way, and saved me a ton of time by explaining what works and what doesn’t, and why. He also is very savvy about the proper management of internal firm dynamics. Thanks to his good advice, I have vastly improved my marketing portfolio and created many new opportunities for myself. Regardless of where you are in thinking about marketing yourself, Larry can help you.”
“I worked with Larry for about three years to further my business development efforts. I couldn’t be happier. I was always fairly good about marketing and had a number of successes before working with Larry, but I never had a formal strategy. Larry helped me develop a systematic approach to business development that fit well with my practice and my personality, and he held me accountable for executing on that strategy. Larry gradually pushed me out of my comfort zone, which opened up new avenues to identify and engage with prospective clients. As a result, my book of business has over doubled in the time we worked together. I use the tools Larry taught me on a daily basis and they have positioned me well to continue growing my practice for the rest of my career.”
“Thank you for the time, effort, and advice you have given me over the past ten years as my business development coach. When I think about the practical tips you have shared with me and why they work, I begin to laugh because they are so logical and true, but I could not see them without your guidance. The results speak for themselves. But more than anything else, your passion for helping lawyers like me is what really sets you apart from the crowd. Not only are you the best coach around, but I will always consider you my friend.”
“Kohn Communications is the best! I have worked with a dozen Coaches over the last several decades of my practice. Larry is the real deal. His advice started making a difference immediately. Even though the pandemic has decimated my area of law, the phones continue to ring & using his protocol & following his guidance, I see my practice beginning to grow. Give him a shot. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Bob continues to be an invaluable resource in growing my practice and our firm’s office in the Bay Area. Due in part to his coaching, I have seen my new client portfolio nearly double in the last two years. Bob offers pragmatic advice and is strategic in helping his clients develop successful habits to identify and pursue new business targets. His deep knowledge of the legal industry is obvious and overall, he’s just a pleasure to work with.”
“BizDevCoach is a unique and effective tool for business development planning and implementation. By combining a tutorial with an interactive dashboard design, it teaches and it motivates. The Kohn brothers were pioneers in the early years of legal marketing and with this web app, they continue to be on the cutting edge.”
“I just thought I’d take a moment and drop you a quick email to say thank you for all the invaluable assistance you have given me over the years with my professional client development efforts. Your specific client development suggestions are often excellent. But what I have benefited from most is the accountability our monthly sessions provide and the new habits you have taught me. There was a time when I could easily convince myself that I was too busy to devote any time, effort and energy to client development planning and activities. Thanks to you I now know that even during my craziest months I can always find time to at least mentally assess where I am with my current client targets and where I would like to go as soon as my schedule calms down and more time is available.”
“You have made me a far better law partner and far better business developer. I greatly appreciate your help and look forward to continuing to work with you.”
“I have learned all I know about building a community with clients from Kohn Communications. I endorse them to any professional for coaching on building and improving business.”
“Larry is a thought leader in business using his expertise to support others in their businesses. I have had the great pleasure of working with several coaches and consultants in the past, all with certain specialties, but Larry is the one who brings the most comprehensive and efficient approach to the table when it comes to growing my law practice. ”
“From day one Bob lays out a plan, and keeps you to task. Bob offers small, achievable steps to get you moving in the right direction. I felt at ease in talking with Bob, as he has a personal demeanor and provides a reasonable and intuitive approach to business development. The suggestions and advice Bob provides seem like common knowledge, but are actually very insightful and helpful. I would highly recommend utilizing Bob’s skill set to anybody looking to better market themselves.”
“Larry’s advice and counsel helped jump start my business originations shortly after the birth of my son when I feared that there would be little chance I could handle the responsibilities of motherhood, partnership and rainmaking all at the same time. Larry understands the working mom/private practice partner gig and helped focus the limited time I could spare for marketing into tangible results. Years later, when it looked like changing firms was the right business decision, I had options because of my established client base. Larry’s commitment to my success went way beyond what you would expect from a “marketing coach” and I am personally indebted to him for his help over the last several years.”
“Larry, It has been a 20 plus year privilege to know you. What’s more, I also cannot repeat often enough how much your counsel and programs have been a material part of any success we may enjoy. From even before we began, starting with the program that I attended where you spoke, you have been the single most important part of the marketing agenda which has helped us grow and become one of the rare firms in our industry that has transitioned from a practice to a business. Thank you so much for all you’ve done for us over the years.”
“Having founded my firm at age 26 and help build it over 32 years to 260 people, I thought I knew legal marketing and sales. Was I wrong! Larry Kohn and his team are helping me go to the next level of effectiveness. I have already seen great results with only 6 months of coaching and believe I have just scratched the surface of their improvement training. I recommend Kohn Communications without qualification.”
“Dear Larry, I am out speaking on panels and taking advantage of the marketing opportunities I am seeing. I firmly believe that without your patience and guidance this would not have happened. You performed a miracle with me. I remain eternally grateful. Please feel free to use me as a reference. Laura Glynn”
“I’ve got, literally, 2 shelves full of business books focusing on the law firm and how to generate business – and by far – the most on point publication is Selling in your Comfort Zone By Larry and Robert Kohn. I liberally use the information from the book to help my attorneys develop into better rainmakers on a regular basis.”
“Our firm has benefited tremendously from the programs, resources and guidance offered by Larry and his firm. They have helped us individually and collectively to improve our marketing practices and outcomes and to strengthen our mentoring program.”
“Thanks again for your Rainmaker Workshop program. I have used it for ten years now, and it works just as well today as did when I started. But with ten years practice, I am better at applying your techniques. I could not recommend a product more highly. Kudos for a job very well done!”
“I want to thank you for the assistance you have provided. Your consulting provides not only great ideas, but also a system that really helps me implement my rainmaking activities. I highly recommend your service.”
“Larry can help teach the most awkward professional to improve their marketing skills – even attorneys! And he’s a nice guy, too.”
“Years ago I attended a seminar Bob Kohn gave, and it was a watershed moment. His perspective and suggestions helped me see the practice of law in a completely different light. I have worked with him for years since then, and he has helped me focus on identifying, delivering, and communicating value to existing and potential clients which has greatly helped develop my book of business.”
“Six or so months ago Bob Kohn spoke at our firm about marketing professional services. He was by far and away the best speaker I have ever heard on the topic in 25 years as an attorney. Bob offers an exceptionally useful service that some of our attorneys have been using already for a very modest fee. Essentially Bob schedules one 15-minute phone call per month to help keep an attorney’s business development efforts moving and to assist in tracking and identifying opportunities. He is a delight to work with and even if you think you know everything already he can help you.”
“Jeff is an extremely effective marketing coach. He really helped me focus on the critical elements of marketing and how to effectively set aside and use my marketing time. One of my biggest obstacles to effective marketing was that it felt like a chore and I never felt that I had sufficient time to market. Jeff helped me realize that marketing could be done effectively without being a chore and with a minimal time commitment.”
“It has been a privilege to work with you over the past eight years. I have found you to be highly professional in your approach and your professionalism has helped make me more professional.”
“You have provided me and my partners with many practical marketing tips that really work. The new business originations at our firm have quadrupled during the eight years we have used your services and my personal results have increased by an even greater magnitude. Your consultations were a significant factor in our achievements.”
“I would not hesitate to recommend your services to any professional interested in being more successful at developing business.”
“As the Chair of Howrey’s award-winning Training and Professional Development Committee, I can wholeheartedly recommend Kohn Communications. We have retained them to assist us in a number of different ways: coaching our partners on selling and marketing skills; helping to develop our associates’ nascent business development skills; and, teaching our supervising partners how to become better coaches themselves in dealing with our associates. What I like the most about Kohn Communications is their ability to focus on teaching specific, tangible actions to improve rather than getting our lawyers lost in a thicket of amorphous marketing jargon.”
“The evaluations that I received from other partners and associates confirmed my impression that Larry was an excellent facilitator and of benefit to the firm. Mr. Kohn’s firm also works individually with some of our young lawyers on their marketing skills and we have seen good progress with those lawyers.”
“The exercise has been a tremendous spring board for our firm marketing efforts.”
“The coaching from Kohn Communications helps us create individualized business development plans that fit our busy schedules. The coaches help us take meaningful action with prospects and turn them into clients. We all know that we need to develop more business. The Kohn coaches provide the tactics and the motivation we need to ensure it gets done.”
“My monthly marketing meetings with Bob Kohn are invaluable to my practice. They help me stay organized, focused and motivated, and I’ve been able to expand my practice because of them.”
“I would highly recommend Jeff Miiller at Kohn Communications to anyone looking to enhance the marketing and sales skills that are a key ingredient for success in any business. With Jeff as my personal business coach these last two years, I have attained my goal of opening my own practice and am enjoying the ongoing process of networking and building lasting and mutually beneficial professional relationships that allow my new practice to grow and thrive.”
“Working with Bob helped drive my career to the next level. He guided me in making good, sometimes difficult decisions about where to spend my time and energy. Bob demonstrates deep knowledge and sound judgment about the legal services industry. My time with Bob has been time well spent.”
“Bob Kohn’s coaching has helped me focus and refine my marketing efforts in the field of trademark and copyright law. He has made me more aware of what prospective clients are looking for and on how best to meet their expectations. His creative approach enables me to efficiently and productively communicate my strengths and abilities.”
“I have been amazed at the results we have been able to achieve through our work together in such a short period of time.”
“The primary benefit that I have received is your unique ability to bring marketing and practice management issues into clear focus. This unique quality, coupled with your genuine interest in my practice, have made for a rewarding relationship.”
“Thank you for presenting clear, common sense and action provoking methods for us to market our services. Truly, we have had only positive results; we’re learning that promoting our business can be both productive and fun.”
“As Director of Business Development for this firm, I want to thank you for an outstanding seminar. Your presentation was thoroughly engaging and enjoyable, with the concepts easily implemental.”
“Thank you for assisting our firm in understanding ways to obtain new business. Working with four diverse partners was a difficult task but through your insight and organization you made us put on our ‘thinking caps’. Thank you for all of your excellent ideas.”
“As a result of our working together, my income has increased substantially and I am optimistic about a continuing upward trend. Also, I am excited about the quality of my clients and referral sources. I now find that coming to work each day is a pleasure. I cannot thank you enough for your insights and guidance.”
“I would especially compliment you and your organization on the comprehensive approach to marketing that you have developed for professionals like us… You not only present a framework and a method, but you even offer printed forms to show us what we should be doing, followed by telephone reminders and direct encouragement to do them. If one can’t sharpen his focus and improve his practices with all this help, then he should probably not be in business.”
“After trying many different approaches to get our associates to engage in client development activities, this is the first approach that has actually worked. Our consultations with you have paid for themselves several times over already, and I look forward to continuing the relationship.”
“I wanted to thank you once more for all your help over the last year. I have gone from someone who rarely thought about marketing, never thought about marketing without dismay and hated follow through, to someone who thinks about it, does it and even enjoys a lot of it. You have really opened up my eyes to what marketing can be all about. I cannot thank you enough.”
“Your knowledge of law firm marketing issues and techniques, and your ability to transfer that knowledge through group presentations and interactive workshops, has been a valuable part of our practice development program. Of equal or even greater value has been your one-on-one work with attorneys. In my case, I found that our monthly sessions brought a new sense of focus, commitment and accountability to my individual marketing efforts. Having kept in close touch with the other one-on-one participants, I believe I can say that the same holds true for them.”
“Your approach has generated additional real activity and several of the attorneys are quite amazed by their progress.”
“Your presentation exceeded every expectation I had. Your simple, common sense, systematic approach to business development, as well as your philosophy of the longer term view, is exactly what we needed to hear.”
“I think that many, if not most, of our attorneys are ratcheting up their business development efforts. There has been a recent flurry of marketing activity in the firm – thanks to you.”
“Your enthusiasm, inspiration and good common sense have significantly helped me guide my business development efforts with a good deal of success.”
“I am pleased to say, that our regular monthly meetings provided me with the right stimulus to engage in new activities. Because I knew that we had scheduled a series of meetings, I would force myself to complete the projects which we had discussed such as writing articles and making luncheon appointments with new contacts who I otherwise would have ignored.”
“Because of your counsel we have for the first time been able to develop a focused marketing effort which targets new and existing clients in an organized manner. This has resulted in increased business and we expect the beneficial effects to multiply, as we continue to implement your recommendations.”
“Your approach to marketing is refreshing, and all of us benefited from it. Those of us with whom you worked on an individual basis we have seen a direct increase in enthusiasm, effort and, most importantly, results.”
“A lot of the success I have experienced over the last year and a half was a direct result of your efforts.”
“Your Marketing Skills Workshop was a great help to the people our firm. With your guidance, each person was able to define his or her own marketing goals, and to design a practical, step-by-step approach to business development. It is an excellent program – and we’ve seen the results!”
“The students in Making an Effective Sales Presentation have rated your classroom performance with a perfect score.”
“The vast amount of information that you conveyed to me concerning general presentation skills made me realize that I would be doing more than just fine tuning my skills. From tips on the structure of a speech, to the reworking of the message to make it more appropriate for the target, to the nuances of word choice, I came away from our sessions feeling 100% better about my skills as a speaker.”
“Your pre-conference coaching exceeded my expectations enabling me to plan, organize and deliver my presentation with confidence and enthusiasm – and the audience responded appropriately.”
“You entirely and positively changed my view of speaking, thinking and presenting.”
“I am writing to thank you for your exemplary efforts in helping me improve my public speaking skills.”
“Your coaching brought my presentation into focus and helped me communicate my ideas in a cogent and memorable manner.”
“Bob Kohn at Kohn Communications is a marketing and time-management Guru. Bob is patient yet persistent, and he knows how to inform and lead busy attorneys as they refine their marketing strategies.
The experts at Kohn Communications make strategic and worthwhile connections, and that is invaluable. In fact, after I attended one of Bob’s presentations, he arranged for me to participate in one of his attorney networking meetings, and in one week I have already received a client referral and I have made several strategic contacts with other attorneys who are great referral resources for me.
I’m a busy family law attorney, but it is clear to me that time spent with Bob and his staff is worthwhile.”
“When I was approached to participate in a virtual Lawyer Mixer, moderated by Larry, I was skeptical. It was a novel concept, but I could not imagine that a zoom meeting of numerous lawyers could be informative, enjoyable, productive and/or beneficial to my practice. I was wrong. It was all those things, and more. A few weeks ago, I attended a Lawyer Mixer, as one of the co-hosts. Not only did I have the opportunity to explain to the group what I do for a living – and what I enjoy about my practice – but I learned so much about various practice areas ad feel like I have a new group of colleagues. Of course, I was responsible for the follow up and have had a number of subsequent conversations with other lawyer participants, which ultimately achieved my goal of branching out my network of people who will refer me cases and to whom I can refer. I would not hesitate to participate in a Lawyer Mixer again.”
“It has been a long time since I have participated in networking events (Zoom or in person). Larry was very confident and outgoing which put me at ease. It was a great way to get back into connecting with my colleagues on a personal level.”
“Larry is a business development genius and someone that I trust. I recently attended his online lawyer mixer, which was an effective use of my time, enabling me to introduce our law firm and connect with over 40 attorneys in an hour. It did not disappoint.”
“We have worked with Kohn Communications for two years and couldn’t be happier. From 1-on-1 coaching to virtual trainings, they have the tools and talent to complement your marketing staff in helping take your attorneys to the next level in their business development efforts.”
“What a wonderful experience to meet so many talented lawyers!
I was a bit skeptical to participate in a lawyer mixer via Zoom. However, I was pleasantly surprised! As always, Larry Kohn facilitated a terrific online event, which enabled me to engage in meaningful discussions with lawyers from different specialties who will be valuable future connections. I would not hesitate to participate in one of Larry’s mixers in the future.”
“I recently participated in an online networking mixer hosted by Larry. It was a terrific event. I met several great attorneys in my breakout room and have already been in touch with a couple of them in order to discuss how we may be able to work together in the future.”
“I really enjoyed the mixer and thought it was a great way to meet a variety of other attorneys. I have already scheduled a few separate meetings based on the mixer. Thanks for including me.”
“I cannot thank you enough for inviting me to your marketing mixer. In this now virtual meeting world, marketing has become an increasing challenge. The idea of having a large group of lawyers, but not too large so that we do not get to know and learn about each other, interact in a virtual network set up by your firm, with break up groups and follow-up, was an excellent opportunity that I would otherwise not have had the opportunity to encounter. I have already established contacts, and, very pleasantly, reestablished old contacts who I had not seen or spoken to for years. Overall this was a very valuable meeting for me and a way to get my and my firm’s expertise and experience across to many lawyers who I would otherwise not have had the opportunity to meet.”
“I was invited to the online lawyer mixer by Kohn Communications. It was billed as a way to meet more attorneys that may be good referral sources. It definitely fit the bill. I logged onto the zoom at the correct time and there were quite a few attorneys on as well. Each attorney spent about ½ minute describing their practice area. There were large firm attorneys, solo practitioners and in between (which I am). I was looking for a good securities attorney to represent my clients, and have had the hardest time finding one that works with small businesses. Low and behold, there was one on the call! Also as a south Orange County attorney I get many requests for assistance with Mexican law, which I cannot perform. To my surprise, there was a Mexican / US attorney on the call. It was a great way to spend a little time to get some good potential referral sources.”
“I attended a Kohn Communications mixer. I appreciate how much planning they put into it. And, the mixer itself was enjoyable. The host guided the Zoom mixer so that everyone was engaged. It was fast-paced and very productive. Following the mixer, they provided everyone with a roster of those in attendance (inviting only those who opted in to be a part of the roster). I found the mixer to be a good use of time in a world where demands on time are high.”
“The online lawyer mixer is the most efficient way to meet qualified attorneys and potential referral sources. Larry keeps the dialog moving at the right pace, and business development is at the forefront of every dialog. I’ve met some wonderful people, and am always grateful to Larry for hosting such a wonderful event. Thank you Larry.”
“I’ve really enjoyed the lawyer mixers. Having my own firm since the early 2000s, I’ve found that we get most of our cases from other lawyers. Kohn Communications understands the value of lawyer-to-lawyer contacts, and its mixers create excellent referral opportunities. Keep up the good work, Larry!”
“I had a great time at the recent Kohn Communications online lawyer mixer. There was a diverse mix of qualified attorneys, including several new potential referral sources with whom I’ve since connected. In particular, I enjoyed the way that business development was at the forefront of the event. It was directly to the point, and did what the invitation said: create a network of good referral sources.”
“The Kohn Communications’ lawyer mixers are a wonderful opportunity to get to know other attorneys in your area from a range of practice areas. Formerly, this was the sort of thing that you might expect to do through local and regional bar associations, but COVID has pretty much wiped out those sorts of social engagements. It’s a delight to see Kohn Communications picking up the slack and bringing us together again. During a recent lawyer mixer, I met a number of attorneys that I would love to get to know better and even had a couple reach out to me. Thanks to Larry Kohn of Kohn Communications for putting it together!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated your lawyer mixer. I had an opportunity to get introduced to numerous other lawyers, several of whom I have already reached out to or they have reached out to me. I would wholeheartedly recommend your mixers to my colleagues and would be delighted to enjoy additional meetings.”
“We’ve used the Kohn Communications surveys several times now with strong results. We’re getting more business from our clients and great referrals.”
“I was extremely pleased with your performance conducting our client satisfaction surveys. Your attention to detail and overall approach to completing this very important project was recognized throughout the Marketing Committee. We found the information revealed to be incredibly valuable and your assessments a necessary component of increasing our level of service. This project would not have been such a success without your diligence in making sure we were on track.
When compared to other communications firms in the industry, Kohn Communications proved to be an exceptional value both in price and quality. Thank you for your outstanding work on this project.”
“I very much appreciate your work on the client satisfaction surveys. I am pleased that our clients were surprisingly candid. Some of the comments were revealing of issues that I was unaware of, while others ratified my opinions (both good and bad). Your assessments were also valuable, and I intend to follow-up on them.
I intend to share the surveys with my partners because I think we should all learn from them. At the same time, I will be recommending your services. I think that the surveys are worth the cost.”
“The results of the client satisfaction survey have been very enlightening and profitable. I was quite surprised at my client’s responses in the survey. The recurring complaint from my clients was that I did not understand their current business needs. Wow, how did that happen? I have always thought my greatest skill was my understanding of the client’s needs. I even touted that skill in my marketing materials. Now my clients are telling me just the opposite… very enlightening.
When I start working with a new client I make sure that I fully understand their needs. Then, as time goes by, unless I hear otherwise, I assume that everything is going well and that they are very happy with the service. I have not taken the time to ask them if their needs had changed and if they are happy with the service.
The client satisfaction survey has been extremely valuable to me. It seems that the clients are capable of quickly reducing the services to minimize the fees but they are much slower at asking for more service. In the survey process my clients were able to candidly explain what they want and are not getting from me. So now all I have to do is meet with my clients and redefine the service. The survey has streamlined the process of expanding the service to my existing client base. It has been very profitable.
Thank you Larry, the client satisfaction survey service has been very helpful to me.”
“I attended a tremendously inspirational, motivational and productive series of 4 weekly 30-minute business development seminars via phone and slides with Bob Kohn at Kohn Communications, that have kickstarted my marketing practice. The seminar covered essential tools and techniques to keep business development top of mind, to widen my target audience, to develop words that sell my services, and to organize the many leads using their wonderful BizDevCoach app. For someone busy who is always juggling time, my favorite take away was to take 5 minutes to do SOMETHING every day – I have a sticker on my keyboard that says “5 min BizDev” and have done something every day to make an outreach, follow up on a lead or work on a project involving my target audience. This program was filled with simple, practical and powerful steps one can take to build their practice, bolstered with wisdom, support and encouragement. I highly recommend it!”
“Lawrence “Larry” Kohn is a dynamic and engaging presenter on management and leadership. His recent facilitation of the third segment of ALA Capital Chapter Leadership Series was motivating for all in attendance. Larry’s influence to draw the audience into a thought-provoking discussion which was focused on “how to get a seat at the table” left them wanting more. Larry shared some tips and tricks on how to influence the decision makers; develop an innovative proposal that will grab any key stakeholders’ attention; and an implementation strategy. More importantly, I walked away with the following steps to better my chance once I got a seat at the table: (1) communicate the benefits (values); (2) anticipate the obstacle; and (3) manage through the safety and fear syndrome. These steps have been working like a charm.”
“Larry’s presentation at our ALA Chicago Chapter on improving communication in a law firm got rave reviews! Larry did a wonderful job of sharing information, keeping it interactive and giving great takeaways that could be applicable when I headed back to my office. Thanks for the knowledge!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation on Recession Rainmaking today at the Philadelphia Chapter luncheon. In this tough economy, it has become even more imperative that our attorneys understand and implement business development strategies. With your practical approach and proven techniques, it makes it easy for us as administrators to support the attorneys in their efforts to create income now and in the future. I would highly recommend this session to attorneys, administrators and everyone on the legal management team.”
“If Academy Awards were given for presenters, Dr. Jill Kohn would be a perennial nominee. She captivated our membership with her well-researched, thought-provoking presentation on The Dysfunctional Office, which also branched into corporate communications, conflict resolution and rules of engagement for achieving cordial office behavior… Jill Kohn’s well-paced delivery, peppered with insight, humor and spot-on graphics was a big hit with our group.”
“I had the pleasure of first hearing Larry Kohn at a 2005 ALA National Conference in San Francisco. I felt that his “selling with honor” approach to marketing would resonate with our firm’s attorneys, so I immediately booked Larry for our firm retreat. As predicted, his active and entertaining presentation was well received. So much so, most of our attorneys signed up for his mentoring program. The following year I suggested Larry as a dinner speaker for our annual ALA Oregon Partner Dinner event. The ALA Oregon board felt that Larry’s message should not be limited to partners, so we added a half day seminar, which was open to firm administrators, marketing professionals, and attorneys. Both events were well attended and once again, Larry’s message and delivery style made for a fun and informative event.”
“I am pleased to say that representatives from Kohn Communications have been speaking at the State Bar of California Annual Meeting since 1986. All of their presentations have been well attended, informative, and motivational. The speakers have been organized and very professional in their conduct. They consistently received top evaluations. I have nothing but good things to say about Kohn Communications. My 15+ years working with Kohn Communications has proven their loyalty and commitment to the State Bar and the attorneys in California.”
“I found your presentation style and content to be entertaining while maintaining the professional demeanor required by our legal community. I received numerous program evaluations and several follow-up communications from our members who attended your presentation who indicated that they were glad they had found the time in their busy day to attend your program.”
“We were very impressed with your professionalism. The program you created was informative and motivational and received outstanding reviews.”
“It was obviously a timely topic considering that we enjoyed five times the number of people attending than I expected! It is unusual for us to get over 100 attendees at our lunch meetings. More importantly, those who I spoke to after the presentation felt you were interesting, informative, and gave practical information on getting new clients.”
“Your presentation was insightful, and the comments we have received have been very positive. Your program was the best attended event in the chapter’s history, we were literally sold out.”
“I would like to thank you for speaking at my Computer Law class at Southwestern University Law School. Many of the students told me after class that your presentation was one of the most important things they learned in law school.”
“The students in the class really enjoyed and benefited from your presentation. You clearly demonstrated your expertise in this area, and your teaching style was energetic and captivating. In fact, I am pleased to tell you that on their evaluations, they gave you the highest possible scores.”
“Your presentation was most informative, interesting and apparently quite well received. Many people came up to me at the end of the meeting, telling me how much they enjoyed and learned from the presentation.”
“I know you gave those fortunate enough to hear you something unique to think about. It’s always nice to hear someone who is a pro and really excited about their subject. You are.”
“Your creativity and interaction made the meeting a useful seminar.”
“Thank you for mesmerizing our members at our September meeting! Many members took extensive notes during your speech, and you are the first speaker to have ever been asked for an encore!”
“Thank you again for making this our most successful event for the Business Resources Committee to date.”
“It was a most valuable presentation and we received a lot of positive feedback. You facilitated a wonderful session which gave our Board members a safe place to share their feelings and discuss ways in which we can begin to confront our fears and get beyond the obstacles.”
“I can’t thank you enough for the wonderful job you did the other evening at our communications seminar. I know from the many compliments I received after the program that your presentation was extremely well received and timely.”
“Per your suggestion, for the past several months I have been using your collaborative delegation approach, working onscreen with colleagues to review and edit draft work product real-time. This approach has enabled me to catch up on numerous backlogged projects and provide professional training at the same time. We now proactively schedule a meeting when drafts are prepared for my review. Since employing the collaborative delegation approach, I am receiving better-quality drafts for review, and our turnaround times to clients have been reduced significantly. There is no question that the real-time collaboration and training that we’re now doing are major contributors to these successes. I really can’t thank you enough for challenging me to try this approach to collaboration and would strongly encourage anyone who delegates work to give it a try!”
“Bob Kohn at Kohn Communications is a marketing and time-management Guru. Bob is patient yet persistent, and he knows how to inform and lead busy attorneys as they refine their marketing strategies.
The experts at Kohn Communications make strategic and worthwhile connections, and that is invaluable. In fact, after I attended one of Bob’s presentations, he arranged for me to participate in one of his attorney networking meetings, and in one week I have already received a client referral and I have made several strategic contacts with other attorneys who are great referral resources for me.
I’m a busy family law attorney, but it is clear to me that time spent with Bob and his staff is worthwhile.”
“Our firm hired Larry Kohn to work with one of our most promising young attorneys on his personal productivity years ago. They attorney had come from the public sector and was transitioning into private practice with us. The stakes were high, as the attorney was and is a tremendous talent in one of our core practice areas. Not only did we see improvement in productivity in the near term, but the attorney asked to continue working with Larry on a go-forward basis. Some habits are hard to break, but fast-forward to today and I can tell you that we have seen light years of improvement from this attorney —- as I write this he is having his best year with the firm thus far.”
“Larry Kohn is a wizard at discerning, distilling and defining the essence of issues and situations; clarifying your key objectives; and coaching you forward to assure that you achieve your objectives.”
“Larry is the quintessential productivity guru. I have become a more productive attorney and person over the 20+ years that I have worked with Larry.”
“A good coach is one whose suggestions really help you reach your goals. A great coach is one whom you look forward to talking to every month. Larry Kohn is a great coach. He motivates me at every opportunity. Thanks to Larry, my law practice is more efficient and more rewarding. To give some specific examples, I’m now much more efficient at client communication (e.g., e-mails), maximizing delegation, and business development. Not only do I have more clients, my onboarding and management processes are now streamlined. With Larry’s help, I have developed systems for reaching out to larger numbers of contacts using less time and improved my ability to identify the best use of my time. I have delegation processes that allow me to serve a much larger and profitable client base. I now have more time for the people and activities that produce the most value and enjoyment.”
“Larry has been an indispensable resource to me for the past 17 years. He has provided advice to me across all aspects of my professional life with a collegial, direct, common sense approach. I’m far more productive as a result of my relationship with Larry, and more sane too! Larry adds value each and every time we talk. He’s the most organized person I know, and he has passed along his methods for prioritizing what’s important. I have adopted with great success his recommendations to schedule my “personal thinking time”, utilize shared online task lists, clarify my priorities to my team and delegate to them as much as possible. His philosophies of asking my associates “What’s next?” and encouraging my associates to ask me, “What can I take off your plate?” have meaningfully improved our group’s productivity. I often describe Larry as the professional wind beneath my wings!”
“Dear Larry — I’m grateful for all of your advice regarding my personal productivity. As an entrepreneur, there are all sorts of demands on my time, and your specific, detailed advice has helped me identify the highest-value tasks. This, in turn, has helped me not only in terms of marketing, but in terms of client service, the management of my firm, and my personal stress levels. Your guidance has been transformative. Thanks again for all your help. Best regards – Marty Dakessian”
“Kohn Communications has been working with me for over seven years now, and I was meeting with Larry to try to make partner at my law firm. One obstacle was not having enough time to do marketing because of all of the work on my desk, and managing to get through it. Larry got to the root (or roots) of my problems. We set up a system for delegation that involved a task manager. Not only do I still use the task manager 5 years later, so does the rest of my firm and it is an integral part of delegation. Larry also has coached me into setting up systems to allow for faster and more productive feedback with associates. Of course, all of these techniques take time and effort, but they have worked very well. It has freed up more time in my day to work on marketing and business development, which are fundamental to my role as a partner.”
“Larry Kohn has TRANSFORMED my life and my law practice. We started our relationship with the goal of improving my marketing efforts. We soon discovered that it is difficult to focus on marketing when my practice is not operating properly. With that realization, Larry taught me strategies to better manage my communications with my clients and staff, maintain better records, be more systematic with task management and monitoring, and have an overall better work/life balance. Since then, I’ve found that there are fewer mistakes, better efficiency, and I have less stress because my mind isn’t as preoccupied with what we might be neglecting or forgetting. Now I have more bandwidth and energy to pursue the marketing techniques that Larry is teaching me. More importantly, we are better equipped to efficiently manage the increased workload generated by my marketing efforts.”
“Over the many years that I have worked with Larry, he has provided numerous tools for business development, time management and career navigation. He has also shared techniques for managing people and maximizing my personal and financial rewards. Larry provided reminders until they eventually became habits. Just one example is that he has always said that if I am overwhelmed, it means that I‘m not delegating enough. He said, “Every time you are overwhelmed, ask yourself, “What am I doing that can be delegated?”” Over the years, I was able to develop an instinctive reaction and take action. I not only use his myriad reminders for myself, but I share this advice with others, magnifying his impact within the banking and legal community.”
“I’ve had the privilege of working with Larry Kohn for several years, and his coaching has been transformative for both my personal efficiency and my team’s performance. Larry’s innovative approach to structuring communications has streamlined our project management, while his insights into delegation have allowed us to build effective reporting structures, enhancing our overall productivity. His focus on prioritizing tasks for maximum ROI of time has drastically improved my personal efficiency. Beyond his expertise, Larry’s empathetic and customized approach to coaching makes him a true mentor. I wholeheartedly recommend Larry Kohn to anyone looking to elevate their productivity and success.”
“This handy book could not have come at a better time. In today’s economy, we all need to keep selling in mind. Selling in Your Comfort Zone helps the reader identify the types of selling he or she enjoys, so that selling can take place in a stress-free atmosphere — a lawyer’s comfort zone.
The book will help any reader reflect on the benefits and value that he or she offers to clients. It will help a lawyer identify potential new clients in their comfort zone and how to communicate both the value of his or her services and his or her interest in their business. The authors identify numerous techniques to meet new clients and systems to stay in touch with them. The book also includes 106 practical tips for effectively selling, including public speaking, seminars, public relations, written materials and face-to-face meetings.
Robert N. Kohn and Lawrence M. Kohn present their strategies with a fresh approach. Lawyers interested in marketing and business development will certainly find food for thought in this 192-page book. The clear and concise presentation make it easy to read, and the practical tips make it easy to implement their techniques and strategies into any marketing and business development plan.”
“I’ve got, literally, 2 shelves full of business books focusing on the law firm and how to generate business – and by far – the most on point publication is Selling in your Comfort Zone By Larry and Robert Kohn. I liberally use the information from the book to help my attorneys develop into better rainmakers on a regular basis.”
“The authors fully address every excuse lawyers make, every obstacle they throw up to avoid engaging in effective business development. Lawyers at all practice levels — and marketing professionals responsible for their training — can benefit from the practical tools and solutions presented in this guidebook.”
“The pioneering Kohn Brothers have done it again. Here’s a practical, easy-to-read and dare I say, comfortable book loaded with tips and checklists ready made for solo practitioners and mega-law-firm rain- makers alike. If your existing comfort zone is hindered by obstacles, rejection, and barriers, then this is a must read. At our firm we have seen these comfortable techniques produce results.”
“I think it’s an instant classic, and a ‘must read’ for any lawyer hoping to build his or her practice.”
“Robert and Larry Kohn have filled this book with pearls of wisdom about selling gathered from many years of teaching lawyers how to generate new business. Whether you are starting out or want to build an already successful practice, Selling in Your Comfort Zone will help you discover your path to success. Read it once and you will find your- self coming back to it over and over again.”
“Many books have been published on the topic of business development within law firms. A few have even touched on the disconnect between the need for active sales initiatives and the inherent reluctance of most lawyers to engage in such activities. With Selling in Your Comfort Zone, the Kohn brothers have produced the first book that centers around this critical issue and puts forth a comprehensive and practical guide for overcoming the discomfort and allowing lawyers to excel at busi- ness development while remaining true to their nature.”
“I am very impressed with the book, Selling in Your Comfort Zone. It is packed with practical and immediately useful information. More importantly, the authors address the reasons for the reluctance many professionals have towards sales. The authors make a persuasive case that understanding, and confronting, the psychological barriers to sell- ing is just as important as developing selling skills. I highly recommend this book to anyone who needs to sell their professional services but is uncomfortable with the thought of doing so. This book provides a clear and thoughtful action plan to overcoming the internal and external obstacles in the way of achieving sales success.”
“Selling in Your Comfort Zone is a ground-breaking book that will help even the most reluctant and/or inexperienced sales professional expand existing relationships and develop new business. Aligning sales techniques with an individual’s comfort zone is superior to the ‘one- size-fits-all’ approach that most books on ‘rainmaking’ propose.”
“The book, Selling in Your Comfort Zone, is terrific. The key lesson of this book is that anyone can be a rainmaker. All that’s needed is to follow the stepping stones the book lays out in front of you. And the concept of Selling in Your Comfort Zone takes away the fear factor. So the result is that selling can even be – is this possible? – fun.”