As seen in The Practical Lawyer, a publication of the American Bar Association
The Top Five Reasons Why Clients Leave And How You Can Prevent It
by Jeffrey Miiller and Jill Kohn, Ph.D.
Jeffrey Miiller, a marketing consultant at Kohn Communications, coaches attorneys and legal marketing directors to help them improve their business development skills. He also conducts client satisfaction surveys on behalf of law firms. He can be reached at [email protected].
Jill Kohn, Ph.D., holds a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology and is a marketing and management consultant for Kohn Communications. Dr. Kohn helps individuals acquire new clients and better manage workplace interactions with superiors, subordinates, and peers. She has created several programs for Kohn Communications regarding interpersonal communication in the workplace.Topics covered in her programs include recognizing and correcting dysfunctional behavior, team building, and change management. She can be reached at [email protected].
LAWYERS OFTEN MISTAKE a lack of complaining from clients as a sign of satisfaction. This may be an overly optimistic conclusion. Research indicates that most clients won’t express feelings of dissatisfaction; they’ll just leave. This is particularly true for consumers of services, who are less likely to complain than those who purchase a tangible product. For every client who does give you an earful, research indicates there are 26 others you won’t be hearing from. Ten of their friends and associates, however, will be told about their unpleasant experience with you and your firm in high-definition detail. TARP, Consumer Complaint Handling in America: An Update Study (White House Office on Consumer Affairs, 1986).
Maybe you have done nothing technically wrong In fact, the legal work may have been stellar, but for some reason the client is unhappy. This is because it can he difficult for clients to accurately assess what you have done for them. They may not understand the complexity of issues involved with their matters or lack the technical knowledge to effectively evaluate services rendered. Ralph L. Day and Muzaffer Bodur, Consumer Response to Dissatisfaction with Services and Intangibles, in vol. 5, Advances in Consumer Research 263 (H. Keith Hunt ed., Ass’n for Consumer Research, 1978); Robert E. Hite and Cynthia Fraser, Meta Analyses of Attitudes Toward Adver-tising by Professionals, 52 Journal of Marketing 95 July 1988). The client’s expectations can vary greatly from the attorney’s in nearly every aspect of the relationship, including the amount of time the matter requires, the scope of the issue, and the likely outcome. Stephen W. Brown and Teresa A. Swartz, A Gap Analysis of Professional Service Quality, 53 J. Marketing 92 (Apr. 1989). Consequently, both lawyer and client can be-come frustrated.
We have conducted interviews with a wide va-riety of law firm clients across the country. What follows are the five complaints we hear most fre-quently and strategies you can employ to effectively address your client’s top concerns, thereby prevent-ing client loss and enhancing client loyalty.
1. COST AND BILLING • Dissatisfaction with cost and billing can take several different forms, but the following are the most common.
“It’s too expensive.”
When a client complains about your rates, it means they are not fully aware of all the benefits they are receiving. It is up to the lawyer to effectively communicate all the benefits they bring Constantly consider how you can increase your perceived value. Enhancing your exposure and ability to communi-cate all of the benefits to the client can dramatically improve the client’s perception. For example, peri-odic review of bills with the client is an opportunity to answer questions and a chance to review all of the benefits, including added-value services for which the client was not charged. Another way to manage the client’s expectations regarding cost is to offer a periodic status report on all activities, fees, and po-tential increases in fees. Never let an unusually large invoice go out the door without first telling the client, so the client is not blindsided by it.
“It seems like the lawyers are constantly looking for ways to bill more hours.”
The perception of overlawyering is an all-too-common issue that must be addressed. It is important to clarify with the client that your firm is obligated to consider all of the issues relating to the matter and explain the risks and options along with estimated
costs. It is up to the client to then decide how to pro-ceed on those issues. Make it clear that your goal is not to bill more hours, but rather to make sure the issues are fully understood and addressed.
“We don’t want to pay for associates learning on the job.”
This is a complicated issue. First, it is important to clarify what on-the-job training is. Each firm has to resolve this matter for itself. By creating a clear understanding internally of how young associates are trained and what the role is for them, senior attorneys are able to clearly articulate to clients how inexperienced attorneys bring value. For ex-ample, the practice of giving more routine matters to young associates, even with the added time of review by more senior people, can actually save the client a lot of money. The goal is to make sure that clients feel they are getting value regardless of who does the work.
“I never know if my lawyer is billing me for social chitchat.”
This may seem trivial to the attorney, but it is important to clients and is frequently mentioned in client satisfaction surveys. People say that they hesi-tate bringing it up with their lawyers because they fear being rude or unfriendly. It is incumbent upon the attorney to discuss the issue of social conversa-tions with the client. State up front that the client will not be charged for time spent this way.
“We don’t understand the bills.”
This is a failure to have invoices that accurately describe the services rendered and how the fee was calculated. Review your bills to make sure they are easy to understand. Discuss your billing practices with your clients and inquire how much detail they would like at the outset of the relationship. Then, accommodate their requests. The last thing you need is a client who becomes frustrated with your invoicing and subsequently leaves due to misinter pretation of the charges. In some situations, you may consider calling after sending the first invoice to make sure it is understandable from a non-law-yer perspective. Even sophisticated users of legal services, such as in-house counsel, prefer bills that are clear.
2. LACK OF RESPONSE • Lack-of-response complaints are represented by the following state-ments.
“It takes too long for my lawyer to get back to me.”
It is imperative to discuss and clarify what the client expects in terms of responsiveness. This may he difficult if the client’s expectations are unrealis-tic. Discussing the matter before engagement will illuminate differences that can be effectively ad-dressed before the client becomes dissatisfied. If a client becomes upset, then address the matter openly and discuss how things will change going forward. What is most important is that both par-ties are working from a shared and explicit under-standing. Be specific in how you plan to improve. For example: “I will return your call by five o’clock the same day. If I’m not available, my secretary will call you and give a number where you can reach me or schedule an appointment for the following morning.” Make sure other attorneys and staff that have interaction with the client are also clear on the agreed-upon procedures.
“It seems like the firm is beyond capacity.”
If a client remarks that the firm is understaffed or that the attorney has too much on his or her plate, it reveals an erosion of confidence. By responding to your client promptly, you project a sense of com-mand over tasks and this engenders client confi-dence. Offer to provide updates on delegated tasks so the client can feel assured that your firm has the horsepower to handle the matter(s). Assess whether the client’s complaints are valid. If so, you need to initiate efforts to increase your depth.
“The lawyers wait until the last minute to deliver.”
From the client’s point of view, it appears that the matter has been collecting dust until moments before the arrival of the deadline. This is usually not the case, but the perception occurs because the client does not hear from the lawyer until the last minute. The remedy to this situation is to delineate a task timeline and educate the client about the work that will occur between initiation of the mat-ter and delivery
3. INCOMPETENCE • These are among the most serious client complaints of all, and every ef-fort should he made to prevent them from arising in the first place.
“The attorney made a substantial error.”
If a complaint is justified and the error is se-vere, offer to meet with the client at his or her office to discuss and resolve the issue, even if this means getting on a plane. It is imperative to quickly and effectively communicate to clients that their satis-faction is of utmost importance. Face time is the best way to do that. Of course, an apology should be made. However, an apology without an amend might not be enough. You may want to negotiate with the client how you plan to repair the prob-lem. Be specific. Creating buy-in from the client al-lows both parties to leave the conversation satisfied with the outcome and with a clear understanding of what will happen next. Negotiating the amend gives the client an opportunity to be heard, dem-onstrates flexibility on your part, and reinforces the image of a dedicated provider. We know of a law firm that committed a substantial error and offered to deduct 10 percent off the fee for the next matter as a way of substantiating their apology and com-municating to the client the importance of the relationship. The shareholders came up with this figure as a result of asking themselves, “What is it worth to us to keep this client?”
“We met with a partner who had experience in our matter, and that’s who we thought was going to do the work but he/she flipped the work to an attorney with much less experience.”
The person selling the client should say exactly who will he doing the work, his or her qualifica-tions, and the extent of each person’s involvement. If an individual who will be working on the matter has little or no experience with the client’s issue, then the oversight procedure needs to he articulated to the client along with an explanation of how the client benefits from this procedure. If there is any question about somebody not having the ability to do the required work, you are risking malpractice by not disclosing this.
If you expand your practice into an area in which you have minimal experience, you should disclose this to the client. Additionally, you may want to offset your lack of experience with an offer that benefits the client, such as a discounted rate. If the client is price-sensitive he or she may choose to go forward.
4. NOT UNDERSTANDING THE CLIENT’S NEEDS • This is much more common than you might think. If you haven’t heard this about your own firm, you have probably heard it uttered about a firm you know about.
“Our lawyer does not have adequate expertise about our business or industry.”
If this is a valid complaint, it is vital to develop a depth of understanding about the client’s business and industry. Take continuing education classes pertaining to that industry. Attend industry events, subscribe to the client’s industry trade publications, and familiarize yourself with the relevant issues. If other attorneys in your firm have expertise in that industry, speak with them. As your expertise devel-ops, you become more valuable to your client.
If the client’s complaint is not valid and you are knowledgeable about the business and industry, then this indicates a failure to communicate your expertise to the client. As you interact with your cli-ent, spend more time talking about what is happen-ing in the industry. Discuss specific issues. Identify the trade associations your client is involved with, and offer to put on a seminar for that organization. Publish articles in the industry trade journals. This creates reprints that you can distribute to existing and potential clients, thereby demonstrating your expertise without appearing to boast. Taking on a leadership role in a trade organization is another way to demonstrate expertise.
Finally, visit the client’s offices and meet with the decisionmakers. Clarify their needs and goals. Increasing your exposure helps you to spot issues, give informed advice, and establish yourself as a meaningful resource.
5. CONFLICT WITH ONE OF THE PARTNERS OR STAFF • Again, this is surprisingly common. And the worst thing about it is that the of-fending lawyer rarely realizes that it is happening.
“The lawyer on our matter was impatient, condescending, and didn’t listen to my concerns.”
Research indicates that professional service providers are often not proficient at comprehend-ing the relationship from the client’s point of view. Brown and Swartz, supra. For clients, the legal world can be confusing and anxiety-provoking. Terse, impatient, sarcastic communication from an attorney is perceived as disrespectful, condescend-ing, and alienating As obvious as this may seem, we hear this complaint with astonishing frequency.
Empathy is often mistakenly perceived as being wimpy, unnecessarily conciliatory or subservient, and therefore is often devalued as an important in-terpersonal skill. In fact, empathy is none of these things. Empathy means being able to understand how another perceives a situation and incorporat-ing those perceptions into your dialogue using your own words. It means actually listening for the cli-ent’s concerns. Too often, attorneys minimize the client’s concerns internally and outwardly cursorily nod and add an occasional, “umm hmmm.”
The problem can be exacerbated by a firm cul-ture that tolerates criticizing and making fun of cli-ents among attorneys and staffs. Lawyers frequently describe client interaction as an impediment to completing important work, belittling clients’ lack of knowledge and disparaging their “foolish” de-cisions. This is unfortunate because these negative feelings will find their way into the communication with clients in the form of impatience and sarcasm. Lawyers too often forget that clients’ lack of legal expertise and ability to make informed decisions is precisely the reason they rely so heavily on the guid-ance of the firm. It is imperative to notice hostile at-titudes within the firm culture, discourage them and, if necessary, reprimand this form of expression.
Attorneys should strive to communicate with clients in a way that demystifies complex legal issues and procedures. This is a difficult skill to develop, but doing so can be a powerful differentiator. The ability to communicate to a client that you respect and are willing to understand his or her concerns translates into long-term, loyal clients and job security for you.
We worked with a firm that nearly lost a crucial account because of hostility and impatience com-municated to the client. When surveyed, in-house counsel stated that although the client was extremely satisfied with the quality of the work product, their experience with one of the key partners was so distasteful that they were willing to walk and had already initiated efforts to retain new outside counsel. The key partner, she said, constantly chal-lenged the company’s business decisions in a very abrasive manner and usually spoke in condescend-ing and impatient tones. Several members at the client’s company had reported similarly unpleasant experiences. As a result of conducting a satisfaction survey, the firm was able to salvage the account by assigning a different partner as the point person.
If a client complains to you about the “person-ality” of someone in your firm, take the complaint seriously. Thoroughly investigate the complaint by clarifying with the client the reason for the dissat-isfaction and identifying who at your firm was in-volved. Find out if it was an isolated incident or an ongoing conflict. Acknowledge the importance of the issue to the client and present alternative ar-rangements for moving forward. Perhaps you can introduce another partner or staff member who can serve as the point person with the client. If you are in a small firm and you do not have that op-tion, you need to change the behavior. If it does not change, the client’s annoyance will likely fester into resentment and eventually he or she will leave.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION • Proactive vigilance is a much more effective method of client retention than reactive amending of problems.
Check In
Simply asking your clients, “How is everything going?” and responding to the feedback you receive can save you millions of dollars. A managing part-ner of a mid-sized law firm shared with us that he was having lunch with his biggest client and casu-ally asked her how she felt about the firm’s service. He was surprised to learn about a legal blunder his partner had made. The client complained that the partner had done little to amend the error and had responded in an arrogant and defensive manner when confronted. Most importantly, the managing partner learned that the client was considering leav-ing the firm. When he asked the client if she would have shared this information without being asked, the response was, “I thought that you already knew”
Know the warning signs of trouble. Ask your-self: Has the amount of work received from the client diminished significantly? Are your calls be-ing returned? Has the tone of your conversations changed? Does the client sound annoyed? If you sense there is any hint of a problem, do not mini-mize what you are sensing. Do not presume the cli-ent will bring it up. You have the right and the re-sponsibility to check in with clients and make sure that they are satisfied.
Conduct Satisfaction Surveys
The best way to prevent a client from leaving is to uncover dissatisfaction before it erodes the re-lationship. Customer satisfaction research indicates that if complaints are handled expediently and ef-fectively, an overwhelming majority, 95 percent, of clients will stay. This finding is especially uplifting when one considers that it costs five times more to create a new client than to keep an existing one. However, this can be tricky when one considers that most dissatisfied clients do not complain. TARP, supra, 1986. Finding out what you don’t know is a bit like remembering what you have forgotten. Pre-emptive outreach is one way to elicit feedback you would not have otherwise received. Reaching out to clients with a formal survey initiates a review process and therefore reveals problems while there is still op-portunity to repair damage. Not only are surveys a practical tool for preventing client attrition, but they also strengthen client loyalty and generate referrals.
One of the main reasons most lawyers don’t ask for feedback is because they do not want to hear criticism. This is shortsighted thinking. The cost of losing the client far outweighs the discomfort of hearing bad news. Negative feedback, valid or not, can be constructive. A valid complaint provides an opportunity to repair damage before it is too late. You can’t always count on your colleagues to keep you informed, particularly if there is a problem. Instead, it is best to hear directly from clients how satisfied they are with the people they work with at your firm. Negative feedback can also help you improve your service to other clients because prob-lems with one client may indicate problems with others. Even if the complaint seems trivial to you, take it seriously. Never minimize the client’s per-ception; their perception is their reality.
If you find out that your client is happy, there is still a benefit to doing the survey. Confirming satis-faction helps boost morale in your firm, and it rein-forces to the clients that they made the right choice to choose you instead of another firm.
When you conduct a survey you are commu-nicating to your clients that they are valuable to you and that their experience matters. Conduct-ing a satisfaction survey demonstrates integrity on your part. Many lawyers believe that simply doing good work, in and of itself, is enough. In today’s competitive market, that is not the case. It is es-sential to periodically remind your clients that you are grateful for their business. You cannot assume that your client knows you are appreciative, unless you communicate it. A satisfaction survey demon-strates your appreciation and proves that you are constantly striving to improve all aspects of your service.
Conduct Exit Interviews
For the client who has already left, make it a policy to conduct an exit interview. A former client may be reluctant to participate. Yet, pursuing this feedback is a worthwhile effort. It is important for you to know exactly why the relationship ended. You may find yourself surprised to learn important additional information. The goal is to get feedback so that you can make changes to prevent the loss of other clients.
CONCLUSION • Developing a keen client orientation is a powerful way to make your firm stand out and to differentiate yourself in the marketplace. The result will be happier clients and more business for you and your firm.
Testimonials
“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.”
“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.”
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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.”
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“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!”
“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.”
“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.”