Maybe your law practice is everything you ever dreamed of and more. But if you’re like most lawyers, you’ve got some spots where you would benefit from some help. Maybe it’s time to hire a law firm coach or join a law firm training program to help you reach your goals.
Have you been thinking about how to grow your practice (but you just can’t seem to unlock the “secret”)? Have you dreamed of automating parts of your intake process to give you some more free time (but you don’t know how)? Maybe you’re even feeling a bit stuck or down on some part of your practice. If you’re not sure about your next steps—or haven’t stayed accountable to your goals—use this practical guide to find a law firm coach, training program, or boot camp to help get you out of your rut.
How to Select a Law Firm Coach or Law Firm Training Program
Why do you want a coach or training program? This is a critical question. Many law firm coaching, law firm training sessions, or law firm bootcamps require an investment of at least a few hundred dollars. If you just want to just learn something or you aren’t sure about your goal, you might be better with a CLE course. But having a goal in mind, even if it isn’t very specific, is an important first step to finding a coach or training program. If you know generally what you want (to grow your practice, maximize your revenue, or find better work-life balance, for example), your search will be more likely to be successful. Some coaches and programs focus on one particular competency or skill or outcome. By knowing your goal, you can narrow your list to the right genre.
What kind of personality do you prefer? Do you prefer a more serious, straight-forward approach? Or a casual, light-hearted approach? Maybe a mix of the two? Working with your coach or taking a training course is a big commitment. You want to work with someone that inspires, supports, and encourages you and holds you accountable to your goals, but not someone that annoys you. Get an idea of your coach’s personality by reading their blog or any reviews you can find about them, or looking for video or other materials that can give you a glimpse behind the coach’s curated persona. When you find yourself engrossed in a video or blog that someone has poured their time and energy into, you’ll know you’ve found someone you can work and connect with.
How much do you want to pay? Law firm coaching and law firm training can get expensive. Some programs offer free trials or low-cost trials so you can see if you like the approach. This expense as an investment in your business, so you need to know how much you plan to invest. Be wary of programs that demand large fees up front but don’t offer a free initial consultation or money-back guarantee if you find yourself in the wrong environment.
How and when do you want to learn? Do you prefer working with someone in-person? Over the phone? Online? Some programs are available as on-demand courses, some have live (but remote) training, and others offer in-person get-aways. Think about the time commitment you’re ready to make, what flexibility you need (and how you hope to balance flexibility with accountability), and how you prefer to interact with the program. You only get out what you put into it, so know how and when you want to put in the work with your selected program.
Flow Chart
Alphabetical List
Law Firm Autopilot is a marketing and law firm management course with a goal of helping lawyers build trust with clients and create a fulfilling practice. Learn more about Law Firm Autopilot.
New Law Business Model is a coaching, training, and mentoring business with a client-first focus for estate planning and business planning attorneys. Learn more about New Law Business Model.
Measuring Value
Many programs will provide their own ROIs to help you gauge your growth and success. Are you getting more clients? Are you spending fewer hours and the office? Is your revenue increasing? These are good, quantifiable questions to measure the value of your coaching program. But there are also intangibles. How do you feel during and after your sessions in the program? Do you feel inspired? Do you feel like you are moving in the direction of the original goal you wanted coaching for in the first place?
If at any time you answer the above questions in the negative, let your law firm coach or consultant know right away. They have a right to know their program isn’t working for you and will want to help you improve. And you have a right to feel like you’re receiving value for the program you’re investing so much time and money in. Remember, these programs are here to help you improve your practice and achieve your goals.
How to Get the Most out of Your Sessions
As with every expense in your business, you should try to maximize the return on this particular investment. So how do you get the best return on your investment in a coach or training program? Here are some obvious ways to squeeze the most value out of your sessions:
Prepare. This is a no-brainer. The more prep work you do ahead of time the more you will get out of each class or session. Each class covers something new and different, so take time to learn about it so you can get the most out of it.
Speak up and lean in. Ask questions. Get involved. The more you engage the more you learn, so let’s get interactive!
Understand limitations. Coaching sessions aren’t a panacea for any fundamental issues you might have with your job. You already know this: there is only so much a class or coach can do for you.
It takes time. What you learn from your sessions takes time to apply. It takes more time after that before you see results. Don’t expect miracles to happen overnight.
Take responsibility for yourself. A good coach helps you unlock your best you. But a law firm coach can’t and won’t do all the work for you. You’ll need to put in the effort during your sessions, of course. But you’ll also need to bring what you’ve learned back to your business implement it. If aren’t accountable to yourself by putting what you’ve learned into practice, you cannot expect to see real and tangible results. But you can do it! We believe in you!
The post Law Firm Management Coaching, Training Programs, and Bootcamps appeared first on Lawyerist.com.
source
https://lawyerist.com/training-coaches/
