Your Practice Mastered

In this week's episode, Richard and Michael (MPS) discuss the importance of doing the unscalable in order to build a team and grow a business. It emphasizes the need to slow down and gain an intimate understanding of different roles and functions within a firm, even if it means personally getting involved. The example of marketing, specifically Facebook ads, is given to illustrate how being hands-on initially can lead to better results and the eventual delegation of tasks and much more. You can’t miss this.

In this podcast, Richard James and Michael Strauch explore pricing and quality in law firms. They caution against price-based marketing, emphasize the importance of appropriate fees, and discuss the drawbacks of competing solely on lower prices. They highlight the significance of delivering value to clients and how raising prices can improve conversion rates and client retention. Whether bankruptcy, family law, or any legal field, this episode offers insights on balancing pricing and quality.

In the Your Practice Mastered podcast, hosts Michael Strauch and Richard James examine AI's influence on law.  They specifically mention Chat GPT and how it is not the only tool in the suite and that 373 new AI tools have been developed in the past week alone. Michael and Richard emphasize the significance of professional-level service and leaving a favorable impression on clients. They caution that Chat GPT can pose a risk to law firms that neglect client experience, lack system building, and fail to engage in proactive marketing and content creation.

In this compelling episode of "Your Practice Mastered," hosts Richard James and Michael address key challenges limiting law firms' growth. They unpack three main issues: knowledge deficit, the bottleneck phenomenon, and the allure of the "bright and shiny." They highlight the importance of leveraging technology, understanding firm metrics, and effectively delegating tasks. The hosts stress the dangers of attorneys handling low-value tasks and the pitfalls of venturing into new practice areas without robust systems in place.Check out some of the topics covered in this episode:Knowledge Deficit: The hosts discuss how many law firms lack the necessary knowledge to effectively implement systems and processes that would increase productivity.Bottleneck Phenomenon: The conversation explores how professionals, particularly attorneys, often take on tasks that could be delegated, thereby creating a bottleneck that hampers efficiency and profitability."Bright and Shiny" Object Syndrome: The episode dives into the tendency of law firms to be drawn towards new practice areas or marketing tactics without having solid systems in place, often resulting in regrettable decisions.Importance of Robust Systems: The hosts emphasize the need for robust systems in law firms, particularly when venturing into new practice areas or implementing new marketing tactics.Value of Knowing Your Numbers: The episode highlights the significance of understanding your firm's metrics, including lead conversion rates and client acquisition costs, to make informed decisions and avoid falling for fraudulent marketing pitches.This episode provides crucial insights and advice for attorneys and law firm managers seeking to optimize their operations and boost productivity. Tune into "Your Practice Mastered" and start mastering your practice today.Check out MPS and Richard at:www.YourPracticeMastered.com

Welcome to another episode of Your Practice Mastered, the go-to podcast for law firm owners seeking insights, tips, and advice on how to grow their businesses and achieve the success they deserve. Join MPS and Rich James, as they delve into the world of law firm marketing and share their expertise as top entrepreneurs in the industry.In this episode, explore various strategies and tactics to help law firm owners navigate the complex world of marketing, lead generation, and lead conversion. MPS and Rich James discuss the importance of establishing a strong lead conversion machine, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing efforts in driving qualified leads and converting them into clients.If you’re a practitioner or a specialist then you have invested a ton of time & resources into becoming an exceptional professional in your field. BUT you may have invested very little into learning how to run a successful small business. Check out this episode and you just might grow to become a better small business owner!Here are some of the topics covered in this episode:• The evolution of law firm marketing• Identifying the right marketing tools and using them effectively• Setting goals and building your message media market• Developing and evaluating "oil wells" for lead generation• The importance of having a strong lead conversion machine in place• Recognizing and avoiding the "snake oil" salesmen in the marketing world• The crucial role of arithmetic, systems, and new ideas in marketing success• The Gentleman's Agreement: supporting the podcast and engaging with the contentConclusion:Join MPS and Rich James every week at Your Practice Mastered and learn how to become a more successful and smarter small business owner so you can enjoy increased income, freedom, and more time to spend on those things that really matter in life.Check out more of MPS and Rich James at:www.YourPracticeMastered.com

This is Your Practice Mastered Podcast! Today, our hosts Michael Patrick Strauch and Richard James break down the importance of fixing your intake process and how it can unlock a goldmine of opportunities for your firm.Join MPS and Richard as they talk about the intake process and the benefits it unlocks for your firm once you have that intake process fixed.If you’re a practitioner or a specialist then you have invested a ton of time & resources into becoming an exceptional professional in your field. BUT you may have invested very little into learning how to run a successful small business. Join MPS and Richard in this episode and you just might grow to become a better small business owner! Check out some of the topics covered in this episode:MPS defines what “intake” is in your firm and the significance of fixing it.The goldmine of opportunities you can unlock just by fixing your intake process.The value of starting with the basics and keeping it simple.The power of engagement and how it benefits your business. Conclusion:If this episode has been valuable in giving you tips and insights to help you grow your firm, we’d love it if you would engage and participate in our podcast. You can do that through comments, subscribing to our channel, or simply liking and sharing the episode. Together, let’s explore strategies and guides to fill in the missing gaps of critical information so you too can become an expert small business owner just like you are an expert at your practice. Join MPS and Richard James next week and learn how to become a more successful and smarter small business owner so you can enjoy increased income, freedom, and more time to spend on those things that really matter in life.Check out MPS and Richard at:www.YourPracticeMastered.com

In the latest installment of Entrepreneurial Attorney Nation, Richard James is joined by Annette Sonnenburg, President of Sonnenburg Consulting Inc. She has provided CFO consulting services, business consulting, and outsourced accounting and bookkeeping services for more than 20 years.Richard James and Annette outline exactly how you can end 2022, so that 2023 starts off right. This is THE guide to your law firm's end of year financial planning. By the end of this episode you will discover:The #1 key to setting yourself up for successThe deadly sin you need to avoidA framework for financial success for your small law firmTime Codes: 00:00 - Introduction from Richard James02:38 - Annette Sonnenburg Introduction 03:21 - Bonus Depreciation 05:33 - Simple IRAs/401Ks07:28 - Debt in a Small Business08:27 - Lifestyle15:51 - End of Year Planning/Review15:53 - Credit Card/Bank Statements24:38 - As Compared To:30:34 - Phone Room31:34 - Sales33:31 - People36:50 - Goals38:22 - Financial Budget50:57 - Owner's Benefit56:30 - Episode Conclusion

In the latest installment of Entrepreneurial Attorney Nation, Richard James is joined by Brad Smith, Partners Club sponsor and Senior Director of Sales at D&L Press/Author2Market, a top-performing book manufacturing company.You've written you're book.... now what?Richard and Brad discuss best practices for using your book to 10x your lead flow and increase conversions of unconverted leads.In this episode, you will discover:How to shock and awe potential new clients through the use of a bookThe secret to acquiring meetings with new referral partners with easeThe power of using a book to create a referral development programThe #1 way to add fuel to any group presentationTime Codes: 00:00 - Introduction from Richard James03:08 - Brad Smith Introduction07:27 - Why Write a Book?10:38 - Create a Cover12:56 - Insist On a Call to Action16:42 - Test Your Tracking20:08 - Print a Proof21:04 - Order a Small Batch22:22 - Start Marketing25:06 - Don't Assume Writing and Printing Your Book is Enough!26:56 - Press Release29:52 - Send to Your List36:38 - Create 3D Image 37:37 - Book Signing40:20 - Existing Advertising42:52 - Create Micro Content44:44 - Promote on Amazon45:26 - Use to Launch R.F.D.47:10 - How to Connect with Brad Smith50:39 - Episode Concludes

In the latest installment of Entrepreneurial Attorney Nation, Richard James is joined by Darin Swayne, Partners Club sponsor and attorney marketing agency owner.He will reveal the truth about Google ranking factors and algorithms.During the call, you will discover:What Are The Google Ranking Factors?Which Ranking Factors Do You Really Need To Worry About?How Do Google Ranking Factors And Algorithms Work?What Is The Best Way To Improve My Organic Rankings?Time Codes: 0.00 - Introduction from Richard James01:58 - Darin Swayne's introduction 04:22 - Why Google Rankings and Algorithms are important to you?08:29 - What are Google Algorithms?09:50 - Facts About Google Algorithms10:21 - Simplified Search Process10:45 - Google Algorithm Update Basics14:35 - What to Do After an Algorithm Update16:42 - Algorithm Changes Matter to Law Firms22:19 - Spam Link Algorithm Update29:09 - Product Review Algorithm Update43:12 - Local Proximity Algorithm Update51:26 - Helpful Content Algorithm Update56:22 - The One Ranking Factor59:06 - Darin Swayne's Contact Information1:01:26 - Episode Concludes

In the latest installment of Entrepreneurial Attorney Nation, Richard James is joined by long-time Partners Club member and Freedom Group member Bert Diener, as he reveals the number one thing he did in his business to make a pivot to grow without having to invest more money in marketing advertising. Moreover, as CEO and Co-Founder of 4iiz, Bert also provides real inside information that helps law firms tune into the right direction.Time Codes: 0:00 - Introduction from Richard James02:52 - Bert Diener introduces himself07:04 - Opportunities to Inspect08:31 - Highest Priorities to Inspect11:08 - Coaching, Inspection, and Compliance13:08 - What Bert's Firm Did13:40 - Myth: "I've Trained My Staff; They've Got It Covered14:20 - Consequences of Not Inspecting25:37 - What to Inspect at Intake32:27 - The Basic Levels35:49 - How to Inspect40:43 - 11 Steps and the PCLC/Mystery Shopping46:50 - Bert/4iiz Contact Information 49:08 - Episode Recap53:10 - End of EpisodeConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of Entrepreneurial Attorney Nation, Richard James is joined by Dan Lear, lawyer and legal technology industry innovator. He is a co-founder and head of marketing and partnerships at Gravity Legal. Together, they reveal how your firm can capture a bunch more money by simply implementing some modern, yet basic, technology and business practices.Time Codes: 0:00 - Introduction from Richard James03:10 - Dan Lear introduces himself06:12 - Know your lifetime client value07:20 - The importance of profitability of the very first transaction08:16 - Legal Payments Evolution10:26 - 3 Modern Tech/Business Practices to Improve Your Firm's Financial Health11:35 - Keeping Payment Methods on File14:14 - The two states with specific rules on payments21:49 - Get the 50 state guide on storing payment methods24:01 - Shifting Processing Fees24:33 - Applicable Rules24:36 - 3 Things You Can Always Do26:04 - Applicable Rule #1: Payments Class Action27:06 - Applicable Rule #2: State Laws27:19 - Applicable Rule #3: RPCs28:28 - Applicable Rule #4: Card Brand Rules29:17 - Final Thoughts on Shifting Fees35:24 - Is there an option to switch from credit card to ACH?37:45 - Optimizing Collections37:59 - 3 Key Collections Strategies38:38 - Implement a "Collect Early" Billing Model (Subscription Legal Services)39:36 - Gravity Legal Subscription Legal Services Resources41:47 - Integration of Gravity Legal and other products49:45 - The importance of knowing your current and future cash flow52:28 - Offer Payment Flexibility (Client Financing) 55:37 - Access information to Guides and Resources57:45 - Contact information for Dan Lear and Gravity Legal58:48 - Episode conclusion1:00:41 - Episode endsConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, we welcome Joe Ruotolo from Intaker. Richard James and Joe will show you how to transform your law firm's online presence with empathy driven chat automation. We will go over how your website's chat can make or break your prospects' first impression of your firm, and you'll learn some actionable steps to make your future clients say YES when they find you online.Time Codes:0:01 - Introduction from Richard James1:54 - Joe Ruotolo introduces himself and Intaker8:15 - "My Business is not different from yours" oath11:13 - Empathy Automated17:01 - Why does empathy work?18:19 - It's not about you...its about them20:38 - Showing empathy helps prospects trust you 20:59 - Empathy is a pattern interrupt22:01 - Empathy is natural over the phone22:52 - Fewer people call law firms today23:26 - Web chat and forms are too cold25:35 - New tools automate empathy and streamline the intake process27:56 - Empathy driven chat automation increases your lead conversion30:39 - People want to see your personality before they make a decision32:18 - What else can empathy-driven chat automation do?36:56 - Qualify leads on autopilot 38:10 - Filter out the noise40:09 - Automate next steps in the buying journey41:04 - What are the risks and limitations of these tools?41:38 - Website performance and loading speed44:29 - Optimize core web vitals to eliminate impact to SEO47:40 - Cost vs benefit. Which product should I choose?48:29 - Free/Included: Good starting point for low traffic sites/Upgrade your tool as website grows49:35 - Premium: Best for optimized conversion/Must-have for high traffic sites50:22 - Empathy driven chat bots are taking over!50:39 - And your competitors are quickly adopting it52:22 - Case study53:47 - Episode summary & conclusion58:07 - End of episodeConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, we welcome the four finalists of our Entrepreneurial Attorney of The Year contest for 2021 will reveal the SINGLE action they took to go from Chaos to Freedom.OWNERS OF SMALL LAW FIRMS OFTEN FIND THEIR FIRMS AND THEIR LIVES IN CHAOS! ON A SCALE FROM  1-10 (1 being not very likely and 10 being very likely), How likely is it if you asked a successful law firm in your town, who you don’t know, would tell you what they did to acquire their success? Right … not very likely. During this live panel, you’ll receive the truth and inside secrets these finalists took to become successful small law firm owners.Time Codes: 0:05 - Introduction from Richard James0:50 - Richard James summarizes EAY02:29 - Attorney and EAY Finalist David Lehr's EAY Presentation begins03:43 - Attorney David Lehr a criminal law attorney of Ventura, CA introduces himself04:16 - Attorney David Lehr shares why he joined the Richard James Partners Club Program04:26 - Attorney David Lehr shares why he decided to apply for the Entrepreneurial Attorney of the Year Contest06:24 - Attorney David Lehr shares the number 1 big thing he did in his firm to move the needle15:29 - Richard James introduces Attorney and EAY Finalist Jonathan Breeden, a family law attorney of Garner, NC16:56 - Attorney Jonathan Breeden introduces himself22:09 - Attorney Jonathan Breeden shares his experience with the EAY application process25:05 - Attorney Jonathan Breeden shares the number 1 big thig he did in his firm to move the needle31:12 - Attorney and EAY Finalist Matt Davis and his wife Kiley Davis, a bankruptcy attorney of Birmingham, AL introduce themselves33:51 -Attorney Matt Davis and his wife Kiley share their experience with the EAY application process36:19 - Attorney Matt Davis and his wife Kiley share the number 1 big thing they did in their firm to move the needle45:06 - Attorneys and EAY Finalists, Bart Solomon and Seth Holliday, personal injury attorneys of Dalton, GA introduce themselves.48:06 - Attorneys and EAY Finalists, Bart Solomon and Seth Holliday share their experience with the EAY application process53:10 - Attorneys and EAY Finalists, Bart Solomon and Seth Holliday share the number 1 big thing they did in their firm to move the needle1:00:21 - Episode recap and closing remarksConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, we welcome Travis Lee, co-founder and President of 3D Mail, to the show to discuss why advertising fails, and how to do it right.When it comes to advertising, there are 3 steps, and only 3 steps, that dictate success, that’s it. If you get all 3 correct, you’re going to have amazing success. But if miss just slightly in any of the 3 steps you may be in serious trouble.Direct mail can provide a great return on your marketing dollar, if done correctly. But too many businesses go at it haphazardly, with no strategy or game plan in place before they start. They simply ‘wing it’ and hope for the best. That’s a bad business strategy for anything, but it can be multiplied and worsened with direct mail. However, there is a tried and true 3-pronged direct mail system that, when followed correctly, can return huge dollars to any business, any size, in any industry. Time Codes: 0:05 - Introduction and overview on the guest of the day 1:43 - Introducing Travis Lee from 3D Mail7:18 - Travis begins his presentation on Why Advertising Fails, and How to Do It Right7:26 - Triangle of Marketing Success/Failure Factors15:35 - It All Starts With The Mailing List19:17 - Two Kinds of Lists20:02 - Your In-House List: 3 Types23:37 - Purchased or Rented List: 2 Types35:57 - Response Based Lists : Resource38:06 - Compiled Lists46:50 - Right Offer48:13 - One-Step Marketing vs. Lead Generation Marketing1:00:14 - Travis Offers Resources1:03:06 - Episode recapConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, we welcome Kara Prior, President of James Publishing, to the show to showcase her strategies for creating and promoting effective legal videos. Your law firm's content creation and marketing strategies are essential, which is why you shouldn't overlook the importance of effective video content. Through a systematic way, Kara will explain how to convey past success stories and leverage them for future business! Timecodes:1:10 - Introduction and overview on the guest of the day3:10 - Introducing Kara Prior from James Publishing5:30 - Kara begins her presentation on creating and promoting effective legal videos7:50 - Tell stories of past cases11:00 - An example of an effective legal video15:07 - What if you're a new practice with few past cases? 20:30 - A video explaining why you do what you do25:00 - Provide helpful information 32:00 - Answer your common questions!36:00 - Reduce calls from unqualified leads38:15 - How to begin!49:00 - Social media's role in all of this53:35 - How to get in contact with Kara for further questions/discussions1:01:40 - Closing remarksConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest episode of Entrepreneurial Attorney Nation, Richard James discusses Recruiting Top Talent in Today's Market and uncover how you can hire better staff and keep your current staff from leaving.Time Codes: 01:10 - Introduction from Richard James02:54 - Warren Buffet and Benjamin Graham story05:10 - Richard's mentor story06:44 - Remind your team, client, vendors, etc what you do for them08:25 - Issues with leadership9:44 - Discrepancy in compensation or lack of mentorship10:40 - Toxic work environment11:52 - Richard's "Old Way" of managing staff17:06 - Staff retention issues19:10 - Employee pay20:37 - Experienced vs inexperienced employees25:02 - Training staff27:27 - Subordinates29:37 - Employee scoring guide30:39 - Employee "hunting" and "fishing"43:48 - Attract the right employees and repel the wrong ones47:47 - Richard's "New Way" of managing employees49:59 - How to get your staff to stay51:45 - How do you show your team your appreciation53:57 - Outsourcing administrative work55:15 - Centralized customer service56:54 - Use systems to recruit and retain employees58:05 - Episode endsConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, Richard James is joined by marketing expert and friend, Robert Stanley, from Cogent Marketing. They discuss marketing trends for 2022 and uncover new ways to market your firm so you can get more clients with less effort. Time Codes:0:00 - Introduction from Richard James2:57 - Robert Stanley introduces himself and Cogent Marketing7:49 - Marketing Influence and Author, Speaker, Expert9:46 - Podcasting and Content14:40 - Content Outline20:43 - Social Media Privacy and Advertising 21:07 - Facebook and Google Privacy Issues21:34 - What Can We Do?33:01 - TikTok34:31 - TikTok Data35:11 - Top Apps Worldwide41:24 - Time Spent on TikTok and Other Social Media Apps43:06 - TikTok Pros and Cons44:03 - Meta and Meta Products44:39 - Augmented Reality48:00 - Contact Information for Cogent Marketing/Robert Stanley49:10 - Episode Summary51:29 - End of EpisodeConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, we're exploring various strategies on staying connected to your clients in an increasingly virtual world!Featuring Brianna Quiroga, Lex Reception's dedicated Business Development Executive for Richard James, we'll discuss how client expectations have changed over the course of the pandemic, as well as why video meetings are here to stay. Brianna has over 12 years of experience in legal answering and understands how to support law firms, implementing the 11 steps. This episode is packed with beneficial information for you and your firm, so sit back and enjoy another great conversation!Timecodes:0:06 - Introduction and welcome to the show1:07 - Overview on the topic of the day3:00 - Welcoming Brianna Quiroga onto the show7:09 - Brianna begins presentation on "Rethink Remote"13:20 - The initial inquiry process18:48 - Your 24/7 legal reception service30:11 - Intake simplified: Never put a prospect on hold32:47 - What can be done beyond the phone call44:31 - Making every client a priority49:15 - How to get in touch with Brianna and her team at LEX Reception53:19 - Closing remarksConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, we welcome Michael Strauch, Founder of The Closing Room, to explore how checklist selling can generate over $150,000 in just six weeks!Listen as Rich and Michael explore this valuable process of checklist selling and how it can be leveraged for your firm's business. Michael's clients have seen a lot of success over the years and we're excited to bring these strategies directly to you. So sit back, relax, and enjoy another great conversation!Timecodes:0:06 - Introduction to the show1:11 - Overview on checklist selling and introducing Michael Strauch 7:19 - What is checklist selling?13:00 - Developing a simplistic system called "The 19 Steps" of checklist selling17:00 - Michael begins his presentation on the 5 Shifts36:44 - Checklist selling and how it's the secret weapon of your business45:00 - Leverage your time!52:00 - Invest in training 59:00 - Recapping the presentation and providing closing remarksConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite

In the latest installment of EA Nation, Rich welcomes Darin Swayne, President of Advantage Attorney Marketing and Cloud Solutions, onto the show to discuss the truths and myths surrounding SEO and lead generation. In today's marketing landscape, SEO can be a powerful tool for lead generation and conversions for your company. But throughout that process, some challenges and questions can arise. It's these elements that can steer you away from making the conversion and achieving the value from this strategy in the first place. Darin has been knee-deep in digital marketing since the early 90's and is no stranger to a successful conversion. Listen, as he shares his tips for navigating the truths and myths around SEO and how to utilize this marketing strategy to achieve efficient and effective conversions. Timecodes:0:06 - Show introduction1:08 - Overview on the topic of the day and the benefits of properly utilizing SEO3:20 - Introducing Darin Swayne and his background in digital marketing8:24 - Darin begins presentation on the basic steps for optimizing local rankings on Google My Business14:08 - The four basic steps for setting up your GMB listing20:19 - Strategies for optimizing your GMB profile overall29:30 - Bonus suggestions for reinforcing your GMB profile37:20 - The benefits of creating local listings38:29 - How social media plays a role in all of this46:38 - The seven SEO myths and misunderstandings1:01:39 - How to contact Darin for any additional questions regarding SEO and lead conversion1:04:04 - Closing remarksConnect with Richard James:The Success NetworkFacebookYouTubeWebsite