“I don't think this is going to work.” Judith slouched in the chair opposite my desk. “I mean, I don't know if I can trust her.” I understood. One of our firm's high-powered litigators, Judith was aggressive, tough on opponents, tough on her own people, and not particularly empathetic. Sally, on the other hand, was relatively new to the firm, and one of those quiet, effective sorts who tend to accommodate those more senior, rather than push back. How could they work as a team?

The failure of most social marketing stems from categorizing the platforms as distribution channels — or in the same light as television, radio and newspapers. They are not. These are conversation channels. A place for the transmission of experiences, feelings, values, dreams, failures, successes and opinions. To harness the power of social networks, and I don’t mean just hitting the “share” button on Facebook, you need to narrate the story of your practice. To succeed, you need to tell stories about people, not concepts or things. Stories that reflect the human experience. ... READ THE REST

Bob Denney's big fourth-quarter report on What's Hot and What's Not in the Legal Profession always keeps us on top of the most important business trends. But no need to wait for year's end to feel a little smarter about the legal landscape. Around this point in the calendar, Bob issues a midyear update reporting on fluxes in the marketplace. So, what's bubbling up at 2015's halfway point? Here's your insider sneak peek, before the full update is released next week. ... READ THE REST

No one likes to deliver bad news. But things happen, and when they do it's important to let those around you know. In your law office, failing to share bad news at the appropriate time can lead to rumor and innuendo, as well as loss of morale and productivity in the practice. Here's some guidance to help, if you find yourself in the position of sharing something that may feel like a loss. ... READ THE REST

Clients bring issues to you every day that aren’t, strictly speaking, legal issues. Maybe your business client needs a new accountant because the last one got her sued. Or your litigation client is so distraught he can’t work with you (or anyone else), and might need a mental health professional. You probably have resources that could help, but should you advise your clients on these issues? If so, how? “Attorney and Counselor at Law” may sound old-fashioned, but that “counselor” in the title is what many of your clients need. It’s not counseling in the mental health sense — that’s out of most lawyers’ league. It’s counseling in the “advising” sense. You are a trustworthy source of advice, not only for the legal matter you’ve been hired to handle, but issues that are related — directly or indirectly. Your main job is handling their legal matters, but you’re not fulfilling the role of counselor if you shut your eyes to your clients’ other needs. So how can you recognize when it is appropriate for you to step into the counselor role, and how can you be the trusted advisor your client needs while keeping your professional and personal boundaries intact? ... READ THE REST

It's not that we want to put words in your mouth. But it has come to our attention that sometimes people struggle with what to say when they ask for work, or try to deliver a specific business development (sales!) message. Business development trainer Mike O'Horo is rarely at a loss for words. Starting today, his new column "Well Said!" is dedicated to helping you find the words — and get comfortable using them. Referrals are the Holy Grail of the legal services world. What could be better than having someone endorse you and encourage a potential client to contact you? Yet when it comes to how to stimulate referrals — or even how to make one yourself — there must be a fair amount of confusion. Otherwise, why would it be one of the most frequently appearing topics, not only in legal business development channels, but all business channels?

Merlin Mann, inventor of "inbox zero," says his philosophy for effectively managing email isn't about a number — it's about getting your head out of your inbox and on to other, more fruitful things. For this month's Friday 5+ Tech Tips, we asked our tech tips dream team where they fall on inbox zero, yes or no? — and to give a few quick tips on taming the daily stress bucket that is your email inbox. Lee Rosen, Heidi Alexander, Catherine Sanders Reach, Nora Regis, Deb Savadra, Carole Levitt and Mark Rosch have tips, and apps.

Legal research has come a long way in the digital era. Today’s attorneys have access to a wealth of previously unavailable research tools, and the ability to streamline and automate large chunks of the legal research process. Two fast-rising stars in the legal technology world have teamed up to address attorney legal research pain points. Via an exclusive integration, law firms using Fastcase (voted the number one mobile legal app two years running by ABA members) and Clio (the number one cloud-based practice management platform) are now able to streamline their legal research workflows and take advantage of the following benefits ... READ THE REST

When coaching attorneys, I ask them to identify their biggest marketing and business development challenges. Their issues run the gamut from not enjoying cocktail parties to recently having relocated. Some of the issues they name are legitimate obstacles that need to be overcome. However, in many instances, the problems I hear are things like these: a lack of follow-up, not having enough time, not having a plan and sticking to it, or too many balls in the air.

Maybe you’ve read the stories about the candidate who wasn’t hired because of spelling errors in the resumé. Or the firm that lost the bid in response to a request for proposal because of grammatical errors on its website. It’s not just lawyers making these mistakes.