FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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LEGAL MARKETING COACHING
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SALES TRAINING COURSE FOR LAWYERS AND A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES LIFE COACHING?
Lawyers chose their profession for a wide range of reasons, from intellectual challenges to being good at problem solving. The part of being a lawyer they generally dislike is obtaining new clients – i.e. selling. That is why a superficial sales training program will typically not have any meaningful nor lasting effect on a lawyer. Every lawyer can be an excellent rainmaker, but each in his or her own way. The unique Life Coaching aspect of Legal Marketing From the Inside Out © is what distinguishes the work of Silber, Vasquez & Associates from all other firms offering to support your Business Development program. We connect each lawyer to his or her core values so that the road they chose for their marketing activities stays with them and produces results over the long term.
HOW IS A TYPICAL PROGRAM IN A LAW FIRM STRUCTURED?
We work with groups with an average of five participants at a time. We begin with a two-hour group session. Then, each participant has three private and confidential coaching sessions approximately one week apart. At the end of a month, we return for a final two hours session with the entire group. It is our preference, when possible, to work with partners and associates separately.
WHAT BENEFITS CAN A LAW FIRM TYPICALLY EXPECT FROM A PROGRAM OF LEGAL MARKETING FROM THE INSIDE OUT©?
At all levels in the law firm, every team member will be trained to participate in marketing at the maximum level of their capabilities.
An increased sense of a common goal(s) will become more evident throughout the firm.
Crops need time to grow before they can be harvested. Your new approach to marketing will result in more clients and more business when you give it time to work. There is no magic fix to marketing but the results will be measurable as well as magical to see.
Silber, Vasquez & Associates will help provide ongoing focus and direction as needed.
Each participant will have an individual marketing plan and a strategy for attracting new clients and for obtaining more legal work from existing clients.
Your own existing marketing ideas will be reinforced and refreshed.
Everyone will be aware of what your law firm’s brand is.
We will provide new ideas and approaches which are congruent with the firm’s unique culture and core values.We will keep you accountable to ensure your efforts pay off.
WHAT BENEFITS CAN AN INDIVIDUAL LAWYER EXPECT FROM A PROGRAM OF LEGAL MARKETING FROM THE INSIDE OUT©?
Each lawyer will have his own personal coach. This will result in the lawyer finding his or her personal approach to marketing that is compatible with his or her core values. The end product will be a personal and highly individual marketing plan that will lead to an effective approach to bringing new business to the law firm.
DO YOU EXPECT A JUNIOR LAWYER TO DO MARKETING?
Yes, even a junior lawyer should spend two hours per month in some form of marketing. This should increase to ten hours per week as they rise in the law firm and become a major rainmaking partner. Realistically, no one expects a junior lawyer to bring a major new client, although it happens on rare occasion. On the other hand, we provide our clients with a maturity checklist for the marketing activities they should be engaged in year by year as they progress from brand new law school graduate to partner. Relationships and Trust take time to develop and the time to start is when they begin practicing their profession. This way, when they are close to becoming partners, their prior marketing activities will begin paying dividends.
AFTER THE PROGRAM IS COMPLETED, WILL SILBER, VASQUEZ & ASSOCIATES HAVE AN ONGOING ROLE WITH OUR LAW FIRM?
Silber, Vasquez & Associates is available to provide ongoing focus and direction as needed by attending monthly marketing meetings with your partners and/or associates.
Additional coaching sessions beyond the first three sessions can be arranged.
WHAT ADDITIONAL SERVICES DOES SILBER, VASQUEZ & ASSOCIATES OFFER LAW FIRMS?
By way of background, in President Obama’s recent speech before the Houses of Parliament, he mentioned Brazil not less than three times, along with India and China, as today’s world’s economic giants. Brazil’s economy is adding 200,000 jobs per month and labor is becoming scarce. Your current clients most likely never thought of doing business in Brazil while they continue to struggle in the weak US economy. This is an ideal time because the dollar is at an all time low against the Brazilian currency and US services and products are a bargain for Brazilians.
We facilitate retreats away from the office for the partners to create their Mission and Vision statements for the law firm.
We provide marketing consulting services related to your institutional activities such as your web site, blogs, brochures, rankings, seminars, conferences, etc.
We work with the partners in analyzing and creating an action plan regarding its internal and external Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT). This is to ensure your law firm is taking full advantage of it Strengths and Opportunities and taking measures to protect itself against its Threats and reducing its Weaknesses – both internal and external.We have nearly 20 years of experience of doing business in Brazil, Mexico and all of Latin America. We offer an additional optional module in which we teach lawyers what it takes to be successful when marketing their services in Brazil and the rest of Latin America. We will show you how to best structure a marketing campaign in Latin America, how to make the needed alliances and how to avoid the cultural pitfalls that sink transactions.
We offer a unique value-added service helping your clients participate in foreign economies while the US economy remains in the doldrums. The Japanese and Chinese have been doing this successfully for a half century but most medium-size US companies have been reluctant to do the same. We have expertise in doing business in Latin America especially Brazil and Mexico. This will lead to more legal work for your law firm as your clients grow their businesses abroad. Our service is a very personalized and we will provide hand-holding for your clients including traveling with them abroad and making appropriate introductions.
COACHING FOR PROFESSIONAL WOMEN
WHAT CAN I EXPECT OF WORKING WITH A COACH WHO SPECIALIZES IN THE ISSUES OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS?
There is a saying that “Men take charge and women take care.” In this day and age we don’t need to buy into that. Working with me, you will learn how to take charge and still take care.
You will learn the magic of where and when to appropriately say “No” to other people’s priorities that rob you of your precious time.
You will learn to maximize your potential and not allow yourself to accept stereotypes.
I will share with you my own experiences of balancing a career with children, a husband and my own needs. You will find the balance that best meets your own needs.
Sometimes you need someone to listen to you when you have to get the stress off your chest. Have you noticed that when you try to discuss these issues with a friend, they end up hijacking the conversation and the next thing you know, you are talking about them and their issues? As your coach, you and your issues are the absolute center of my focus.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF HAVING A ONCE A MONTH LIFE COACHING SESSION, ON A REGULAR BASIS, WITH OTHER WOMEN IN BUSINESS?
A support group will be an invaluable asset. Individual coaching is excellent, as I just described, but it is an excellent help to get together with other women and exchange experiences. Also, they can share the techniques they have found for effectively coping with work situations, family issues and how they are creating their own balance.
It will be quite helpful to develop your own network of other women in business, which you can call when you need a supportive ear.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE PERIODIC RETREATS?
There are times when we all need to get away. Our retreats can strengthen the sisterhood we develop in our monthly group sessions. A relaxing mix of conversations and pampering ourselves is what we need to get some perspective on our lives.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF HAVING A ONCE A MONTH LIFE COACHING SESSION, ON A REGULAR BASIS, WITH OTHER WOMEN IN BUSINESS?
A support group will be an invaluable asset. Individual coaching is excellent, as I just described, but it is an excellent help to get together with other women and exchange experiences. Also, they can share the techniques they have found for effectively coping with work situations, family issues and how they are creating their own balance.
It will be quite helpful to develop your own network of other women in business, which you can call when you need a supportive ear.
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF THE PERIODIC RETREATS?
There are times when we all need to get away. Our retreats can strengthen the sisterhood we develop in our monthly group sessions. A relaxing mix of conversations and pampering ourselves is what we need to get some perspective on our lives.
LIFE COACHING
IS LIFE COACHING LIKE PSYCHOLOGY?
No, not at all. Life Coaching provides tools for those people who do not need profound foundational work which is what psychology accomplishes. We work with clients who have a healthy sense of who they are and want to learn tools in order to be the best person they are capable of being. Psychology deals more with your past and how it got you to this moment and Life Coaching deals with the present and how to best utilize who you are now, which in turn will help you build a better future.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO PREPARE FOR MY FIRST COACHING SESSION?
A real willingness to embrace the Coaching process, which means being honest and open when it comes to doing your “homework”, which is practical and will start to make a positive difference once you apply it.
CAN ANYONE BE COACHED?
The truth is, no. If someone is suffering from psychological issues, we cannot Coach this person. Once becoming a client not doing the work required, either in the session and outside of the session i.e., doing the homework given by the Coach, more than likely, this is not a person who can be Coached.
HOW MANY COACHING SESSIONS WILL I NEED?
It depends on how many sessions you take per month (the norm is 3 one hour sessions per month) and how much effort you put into the work you need to do. We usually have clients who have sessions from 6 months to a year; in rare instances we have had clients who have done amazing work and are done in 3 to 6 months; these are highly unusual results.
WILL ANY OF THE INFORMATION I SHARE GET BACK TO MY BOSSES, COLLEAGUES, FAMILY OR FRIENDS?
Absolutely not. We have a Confidentiality Agreement with each of our clients; what is said in a session stays between Coach and client. We also recommend that our clients not share their sessions with loved ones because of comments that might be made based on the relationship with the client which might influence him/her in a negative manner although the comment may be well intentioned.
DOES LIFE COACHING GUARANTEE SUCCESS?
There are no guarantees in life, in general. Having said that, successes will come, sometimes quickly and sometimes it will take a bit longer, and yet other times it will feel like you’re taking steps backward; that’s okay sometimes “slow and steady wins the race”. I can assure you that one fine day you will, in a session, at the office, or at home have that “aha” moment and you will know that you are making real progress.
I FEEL MY SPOUSE/PARTNER COULD BENEFIT FROM LIFE COACHING. CAN THE COACH I’M WORKING WITH ALSO WORK WITH HIM/HER?
Absolutely! As a matter of fact we do this often and it helps because we teach both how to communicate in the way the other best takes in the information that is being presented to them. We teach healthy communication skills, even when there are issues that cause couples to fight; we teach tools to help you during a verbal disagreement.
DOES MY COACHING EXPERIENCE GIVE ME THE ABILITY TO HELP MY LOVED ONE WORK THROUGH HIS/HER OWN ISSUES?
This is a difficult question because our clients are not trained Coaches, but they can teach by example, meaning if you are using good communication tools; listening and asking questions and listening (I know I repeated this, but it’s so important, it’s worth repeating), this can have an impact on a partner/spouse. And with other loved ones maybe that client might recommend Coaching or some other trained professional that would be of benefit.
EXECUTIVE COACHING
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EXECUTIVE COACHING?
It is essential to step back and look at yourself and the work you are doing from a fresh perspective. This alone can be one of the most effective aspects in the Executive Coaching process to help you become a more effective leader. Executive Coaching can help you and your colleagues in a number of specific ways including:
Leadership Development.
Raising Performance.
Implementation of Strategic Plans.
Stress Management.
Self Confidence.
Improving Management Style.
Resolving Conflict and Behavioral Problems.
Handling a new role.
With a personal coach, an executive will get:
An objective sounding board with whom to explore new ideas.
An opportunity to develop a new personal vision as well as the vision for the organization.
The opportunity to develop their emotional intelligence.
The tools to overcome fears or limiting beliefs that may be holding them back.
WHO IN MY ORGANIZATION WILL KNOW THE DETAILS OF MY COACHING?
Executive Coaching is strictly confidential. What is discussed between coach and the executive is never revealed to anyone in the sponsoring organization. The ability to speak freely and openly knowing that the conversations are kept in the strictest confidence is the heart of why Executive Coaching is so effective.
HOW CAN EXECUTIVE COACHING HELP?
If you are responsible for improving the performance of your organization, we can help you to:
Improve your self-awareness about the issues that are affecting your own performance.
Remove limiting beliefs or fears that may be deeply engrained.
Develop an action plan.
Implement the organization’s Strategic Plan in order to achieve agreed goals.
Increase motivation, sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Improve levels of self confidence.
Create a better balance between your work and your personal life.
WHO IS EXECUTIVE COACHING INTENDED TO HELP?
We direct our Executive Coaching toward:
Individual Partners and Managing Partners of Law Firms and
Accounting Firms
CEO's
Business Owners
Directors
Senior Managers
HOW DOES EXECUTIVE COACHING WORK?
Your Executive Coach will ask you questions that your colleagues are not able or not willing to ask you. Your answers will frequently lead you to breakthroughs in your thinking and move you and your organization to the next level.
Our work is designed around the needs of individual executives and the organizations they work for. Typically the executive will meet with his or her coach every second week for sessions of 1 to 2 hours. However, these sessions can be arranged to meet the schedule of busy people. The steps are:
Self Awareness
Defining Goals
Individual Developmental Needs
Change
Action Plan
Incorporate Learning
WHAT EXACTLY IS EXECUTIVE COACHING FOR BUSINESS LEADERSHIP?
Coaching around Leadership is a powerful way to strengthen the ability of executives to get the best performance possible from their team by focusing on the issues that face them, such as:
Lack of motivation.
Lack of self-confidence.
Stress.
Fear of making mistakes, fear of failure or fear of rejection (common with sales people).
Difficulty being a team-player.
Poor organizational skills.
Inadequate people management skills.
Lack of vision or goal setting at work.
Personal issues.
The results will be that the team achieves goals quicker, their productivity will improve and profits will increase for the organization as a whole.
WILL EXECUTIVE COACHING REDUCE STRESS AND BURN OUT?
Stress for executives is an unavoidable fact of life. Knowing how to handle stress is the key to productivity and job-satisfaction over the long term. It is impossible to eliminate all stress. In fact, a certain amount of stress can actually be helpful in raising performance levels. However, when stress is not confined to a healthy level, it can hurt the executive and the business in these ways:
Stress has a negative impact on an executive’s mental, physical and emotional health leading to physical illnesses and low self esteem.
Stress can put strain on personal and professional relationships often resulting in conflict with colleagues, superiors and subordinates.
Stress at work frequently puts unnecessary strain on marriages and the executive’s relationships with his or her children.
Individuals suffering from stress will be less productive in the long run.Legal claims against employers for stress-related cases are on the increase.
Executive Coaching provides an excellent one-to-one approach to reducing stress. We address the causes of stress instead of dealing with the symptoms. We get to the bottom of the problem and help the executive develop new strategies to dramatically reduce stress by:
Developing a full understanding of what causes the stress.
Plan action steps to correct the underlying causes and the symptoms of the stress.
The results will be:
The executive will become happier, more productive at work and have a more balanced and fulfilling life.
The workplace will be more productive because people will be communicating not snapping at each other.
Synergy will increase due to improved teamwork.
The organization will retain a key member of the executive team and avoid all the costs and problems related to finding a replacement
The organization will send the positive signal to your staff that you are a caring employer.