Matt Homann has it right!  Here’s an excerpt from a post “What Start up’s Want In A Lawyer” that appeared recently on his popular blog “The Non Billable Hour”:

“Make it your number-one priority to contribute to the growth of your clients’ businesses, not to extract the maximum amount of money from their coffers.  Build client-centered teams — and make sure your client meets everyone on the team BEFORE their time shows up on a bill.  Finally, start your representation by focusing on the goals of the client and the results they desire.  Then agree upon a budget (or, gasp, a fixed price) to meet those goals and achieve those results.”

Couldn’t have said it better myself!  There are so many ways to contribute value to your clients to enhance their perception of you as a trusted advisor, and not merely a technician…no matter what your practice area!  I challenge ANYONE to suggest a practice area where you can’t find a way to add value to your client relationships above & beyond the bare legal services you deliver.  I PROMISE you, it will payoff for you in the long run & even in the not-so-long-run!

Anyone who wants to learn how you can add value to your clients and begin to enjoy all the benefits that go along with being a trusted advisor & not merely a lawyer should definitely check out the How To Market A Small Law Firm audio program.  And for any lawyer who can stump me with a practice area you are actually in (at least 10% of your practice) where I can’t show you how to implement the skills from that audio program to dramatically enhance the value your clients percieve they get from doing business with you, I’ll give you $100.00 cash.  I’m THAT confident in what’s in store for you!