An ideal client
5 April 2007Its a common theme wherever attorneys gather. Lawyers compete with stories of who has the worst client. I listen to the stories; sometimes I smile; sometimes I laugh; sometimes I wonder why they became an attorney in the first place. Many of our clients are dysfunctional in one form or another. Is that a surprise? Its a little like a doctor complaining that everyone he sees is sick. Our clients have problems and urgent needs. That is why they came to see us in the first place.
I named this posting category client management to focus attention on the need to actively manage our clients. When I was in the Army, my best friend and confidant was a command sergeant major who had taken me under his wing. I learned a lot of things from CSM Janicek, but one thing he taught me stands out above the rest. He told me that the secret to being a good manager wasn’t to have the best employees, it was to get the best out of the employees that you have. Its a simple statement, with a mountain of meaning behind it.
Training your clients to be better clients shouldn’t require a whip and a chair. Communication is supposed to be a lawyers tool of choice. Teach your clients what they need to do, what they need to say and when, and how to live better lives for themselves. I didn’t say tell them what to do. Telling isn’t teaching. Teach them with stories about others. Make a lesson plan in your mind before you talk with each client. Talk to them on their level, don’t talk down to them as though they are misbehaving children or talk over their heads like law professors are often prone. Keep trying different approaches, different techniques, until you see the light bulb go on in their eyes.
Of course, this is only free advice, and worth every penny. When I attend a function with other attorneys, I’m always listening for the attorney who has great clients that always stay in touch and deeply appreciate the service he has provided them. I know it isn’t the clients who are great, it is that attorney who is great.
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