Posted on September 17, 2007 by Mike Hellum

Client Service Lessons from Sports

I alluded in a previous post to the 2007 Women's World Cup call that allowed Japan to tie the game against England on a phantom call. I was thinking about it this weekend at my sons' soccer games. Like it or not, referees hold the power to determine the game's outcome. They can call (or not call) whatever they please.

Clients and client service are much the same way. Like it or not (here we go again!!), clients hold the "whistle," and they have the power to take their business elsewhere. Whether or not we agree with them, if we want to keep serving them we will listen to their wants.

Another analogy: It's rare to see a call successfully argued and reversed. The time to listen is before they blow their whistle on you!  

By the way, the refereeing was fabulous this weekend. Frankly, the referees are rarely the problem. It's the rose-colored glasses we as parents see through that create the problems. And frankly, clients are the same way: rarely unreasonable. Firms just need to take off those rose-colored glasses.

Good game, Nate and Sam. I'm really proud of you guys.

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Posted on July 16, 2007 by Mike Hellum

The Rumble in The Jungle

One of the greatest sporting events of all time was the Ali-Foreman fight that became known as The Rumble in The Jungle. What some may not know is the story behind it. Foreman is widely remembered as one of the hardest hitting boxers in history. As the fight unfolded, Foreman unleashed that brute force on Ali, with very little resistance.

Through the seventh round this continued. Foreman fans looked like the world was theirs on a platter. Ali fans had nothing to cheer about. David vs. Goliath without the surprise ending. Even Ali's trainer, Angelo Dundee, didn't know what was happening. But unbeknownst to all but Ali, a plan was unfolding. He figured that if he could absorb the shock of Foreman's blows early, he could eventually wear him down.

And he did. Early in the eighth round Ali sprang from the ropes when Foreman's energy had been spent. With three beautifully-timed blows, Ali put Foreman out, and the fight was over.

Don't be surprised if launching a client service initiative leaves you feeling like an early-round Muhammed Ali. It probably will hurt a little; maybe a lot. Hang on, take the blows, and execute your plan. If you're willing to pay the price I suspect you, too, can achieve a shockingly positive outcome.

By the way, I don't recommend you Ali-wannabe's taunt your clients!!

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Posted on July 9, 2007 by Mike Hellum

Bee Stings & Fee Stings

I just got stung by a wasp. Hey, that hurts!  I love what this website tells you to do: "They should be brushed off the victim's skin promptly with deliberate movements, then quietly and immediately leave the area."  Very funny. Immediately leave the area--sure; but quietly? I hardly tiptoed out of there, I can tell you that. And we won't talk about the "quiet" verbal expression I might've uttered.

I was in the process of removing a massive shrub of grass (pampass grass?), probably a circumference of 15 feet (& 10' high). Huge. I was happily plodding away, which took the better part of a Saturday. The warning signs were there all afternoon; I knew there was a nest in there, and I'd seen them buzzing around. I took minimal precautions (my wasp spray was posted on the fence like some sort of scarecrow--apparently wasps can't read!).

I think some lawyers treat client service with the same sort of "scarecrow" mentality. They happily grind away working on client files. The warning signs remain, with even the latest research showing little to no improvement in perceptions. Yet they work away without any regard for the warning signs. Somebody's going to get stung.

The problem here is this pain won't go away with some baking soda and an advil.

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Posted on June 15, 2007 by Mike Hellum

Client Service Lessons from General Counsel

Larry Bodine has an outstanding post on his blog where he reports from a conference he was at. They are really saying the same things I've said before (not tooting my own horn, by the way--these things should be obvious to all). Check this post out at Tales from the Front: Getting Business from Corporate Clients.

Are you ready for a brief synopsis of the article? Here goes:

*Know their business--trends, key players, etc.
*Pick up the phone and call for their input
*Read news stories about them & their industry
*Be responsive
*Establish and maintain trust

In a word, practice the Golden Rule. These are all things you expect of people coming into your office, correct? If they don't know them you probably scratch your head and think to yourself, "They obviously didn't care much about our business. Why did they waste my time?"

Might your clients be thinking the same thing?

I know when I didn't practice the above items I embarrassed myself.  Good luck to my boys this weekend at their tournament games, and hopefully they've done their preparations!!

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