Business Coaching

 

The Challenge

 

Barbara works with lawyers who believe they must make changes in the way they do business and are ready to begin. The concerns they bring to the table are consistent:

  1. What do I need to do to get more clients?
  2. I’m working 60-80 hours a week, how long can I keep this up, let alone find ways to play a bigger game?
  3. Why am I not as profitable as I should be?
  4. How can I keep my business going and get back to having a personal life again?
  5. Will I ever enjoy practicing law as much as I thought I would?

Barbara knows that the barriers her clients encounter generally have little to do with the quality of their core legal services. More often, they result from the organic development of support functions, such as marketing and client selection, staffing, billing and collections. Few lawyers claim “expertise” in these areas, or have the time to focus on them, which is why so many turn to Barbara for help.

Barbara challenges her clients to address these issues, which ultimately drive the ability to grow the firm, increase profitability, and balance a professional and personal life.

 

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Services Overview

Barbara Nelson’s coaching services are delivered primarily via phone, which ensures each of her clients an intimate and effective coaching experience.  Business owners are typically over-committed and highly value the flexibility that meeting via phone provides. Materials and tools will be delivered to clients as they address the business issues that are pertinent to them.

Barbara’s clients typically have three phone-based coaching sessions per month with Barbara, as well as unlimited ad hoc phone and email communication.

Barbara keeps coaching sessions energized and positive, and focuses on immediate challenges and action objectives, while maintaining a line of sight to her client’s “big picture.”

At the heart of these services is a highly customizable "Vision. Focus. Results" program, a step-by-step approach to clarifying objectives and overcoming challenges.

 

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The Program

Barbara Nelson provides trusted, third party coaching support in implementing business systems that support an overall strategic vision for the future. This support is delivered through a proven approach that forms the foundation of everything Barbara Nelson does:

  • Establish Goals - The first step in the coaching program is setting goals related to personal income, free time, and a better office environment. If there is no business plan, Barbara will work with you to create one. As goals are defined, the coaching program will be paced and prioritized to address your current situation.
  • Focus - Concentrate on the areas where changes need to be made to achieve your goals. Hold the vision.
  • Manage Time - Whether solo, small-firm or large-firm, lawyers often burn out by using nights and weekends to get work done. Barbara will implement proven processes and tools to address prioritization, planning and blocking of time, effective delegation, and interruptions. The time created may be used to improve client service, increase your client base, manage your business, or "get a life."
  • Improve Profitability - Lawyers often find they have built a practice by taking on nearly any client that comes their way, but they don’t always know how to find or attract ideal clients. Barbara knows that there are clients out there who need and will highly value your services, and her approach - which is geared toward client attraction, not salesmanship - will help you build a profitable client and referral base. The other key profitability driver, expenses, will be reviewed, and improvement opportunities will be identified.
  • Manage Staff - Effective and appropriate delegation is another key driver of profitability in professional service. Barbara will coach you in the areas of recruiting, skills testing, performance management, and motivation of staff, which, when applied consistently, will increase your employees’ performance and morale and decrease office tension.
  • Optimize Cash Flow - In this area, Barbara covers cash flow planning, expense management, leverage and utilization opportunities, and billing and collections practices. This area is usually covered last because many of the systems implemented in prior modules will have already improved cash flow.
  • Results - Follow-through until the objectives of the plan are realized. Nothing is more rewarding and motivating than experiencing progress and tangible results.
  • Ongoing Support -Barbara maintains a consistent focus on the progress you make towards your vision. Learning what to do is a well-defined program, doing it is where the difficulty lies. Delivery of coaching is an ongoing process - results are reviewed, challenges are addressed, action plans are revised, and achievements are celebrated.


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