Linkedin Mailbag Holiday Edition

By Lucas Davidson | January 29, 2020

Christmas season is upon us and we are all busy preparing to make the day perfect for our loved ones. Whether it is buying gifts or trying to master the perfect recipe to create a memorable day, it is easy to get lost in the holiday season. While it is important to go “all in” for the holidays, I would like to take this chance to remind you to take a deep breath and reflect… on your collection goals. Did you do everything you could do to get that last dollar in the door? If not, please stop reading this and make that last call to your most dilatory paying client and tell them that your kids are wondering why Santa is not coming this year and it is because ABC corporation has decided not to pay your bill in a timely manner.

With that, it is time to clear out the LinkedIn inbox for an end of the year Scrooge edition.

Director of Operations at Virtual Receptionists

Hello Lucas – I was wondering if you could refer me to the appropriate person in your organization to discuss how the business phone is answered?

Response: Hello. That would be our receptionist. Please call the main line and when the receptionist answers please ask for the receptionist.

Mike, AAMS, CRPS – Financial Advisors

Hi Lucas – hope the week is going well!

Response: What do you want from me, Mike?

Mike: I wanted to reach out really quick; I was wondering if you would be open to talking about a referral partnership this week or next?

Response: I am actually slammed this week and next but please contact my colleague, David Changas, who specializes in referral partnerships at our firm.

Drew, Financial Advisor

Lucas – Great to connect with you on LinkedIn. What we find most efficient in terms of connecting is to carve out 8 minutes on the phone to talk about the kinds of things our other clients are finding unique and valuable. Can you schedule a call in the coming weeks?

Response: Hi Drew. I will admit that you had my interest for a moment but the 8 minute thing seems a bit psychotic to me. What if it goes poorly and I want to end the call in 3 minutes or if it is going really well and we have to hang up at 8 minutes? This is just too much pressure.

Chris Realtor at Realty Company

Hi Lucas – congrats on your work anniversary!

Response: Chris, do you really care about my work anniversary? Or did you just click a button that automatically generated that message?

Jason – CRPC, Vice President Wealth Management

Hello Lucas, I wasn’t sure if you got my message, so I wanted to circle back and see if your student loans were a concern for you at all?

Response: Hi Jason, I’ve gotten all of your messages. Every single one of them. They all talk about my student loans, which I am constantly trying to forget and you keep bringing them up. Thanks Jason! Now, are you going to pay my student loans off for me or do you want me to buy something from you?

Tammy – National Director of Client Services at Law Firm

Lucas,

Our firm is looking to expand into Nashville. Would you be interested in chatting about the possibility of becoming the Managing Attorney/Partner in this new office?

Response: Hi Tam! Finally, someone is speaking my language. While I am very happy at my current firm, it never hurts to chat. Just so we both do not waste each other’s time I have a few “asks” you know like executives do:

(1) If it is a Friday, you will not see me. Don’t look for me. I’m gone.

(2) Same applies to Mondays before noon.

(3) No open door policy. Any appointments with me from employees have to be scheduled two weeks in advance. The hope here is that employees will work out their own problems during the two weeks. (Part of my management philosophy.)

(4) No pop ins from corporate. Just give me a heads up if you are coming to town hopefully a couple months in advance just to make sure I am there on the day you choose to arrive. Part of my management style is to spend extended periods out of the office learning about management so that when I ultimately come back to the office, I am a better manager. More time off out of the office learning about management = less time in the office being a bad manager.

(5) Billable time from me is a gift that should go straight into my pocket. I am one of those people who goes all in on what I am doing. So I can be an average attorney and an average manager or an excellent manager and a terrible attorney. I think we would both choose the terrible attorney option in this scenario.

(6) Finally, a primary tenant of my management philosophy is that if I am doing my job correctly, the system will move so efficiently, you will not even know I exist. I am so confident that I am going to be an amazing Managing Attorney/Partner that I do not think you will even know I am ever at the office. So if you do not see me or hear from me for long periods of time, just know that is became I am making big decisions to run the office smoothly while trying to let my employees take the spotlight!

If this is of interest to you, please let me know if you have time to chat this week. I usually schedule my managing partner calls in 8 minute increments.

Response: Hey Tammy! I never heard back from you regarding the managing partner opportunity. Was it the 8 minutes thing? If so, I can talk as long as you want if that changes anything.

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