Goal: $1MM in new business.

Reality: $150,000.

[I see this all the time.]

Lawyers set big goals, put together a business growth plan, and take consistent action on that plan. Initially, their action-taking seems to work. They bring in new clients, matters, and/or cases. And yet...

Their collections tell a different story. What gives?

They aren’t paying attention to the right numbers. [Yes, there are right and wrong numbers.]

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

You’re a litigator who wants to grow your book. Thanks to some furious referral networking, you bring in 20 new cases. You get excited (and busy).

Eight months later, you’re deflated because you’ve been bringing in small-potato cases (that will never generate enough to meet your goal). And you've spent more time networking than is worth it (given the ROI).

Had you been tracking collections from the beginning (instead of getting wowed by the number of cases and busyness), you’d have seen this within a few months and could have course-corrected your strategies.

What about you, Friend? Have you gotten caught in the trap of measuring the wrong numbers?

I know what you’re probably thinking (because I hear this all the time): “I’m not a business expert. I’m just a lawyer.”

Nonsense!

This is not a business issue; it’s a mindset issue. And you’re smart (so, don’t you dare use “I’m not a business person, marketer, or salesman” as an excuse).

The truth is that your brain likes to track what feels good and easy. It doesn’t like to track the numbers you should be tracking because they will:

• Highlight when things aren’t working.

• Feel more vulnerable.

• Make you feel less in control.

What I want you to know is that, when you track the right numbers, you give yourself more control. You will have the full picture, which will clarify your next steps.

So… Which numbers are you avoiding?

Learn more about what to track (and what traps to avoid) when growing your business in today's Life & Law episode >>> here.

XO,

Heather