Today I recalled a situation I had been in where I was in a legal dispute with a business purchase that I had made. Without going into the details of what it was about I remember feeling very strongly about getting the best representation possible to give ourselves the best chance of success. We ended up going with a top dog lawyer who had been representing one of our local AFL footy teams, I remember thinking if he is good enough for them, he is good enough for me.
The initial meeting with the man himself went on for a few hours, I remember it clearly as it was in his office, and it ended up going over lunch. This led to him asking his assistant to get sandwiches while we worked through what we needed to. We had his total focus and he made us feel as though there was no time limit. He wanted to get the whole picture to be able to help us out. We left that day feeling very confident that we had hired the right person and he assured us that we had every chance of winning the case.
Needless to say, the case dragged on for months and during that time we dealt with his understudies while the cat-and-mouse game continued. Other than perhaps a call or two from the man himself, the only other time we dealt with him was just before the case went to court. This is when he swooped back in with the most amazing presence and insight into our case, negotiating a fair and reasonable settlement.
Looking back, the whole process probably cost us nearly $25k but we only had about 5-hours of face time with our lawyer. Did we get great value?? Absolutely!! He was there when he needed to be and delivered strongly. We did not hire him to do the back and forward activities or administration, we hired him to do the front-line work and get the job done. Even though we dealt mostly with his team and understudies, he made it clear early on who would be doing what and that he would be there when it counted to get the job done.
How does this relate to your business?
The moral of this story is you do not have to do all the intricacies of the transaction. In fact, you don’t have to do much at all. However, it is important to educate your clients as to what you are doing and to make sure they feel valued and confident that you are in control and will deliver the results. You must be there when it matters and when it counts, and you need to deliver results. You also need to train your support people on EXACTLY how you want your clients dealt with and have systems for them to follow to give them the service and attention they need.
Was I happy with my lawyer, yes, was it worth the money, yes! Are you delivering the value to your clients even though you are only giving them a small amount of face time? We get paid for results, we get paid for that presence and control, and ultimately, we get paid for our ability to get the job done.
Join me at my upcoming FREE half-day Real Estate Brilliance webinar and I will take you through the systems and strategies you will need to give your clients the best experience possible while handballing the day-to-day and low dollar activities off to your support staff.
