I’m sorry, Coolerites. I’ve been distracted and not blogging like I usually do (at least once a week, if not more).

I can claim busy at work (I have been). The Girl Scout Troop (we’re selling nuts, getting ready for a camping trip this weekend, planning our holiday service project and more). The sports dude (we’ve been having fun again). The kids (back to school, selling wrapping paper and magazines).

But I’ve also been a slacker. Yes, I’ve been a bum when I could be writing.

It’s not that I Haven’t Had Time to Blog, I just haven’t made the time to blog.

And that’s what it comes down to. I need to pull out that sharpie and cross off unnecessary items off my calendar. I need to take those windows of opportunity and pull out my laptop. I’m actually going back and reading my own great advice from “Marketing Me” – When do you find the time?

To me, blogging about the business of law, legal marketing, social media, and all the things that swirl around them is part of my personal brand. And, since I am my own brand manager, I have no one to blame but me.

So, I am putting down that slacker button, and taking up my keyboard again. I heard Santa is bringing me an iPad and a new computer for Christmas, so that should make the process much more fun!

Steve Jobs died yesterday. I never met the man, but his impact on my life, and yours, has been monumental. Steve Jobs changed the world, like Thomas Edison. While Edison illuminated the world with electricity invented by someone else, Jobs connected it with the Internet created by someone else. The iPhone is one of those revolutionary, world shifting inventions. Without its clones and Droids, social media and social networking would never have taken off the way it has. The iPhone has literally allowed us to walk away from our desks with a computer in our hands. If it wasn’t for the iPhone, I don’t think Facebook would be the success it is today. I don’t know about you, but I’m not my most “social” at work or at home in front of my desktop computer (which is not a Mac) … it’s when I’m at a baseball game, or concert, or at Disneyland with my kids. It’s when I’m at a conference tweeting and sharing along with fellow attendees with that special hashtag. I look at who I am today, and I find myself to be a more open, honest and authentic person. I have blurred the lines of who I am at work, home and socially. That shy little girl who always lived inside of me is gone. I have comfort and ease in who I am because I allowed that person to grow and shine through. And, yeah, I credit a lot of that to social media … and Steve Jobs. So, Steve Jobs, may you rest in peace. May your family find comfort in that your achievements have brought this world closer together. You have enabled us to connect, and now hyper-connect. The world will never be the same because your dad, your husband, your son, your friend walked this earth. Thank you, #stevejobs. I don’t know who created this photo, but it’s been circulating on Facebook.

Well, today’s the big day. Facebook is rolling out Timeline and I’m still waiting for mine to kick in. Apparently, Mark Zuckerberg’s is already active: Since your Timeline has to be active to see other people’s Timelines, I have to go by what I’m hearing and reading, and I’m not hearing any complaints. In fact, I really enjoyed this opinion piece, Why I Love Facebook Timeline, from Mashable:

It was only when I had activated the Timeline on my own Facebook account that I realized its full impact, as it loaded and displayed my personal photos, Facebook comments, posts and life events into its long-scrolling tableau. Only then did I realize why Zuckerberg seemed to become slightly choked up on stage when he was describing Timeline’s features as he showed off his own personal data.

And whether or not you are disturbed by Timeline, you’re not going to quit Facebook. Why? Because that is the sandbox in which all the kids are playing. That’s where your friends are, and that’s where 90% of social media time is spent. My advice to you during this transition:

Take a deep breath. I know change is hard, but, I promise, you will get used to it. No online petition is going to have them change it back. And NO they will not be charging for the new Facebook.

I spoke today for the Pasadena Bar Association Technology Section.

Before the program began, I took the time to speak to several people to get a better idea of who was in the room and their level of social media usage.

It was a diverse crowd. We had an attorney in the room who was still using an AOL account for their professional email, to someone who had literally launched a blog that morning, and lots of other users in between.

With such a broad spectrum of users, I tried to stick to the “Why” and not the “How” of social media.

While I did not have a PowerPoint going, I did put my outline into PowerPoint format, and you can download a copy of the slides here.

After the program I spoke to a few attendees and the one question I got from a couple people was, “Where do I start?”

I’d have to say LinkedIn. I think that you’ll get the greatest rewards the quickest here.

Take the time to build out your profile, paying attention to your “Professional Headline.” This can be found next to your name on the “edit profile” tab.

Don’t make the mistake of putting your occupation in this section (“Lawyer” or “Partner”), but use the space to create your mini elevator speech. You do WHAT for WHOM and WHERE.

Here’s mine: “Marketing, Social Media and Social Networking Director for lawyers and law firms, based in Los Angeles, CA.”

This says much more than my title, “Director of Marketing.”

Once you are done with your profile it’s time to sync your contacts (from your smart phone, Outlook Contacts, etc). LinkedIn will let you know who is currently using the application, and you can make those connections immediately. Just hover over the “Contacts” tab at the top, and click on “Add Connections.” LinkedIn will walk you through the next steps.

Once you have added your current contacts, continue to search out and add new connections, such as the speaker of your recent bar association luncheon, search your alumni associations from college, law school and your fraternity or sorority. Grab that stack of business cards and start searching and connecting. And what about those clients and colleagues from long ago. Do a search to see if they are in LinkedIn. If so, feel free to connect.

Personally, I always take the time to send a personal note in my invitation to connect rather than the standard message from LinkedIn (“I’d like to add you to my connections”). Remind the person where you met, or why you are connecting “(I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog and would like to add you to my LinkedIn connections.”).

After you’re done, skip over to the groups section and search out your professional and personal interests, including community and charitable organizations. Your professional association might have a group page, and many conferences set them up as well.

Join those groups. Scroll through the other members. You might find common connections, or interesting people with whom you might want to connect. Once again, add a personal note as to why you are extending the invitation to connect.

To add interest to your profile, share an article you wrote, or you can add your blog and or Twitter feeds to your profile.

To engage with someone on LinkedIn, comment on an article they have written or one of their recent posts. You’ll be amazed at how quickly a conversation can begin.

Don’t get lost in the application, but revisit it while enjoying your morning coffee, or while eating your lunch. You don’t have to do it all today, just take the first few steps.

I’ll be speaking at the Pasadena Bar Association – Technology Section Event, How Lawyers Can and Should Use Social Media, on Tuesday, September 27 at Noor Restaurant in Pasadena. At this roundtable program, I’ll be sharing on how lawyers can give a boost to their practices by using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and by blogging. 1 hour CLE credit is being offered. Click here for more information and to make reservations.

Sometimes I hear someone say something and it just resonates with me. It sets the stage and explains it all better than anything I could have come up with on my own. It becomes the cornerstone to an upcoming presentation, but it’s so good, I have to share it with everyone. I had one of those today. I was watching Meet the Press this morning, and hadn’t made it past the first segment when I had to hit the pause button and rewind several times to listen more closely to Thomas Friedman‘s opening statement. When preparing to write his new book, “That Used to be Us,” he checked the index of “The World is Flat” and noticed something missing. Facebook:

When I said the world is flat, Facebook didn’t exist. Or for most people it didn’t exist.  Twitter was a sound.  The Cloud was in the sky. 4G was a parking place. LinkedIn was a prison. Applications were something you sent to college. And, for most people, Skype was a typo. That all happened in the last seven years. And what it has done is taken the world from connected to hyper-connected. And that’s been a huge opportunity and a huge challenge.

And, to top it all off, there is the generational shift from WWII’s “Greatest Generation,” through the Baby Boomers, Generation X towards today’s millennials  that we are awkwardly confronting. To put the time frame in context that Mr. Friedman is referencing, I bought my SUV in 2004, and I’m still driving it (albeit with a new transmission). In 2004, my older daughter was finishing up preschool and I thought she was a big girl. I still have paintings on the wall in the kitchen that she would bring home. 2004 wasn’t that long ago. Only seven years. But look at what we have packed into those seven years. It’s way more than an itch. Keeping in mind this idea of a hyper-connected world, there are a few questions I think we need to ask ourselves:

  • Am I up to the challenge?
  • Am I willing to invest the time, money and resources to advance my practice/my business?
  • Am I willing to let the world continue to pass me by at hyper-speed?
  • If I do nothing different, what results will I achieve?

I am amazed at how often I speak to people, not too much older than I am, who are unwilling to get with the times. They just can’t, or won’t, get the hang of the Internet or Facebook, even to supervise their children who are out there traversing the Super Highway all alone well before they can drive a car. These people remind me of my grandmother who never could master the cordless phone, and we had to reinstall her rotary dial. If you allow one piece of technology to pass you by, okay. But when you allow a whole reconfiguring of how the world now communicates to pass you by, then you are antiquating yourself and limiting your ability to prosper. I cannot tell you how THRILLED I am to see my parents working their smart phones and laptops. And, when my mom comments that she knew we had a great time on vacation it was because she was keeping up with us on Facebook. Staying current with technology does not have to be overwhelming. Just start with something simple, learn it well, then layer on top of it.

  • Start with Facebook. It’s fun. Your friends are most likely already there. Your kids.
  • Then add LinkedIn to connect with your current and lost business contacts.
  • If you read something interesting, share it on Twitter.
  • If you have something interesting to say, or want a stronger voice in the conversation, start a blog.

Just don’t sit by and watch the world pass you by … because it will happen in the blink of an eye.

The last two weeks of August are painful for a legal marketer. Either the attorneys in the firm are on vacation, or the clients are on vacation. Either way, no one seems to have marketing or business development on their minds. During those dog-days, I usually clean out my office and my e-mail, and go on vacation (Orlando this year. Harry Potter World was much enjoyed by all). I constantly have to remind myself during these warm days that come the fall, I’ll get crazy busy again as the mad-dash for year-end comes into focus. For me, it literally began at 7:30 a.m. this morning with an e-mail from a partner about an RFI; a potential new matter we can hopefully go after; two upcoming conferences; get that new blog ready for launch; an update to a piece of legislation that we need to blog about; a brochure to finish; and I just got asked to speak for a local bar association’s monthly program. Phew. Good thing I brought my lunch with me. Let’s face it. Summer’s over people. It’s time to get back to work. Pull out a legal pad and start making those lists.

  • What did you say you were going to do in January that you haven’t done yet?
  • What projects did you start, get side-tracked, and now need to get back on-line?
  • What clients have you not spoken to in the past few months?
  • How can you maximize upcoming travel between now and year-end to meet your clients?
  • What industry conferences are coming up that you haven’t registered to attend?
  • What conference did you attend this year that has the potential to expand your network? Get more involved. Sign up to be a sponsor for 2012.

Most importantly, ask yourself this question:

If I keep doing what I’ve been doing, am I going to be satisfied with the resultst?

I think most of us (yup, me too) will answer no. Now is the time to change course, adjust those sails, and any other metaphor I can throw in to mix it up. Just mix it up. And with that, it’s time to get back to work.

I don’t know what’s lurking in your e-mail in-box, but, if it’s anything like mine, it’s not an e-mail from a real person. And, if there is one in there, it’s hard to find between the spam, newsletters, weekly LinkedIn group updates, etc. I keep sending more and more of my blogs and news subscriptions to my Reader, but my in-box continues to overflow with junk. So, once again, here I am. Unsubscribing. Blocking spammers. Setting up a folder with a rule for all the newsletters to drop directly there. Setting up RSS Feeds where I can. I’m doing anything and everything I can to declutter that in-box so I can find the important e-mails. You know. The chain e-mails from my mom ;-). What was the result? Instead of waking up to 30 e-mail newsletters and spam this morning, I woke up to eight new items in my in-box and 10 new items in my “newsletter” folder, which I can read with my coffee when I get into the office. Of the eight new items in my in-box, a couple of them were actionable, while the rest need a rule to move them into the newsletter folder. As the days go by, I’ll continue to cull through my in-box, unsubscribing, blocking and setting up rules to ensure that the e-mail I receive in my in-box is the e-mail I actually want to read.

It’s summer. People are on vacation, and for those of us who are not, we have either taken advantage of the quiet, or are panicking and wondering “will the phone ever ring again?” The news is not good out there. Markets are crashing. Questions about double-dipping recessions. Riots in the streets. Didn’t we just get through all of this? Wasn’t the economic outlook looking up as of late? Now is not the time to pull the covers up over your head. Now is the time for those who are “panicking” to take advantage of those who are, well, taking advantage of the quiet and might have a calmer perspective and outlook. But where to begin? As Dorothy was shown in the Wizard of Oz, every path has a beginning, and when it comes to legal marketing and business development I like to begin with brainstorming. Brainstorming is great. It’s fun. There are no wrong answers. You get to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks. You get to come up with 30 ideas, knowing you’ll only implement one or two. There’s nothing better to pull you out of the morass of what cannot be then thinking about all the things that can be. Brainstorming can entail the hiring of a consultant, and the use of the large conference room for the day. Or it can be on-the-fly with a friend. And everything in between. I had a great brainstorming session with my college roommate yesterday. While back in college our brainstorming was most likely limited to which club we should start our hopping at, yesterday we spent an hour discussing her legal practice, the economy and where she can make an impact for her firm. Husbands, kids and families were a footnote. She now gets to take what she got out of our brainstorming session back to her partners and look really smart. She has ideas. She has a perspective. She has the beginning of a marketing plan. She has some spaghetti. If you’re not sure where to begin, start with a brainstorming session with a friend on the phone, or walk down the hall to a trusted colleague and shut the door. Then go and brainstorm with someone outside your practice area, perhaps a colleague on a different floor. Then brainstorm with your colleagues within your practice. Partners. Associates. The, ahem, marketing liaison for your practice group. Varying opinions count. Outside perspectives are valuable. Write things down. When the right “ideas” come together, you have the beginning of a plan. Put some “to dos” and deadlines next to those ideas, with measurable outcomes, and you have a marketing plan. If nothing else comes out of this, you’ve pulled those covers back and had a peek at what’s going on outside of your realm. And while it might appear scary and uncertain, you now have some actions you can take to control your destiny (until the next holiday break).

I swear, sometimes I ignore vendor calls because when I am nice and say “no thank you,” they hear “keep calling and try to get her to say yes.”

I posted that on Facebook the other day and the Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time LMA players (Mike O’Horo and Nancy Myrland) chimed in on what my call must have sounded like. We had fun, going back and forth, but, sadly, they weren’t too far off.

“Hey, wanna buy some apples??”

VENDOR: ‎”I’ve got apples. Wanna buy some? These are really good apples. And apples are good for you, too. So, wanna buy some? Did I mention that they’re good? I mean, really good?”

ME: “Um. No thanks, I really don’t need any apples right now.“

“You mean you don’t like apples? Well you NEED to find a way to like apples because I’m selling these apples, and the firm down the street likes these same apples….”

“That’s okay. I’m sure your apples are great, but I’m really not shopping for apples right now.”

“Come on. They like apples at Latham. In fact, I can do a whole presentation on how they like apples at Latham, and at Allen Matkins. They like our apples there, so why don’t I come by next week and show you why you need to buy our apples too? In fact, why don’t you get a group of your senior partners together and I can explain to them why your firm needs our apples?”

“I’m glad they like your apples over at Latham, but I don’t have it in my budget to purchase any apples. I’ve got some pears, and that’s working for us right now.”

“I’m sure your pears are nice, but pears are NOT apples? Did I mention that we have no price increase this year, ya’ know….only $3K an apple, and I’ll throw in a free apple!”

“I really do have to go. But thanks for calling.“

“Wait, wait. Here’s what I can do for you….but I have to check with my boss first. I’ll give you 2 bushels of cherries, also, if you buy a dozen apples? The only thing is that, well, you’ll have to sign a confidentiality agreement if we agree to this so no one else knows the deal I’m giving you … ‘k?”

“No, really. I have to go.”

“Can I send you an email with our materials?”

“Fine.”

Great. I’ll follow up with you next week.

At this point I’ll say anything to get off the phone. Fine. Send me your stuff. I’ll delete it. My office phone rings, and I see your number, I’ll ignore your calls. But, you’re really not doing yourself any favors by being so pushy. I might not need your product today, but one day I might. Maybe here. Maybe at another firm. I might have a colleague looking for what you’re selling. Don’t relegate yourself to being screened out of my professional circle of influence. Don’t be a pushy apple salesman.