By Kristina Schneider, Practice Success Coach Having worked with numerous estate planning professionals over the years, one of the issues that a lot of people have struggled with are appointment and seminar no-shows and cancellations. One of my first questions is always, “What does your confirmation process look like?” For some, they don’t have any process in place at all. For others, they have a mixture of an e-mail that is sent or a phone call the day before. While something is better than nothing, there is always room for improvement to help reduce the number of no-shows and cancellations….
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way To… (Some of My Craziest Seminar Stories from Over the Years)
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law If you have ever attended one of my presentations, you already know that one of my favorite things in life and throughout my career has been presenting educational seminars on estate planning. What you may not know, however, are some of the unusual stories and occurrences I have experienced in doing over 3,000 seminars over the past 35 plus years. I’ve had so many funny, odd and not-so-funny events happen on the way to, during and after seminars that…
When the Prospective Client Says, “How Much Does It Cost?”
By Steven J. Oshins, Esq., AEP (Distinguished) The cost of the legal work will at some point become part of the up-front discussion with a prospective client. Many such prospective clients hear how much the legal fees are and roll their eyes as though they are being suckered. I’ve had many conversations go something like this: Prospective Client: How much does it cost? Attorney: We charge $30,000. Prospective Client: That much? I was quoted $5,000 by another attorney. Attorney: That was to prepare a Revocable Trust. I’m trying to do advanced estate planning for you which should save your family…
The 10 Biggest Mistakes Estate Planning Attorneys Make – – Running Their Business!
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Over the past 40+ years, I have been blessed with a successful and fulfilling estate planning law practice. But, it was not always successful and it was not always fulfilling. It was through my own set of expensive, costly and stressful sets of trial and error that I was able to see what worked and what does not. Based on my real-world experience, I have compiled what I believe to be the 10 most common mistakes that I’ve seen most…
Generate More Revenue This Year with More Referrals from Clients
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law If you’ve read any of my previous newsletter articles or purchased any of my presentations (or attended our Ultimate Level event), you know that I am a huge systems nut. Systems for EVERYTHING – – from marketing to receptionist scripts, to conducting initial client meetings, to generating trust documents, to signing meetings, and regular client follow-ups. Utilizing time-tested systems for everything involved in operating an estate planning practice is how you develop a successful practice. Yet, even those who…
Clearing the Bubble—The Transition To Fixed Fees
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law In the past, I have emphasized and reemphasized the advantages of utilizing a fixed fee structure rather than an hourly billing system. Here’s just a few of the main advantages for a fixed fee structure: Fixed fees avoid the need to maintain hourly records and keep track of every moment of your time. Fixed fees avoid having to go through the effort of preparing, reviewing and sending out billings. Fixed fees avoid you having to be a bill collector,…
Successful Seminar Marketing 101: Tips for Getting Started
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law It’s no secret that I am a big proponent of seminar marketing. That’s because I have regularly used seminars to successfully build and grow my practice over the past 40 years. Benefits of Doing Seminars Before we get into how to start up the seminar marketing process, it’s important for you to understand the benefits of doing seminars. Some people believe that seminars are about educating people on estate planning or building your image and firm name in the…
Google Me! Fame in Estate Planning
By Steven J. Oshins, Esq., AEP (Distinguished) Google me! Come on, I said Google me! No, really — Google me! Read my bio! Read all about me and my accolades all over the internet! Marketing Yourself: Being Famous You have to market yourself. This article is about the importance in doing so and how to do so. Don’t be shy. Don’t be passive. The more you market yourself, the more famous you become. This concept applies not only to estate planners, but also in every profession. You might be the most technically skilled estate planner with an extraordinary understanding of…
Are You Missing Out on the Lucrative “New” Estate Planning Market?
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law Over the past 15 years or so, I’ve seen a big shift in the new client market. It used to be that a large percentage of the people coming to our office had no Living Trust or other estate plan. Today, the market has almost completely flipped, with many if not most people coming in with an existing trust or plan. Why has this market shift occurred? Like it or not, the truth I’ve witnessed (and you likely will…
What Things You Can Learn From (and During) This Crisis
By Kristina Schneider, Practice-Building & Marketing Specialist There’s no denying that what we are all experiencing right now is certainly uncharted territory and unlike anything any of us have ever gone through. And, while the news reports and uncertainty that we may be surrounded by right now may create a lot of stress and concern, what I will say is that I do think that there’s a lot of silver linings and positive lessons to be learned from all of this right now. Here are just a few things that I think this whole COVID-19 crisis has brought to light (at…