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We've specifically collected data on when professionals view business content shared via LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. This is not the same data you will see in the surveys from Hootsuite or Buffer – both of which are outstanding surveys of millions of tweets and shares, this is data highly focused on viewers of content related to law, accounting, insurance, recruiting, and other professional services. We will refer to these types of shares as pro-shares, short for professional social media shares.
The results are not surprising, almost nobody reads pro-shares over the weekend. Very few read pro-shares on Fridays or late at night.
Perhaps the most important finding, that we would like to shout from the rooftops is this: shares on Twitter and Facebook on average get more than double the clicks than shares to LinkedIn alone. I know LinkedIn is serious, professional and safe–but it is also often boring. LinkedIn isn't really where the fun is, so you are less likely to see your potential clients bumping into your content on the LinkdedIn homepage. It's more likely, that they are catching up on the latest Trump-gif on Twitter when they see your article that can actually help their company make more money, reduce risk, or improve performance.
For users of the ClearView Social platform, rest assured we are constantly tinkering with our sharing algorithm to make sure that when you send out emails for your team to share, and they click "share," those articles will be scheduled to be shared at the best possible time of day to maximize clicks.
For the rest of you, feel free to take advantage of the best windows of time to share professional content to your network. You never know what serendipitous event might occur, maybe you'll find your ideal client or your ideal client will find true love.
Notes on the data collected: It is important to recognize one area of potential bias in the data. In the first year of ClearView Social, our software didn't suggest any particular time to share. In year two, we began suggesting times to share based on all of the data collected in that first year. Also in the second year, ClearView Social automatically scheduled shares based on the pattern of clicks in the first year. Approximately 50% of those sharing through ClearView Social in year two chose to override our suggested time and either chose to share immediately or scheduled shares for a different time. Why does this matter? If you make pro-shares outside of our suggested times, your clicks per share may be substantially lower than the ones we have reported because almost half the people sharing in our sample use the times we had suggested.
It's a tough question to answer because I don't think everyone is on the same page when it comes to understanding what "blogging" means. Four years ago I took a pass at this in a post titled: Are We Heading to a Post-Blogging World?The irony of publishing that post on a third-party site (Social Media Today), instead of my own blog, had everything to do with my point.
I feel the same way today as I did then: many people think "blogging" is synonymous with "audience." This is a fundamental mistake. In it's barest form, unpopulated with smart thoughts and good writing, a "blog" is just a web-based, technological means to publish.
The story of the rise of the web (and the story that connects Web 1.0 to Web 2.) is in large part the story of ever-evolving tools to make it easy to publish. In the early days, we had HTML editors, FTP, servers, domain name registration via Byzantine processes including sending off your registration information by fax.
Today, we have a text editor easily available in a browser and a button that says "Publish" for when we are done. Between the time of hand-coded HTML and FTP mastery and today, blogs arrived to make online publishing easy.
Since those early days of the web, much excitement and interest in online opportunity has been colored by a misperception that lives through today, summed up best by the old rallying cry: "If you build it they will come."
Not true. At least, for most, not true enough. And today that misperception manifests around the primary means for quick and easy online publshing (blogs) when most people think that having a blog is the same as having an audience. A blog is no more and no less than a technological means to build and engage an audience – and building a blog is not the same thing as building an audience.
Bloggers build audiences – yes they do – but busy people also do what they can to put their work in front of audiences where they are proven to gather. So I think blogging might not be dead, but certainly has evolved. For many who like to engage friends and colleagues on important matters of the day – much of the writing might take place not on blogs, but where people actually gather.
This is my longwinded way of saying that I don't think blogs are dead, but I do believe people who have been paying attention expect something different of them. For the last five years, we have seen a rise of third-party websites of every shape and color that give people the means to say something and the audience to appreciate it. [Disclaimer: of course I see things this way, JD Supra exists as a way to make it very easy for writers – including bloggers – to actually be read and noticed by people after the hard work of putting pen to paper, as it were. It is fairly common for new clients to come to us because "We spent all this time starting a blog and now we want readers."]
Since I wrote that article four years ago, we have seen the rise of even more third-party platforms that, in their own way, can help to answer the problem of readership (or, more specifically, can deliver the readers you're looking for).
(In parallel, we have also seen the rise of a new type of platform that VCs seem to love to fund: the marketplace. Uber is a marketplace. AirBnB is a marketplace. They connect people who need something with people who have what's needed. Think of third-party sites for publishing your writing as knowledge marketplaces that connect people who have something to say with people who need to know something…)
However, in the years since I wrote that post, we have also seen the inevitable, steady rise of noise (in the constant dance between signal and noise) because, while more and more people have the means to publish, for most organizations, the model for making money from it has not changed. That is to say: for the majority of producers of content (mainstream media), it is an eyeball model. Content is produced to generate eyeballs against which to sell advertising. This is a race to bottom, causing (as we see today) clickbait that is skewing the balance between signal and noise – and the landscape has never been noisier.
Most bloggers (or porfessionals who happen to be bloggers) don't write to sell ads against eyeballs, but they do compete for readership in a noisy landscape in which the competition is very good at making you click … so I say all of this to make the point that building your own readership remains a challenge today. It's do-able, but your readers are pulled in many directions by many other destinations. Bloggers build readers, they do – but it seems to me that there has always been a minority of bloggers who do this. It requires, in my view, a commitment beyond the desire simply to write and be read.
I don't think blogging is dead – but I do believe that, for those who are paying attention and learning as they go, the meaning of blogging has changed.
Is the concept that if I have a blog, I have an audience dead? I hope so.
People will correctly argue on the other side that one needs a destination, a home of one's own for your own writing. I agree to that. But lately that has not been my dominant way of thinking. Sometime between that 2012 post I wrote and today, I started caring more about being read – by the right people, period – versus being read on my blog … and so our own blog faltered. We don't publish there anymore. We publish where we know we can guarantee audience.
I keep all of my shirts in a closet at home that few people have seen. But I wear my shirts out in public and that's where they are seen by whomever I encounter. That's my view on content. For many people, to think that way requires a re-consideration of what blogging means.
As originally published in the National Law Journal: Shortly after Google+ was launched, I warned people not to jump on the bandwagon, because the platform hadn't quite figured out what it was, other than an attempt to unseat Facebook. [See "Why You Can Ignore Google+, For Now," Sept. 10, 2011. ] People were happy with Facebook and weren't looking for an improved version.
Why does this matter to lawyers and their clients? At a very basic level, it means that creating a Google+ account is one less thing to worry about. On a big-picture level, that Google+'s massively expensive attempt to compete fell short demonstrates that Facebook is here to stay. For years we've seen articles proclaiming, "Facebook is dying among teens," or "This may be it for Facebook." The truth is, the platform isn't going anywhere, for two reasons:
• 1.4 billion people are on Facebook. Mashable recently compared Google+ to the flashy bar that isn't attracting the hoped-for crowds. Facebook isn't perfect, but packs a massive network effect.
• Facebook is useful. Do you have family members out of town whom you don't see very often? Would you like to have more contact with most important people in your life? Facebook helps you do this, while filtering out people or content you aren't interesting in.
Google+ failed because it tried to be Facebook+. It was trying to do what was already being done, but a little bit better. This is not good strategy, but how many law firms are making the same mistake, trying to be Skadden+ or DLA Piper+?
In his book "Good to Great," Jim Collins argues that we need to find the one thing we can truly be the best at. For law firms, this doesn't mean competing in the exact same practice and industry areas that the No. 1 firm owns. It makes far better strategic sense to strive to become No. 1 at something else — in a practice area or industry where they can dominate.
With some of the most brilliant engineers in the world, just imagine what Google could have done rather than try to build a slightly better Facebook. Maybe those engineers could have cured cancer, built a hotel on the moon or invented a cure for world hunger. OK, all of those are crazy, but so is the amount of money Google+ spent trying to do something that was already being done well. Don't make that same mistake with your firm's strategy.
Facebook — and Twitter and LinkedIn, for that matter — are here to stay. They are popular because they are useful and contain massive populations of people you want to connect with. Google+ hasn't passed that test. And if your firm learns from Google's mistakes and aims to be No. 1 where your competitors aren't, you might be around until some decade far distant even Facebook has been dethroned.
Then what?
"Let's talk about mind and body," he said. The most important factor is sleep. Sleep is the only free physical and mental repair activity. Literally, sleep impacts the hormone system of the body, which regulates everything — our stress resilience, our appetite, our ability to recover and heal.
"We are basically recharging our iPhone batteries. When we miss charging, the results are obesity, depression and other physical conditions. If we don't get enough sleep, our body is under stress. Many people believe you can miss out on sleep or make it up, and neither is true. Use it or lose it.
Then there's exercise.
"We sit for 13.5 hours per day," Breger said. "One recommendation is to stand up twice every hour, or be moving for five out of every 60 minutes. If we can start to peel ourselves away from the desk every 60 minutes, this is when attention starts to decrease anyway. Moving regularly keeps enzymes alive that burn fat — and it's a natural way to energize yourself, because moving pumps the heart and gets more oxygen to the brain. Easy guideline: We need to move."
What about ergonomics in the workplace? It all starts with your monitor, Breger said. Your computer monitor needs to be at eye level — even a small shift like this will improve your posture.
"Next is the way we sit," he said. "When you sit in a chair, you lose the natural curve of the lower back. A lumbar support, towel or pillow, placed right in the lower back, will help to re-establish the natural curve in the lower back. We many times need more curve then is natural, even in chairs that include a lumbar support. Our body will morph into the unnatural chair position over time if we aren't careful."
This is a ton to think about, so how do we prevent from being overwhelmed?
"Choose one of the four categories," Breger said. "Pick one that excites you the most, and work on it for 21 days in a row. Between Day 7 and Day 21, something called entrainment occurs, and you start to develop a habit. So pick one.
"Also, choose something that you can team up with co-workers or family and friends with, to stay accountable and motivated," he said. "Law firms hold the secrets to long-term change. They just need to help get theses simple steps implemented."
As originally published in the National Law Journal:
Are lawyers working themselves to death? Is the strain of being constantly connected through tablets, cellphones and social media wreaking havoc on our bodies? Yes, according to Lance Breger, an executive wellness coach and founder of Infinity Wellness Partners. Lance has counseled hundreds of law firm administrators and thousands of professionals about how to ease a growing health epidemic.
"There are two issues, internal and external," Breger told me. "Internally, at work, the legal industry is a high-pressure, high-pace, high-demand environment." Externally, "what I do outside of the office hours? Does my behavior put things more into balance?" If we don't use our time off to seek balance, he said, we can create a vicious cycle.
So how do we put our life back in balance? Breger works with lawyers on four major areas: nutrition, fitness, mind and body, and ergonomics. "A couple of minor changes can make a big difference," he said. "Let's start with timing. Lawyers tend to skip meals like breakfast or lunch. They are on deadline, clients need attention, or other priorities. This creates a whole cascade of challenges. Nutrition is our fuel. Nutrition has a huge impact on your ability to concentrate, your emotional state, your ability to be resilient to stress. All our food breaks down into chemicals, and they make us work."
We all know we should eat. What else?
"One nutritional thing that could make the biggest difference would probably be hydration. We are chronically dehydrated. Brain cells are made up of 85 percent water. Stress, sleep, chronic illnesses can all be reduced dramatically by simply drinking half our body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, a 200-pound person needs 100 ounces of water."
Does coffee count? "No, because coffee and caffeinated drinks are diuretics. This means they dehydrate the body. Caffeine causes you to age faster — you are revving the system up. Do we really need to rev up more? It has a really challenging effect. Caffeine has a six-hour half-life in the body. Your 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. coffee is keeping you up at night.
"We also need to eat better food — meals and snacks that have sources of good fat and lots of colors." And he doesn't mean Yellow No. 5. "Anything foreign will create inflammation and will have a toxic effect. Processed and fast foods, simple sugars, create smoldering inflammation to the brain. When we look at our plate, we want to see good sources of fat. Omega 3 fats are anti-inflammatory, putting out the fire in our brain and belly. Colors are antioxidants and prevent cell death and aging. Five great foods to eat include organic eggs yolks, wild-caught salmon, raw almonds, raw vegetables, avocados."
Next week, we'll discuss the importance of sleep and physical activity.]]>
"Does your firm use social media?"
"Oh yeah, our marketing department takes care of all social media."
This is a common reply among law firms and shows the fundamental misunderstanding in the way social media operates. Social media is not about the firm's network, but instead it is about the combined networks of each individual lawyer. When a firm creates a Twitter account or a company page on LinkedIn, these centralized accounts will be lucky if they attract a couple hundred followers, and many of those followers will be useless because they are already members of the firm. Simply blasting new firm content to this tiny smattering of followers is about as effective as trying to boil the ocean by breathing hot air on it.
Social media should be a force multiplier for your firm. A force multiplier is something that dramatically increases the effectiveness of a group, I've put together the below image to show on the left how firms are currently using social media, while on the right we see how firms should be taking advantage of social media. Every single lawyer at a given firm has her own contacts that trust her. These contacts are the people most likely to hire her today, but the only way a firm can be in regular contact with those individuals is if she either shares the contact information with the firm or if she personally shares information to the people in her network.
So how do firms persuade their lawyers to share to their contacts? It isn't easy. Every firm thrives based on the efforts of a few high performing rainmakers, but what about the rest of the lawyers at the firm? It has been my experience that there is a 90/10 phonomenon at the firm, where 10% of the lawyers at the firm do 90% of the business development and the other 90% of lawyers barely manage 10% of the other effort. Those other 90% of lawyers are busy, uninterested in marketing and don't have the personality for cocktail parties. That is ok, but they still have relationships from law school, previous companies they have worked for or firms they have worked at that could be great sources of business. Firms just need to tap into them! Social media is a very passive way for lawyers to keep their contacts informed. Share an update on LinkedIn, send an occasional message of congratulations, or simply be aware of changes in the career path of your contacts. Did your study partner from law school just become the general counsel of a medium sized company? LinkedIn will let you know. Take the chance to share an article or some information with them.
90% of lawyers will never be business developers, they won't change their stripes, but they can all leverage their relationships if only they take a small amount of time to share with their network great content from their firm.
One lawyer sharing on social media is nice, but 100 lawyers at a firm sharing on social media suddenly forms a juggernaut. You can't buy that kind of publicity or advertising, because it is targeted to individuals that already have deep relationships with members of your firm. Flip the switch and turn on social media at your firm – its a powerful force multiplier for your firm. Or your could just ignore it and let marketing take care of it. Good luck with that.]]>
In the smash pop hit of 2012, "Call Me, Maybe," Carly Rae Jepsen sings about giving her phone number to a hunky stranger with the hope that he will call her, "maybe."
We all want more business, not more maybes, but follow me on this. If you really want more business, you need to be on the radar of many more people than just those who will end up hiring you.
Best-selling business author Barry Moltz recommends "getting into as many maybe piles as possible." This will maximize your chances to be hired. And when someone has a legal need, you want to rise to the top of the maybe pile.
So, how to do that? There are three ways. First, be visible. Maybe piles have short half -lives. Just because you were in the maybe pile five years ago doesn't mean you are still there.
Visibility comes through a variety of ways: blogging, presenting at conferences and sharing articles regularly are just a few ways to remain visible.
Often, lawyers complain about sharing articles to LinkedIn or Twitter because they don't seem to get hired as a direct result. But it isn't about a direct relationship — share five articles and bring in one client. Sharing is about visibility and building a reputation.
Second, create a list of the potential clients you think you have a shot at. Do you only have three you can think of? Start with that. Build this list and update it regularly. More important than keeping it updated regularly is to use it regularly.
Reach out to the individuals on this list on a regular basis — not daily, not weekly, but regularly. They will forget you if you don't keep adding value by sharing articles with them, showing them on a regular basis that you care and are ready and willing to help.
There is an old rule of business that you need seven quality touches with a potential client before they will hire you or buy from you. "The number is now 21," Barry Moltz said. "People are being bombarded by so many messages, seven touches isn't enough anymore." Twenty-one lunch appointments would take you a year, though, so use tools like LinkedIn and Twitter to reach out more often to these top contacts.
Third, maintain a strategic focus in your personal online brand. Make sure you update your LinkedIn profile and web bio regularly and speak directly to your ideal client. Remove any information or practice areas that don't demonstrate your specific expertise to those key targets. Take the time to regularly update these profiles, to show that you are on top of the major developments in your field.
Now I know I've just met you, and this might sound crazy, but create a process to keep in touch with the top contacts in your industry, and they will call you. Maybe.]]>
Even lawyers who don't practice in New York might want to take note of a formal opinion released this month by the New York County Lawyers Association Professional Ethics Committee.
The opinion advises: "[I]f any attorney chooses to include information such as practice areas, skills, endorsements or recommendations, the attorney must treat his or her LinkedIn profile as attorney advertising and include appropriate disclaimers pursuant to Rule 7.1."
What does this mean? That the summary section in every lawyer's LinkedIn profile should include the phrase, "Attorney Advertising." If the LinkedIn profile includes 100 percent biographical information, lawyers are excluded from this requirement.
Where should the disclaimer be placed? I suggest at the bottom of the lawyers' LinkedIn summaries. The New York committee hasn't provided direct guidance, so we have to analogize from the Rule of Professional Conduct 7.4, which says, "Online advertisements must be labeled 'Attorney Advertising' on the first page or on the home page in the case of a website." RPC 7.1(c).
There are three other significant recommendations in this opinion:
1. Lawyers must continuously monitor their "Skills" sections and remove any items that are incorrect or endorsements that are wrong or misleading (for example, a matrimonial lawyer endorsed for complex transactions.) How often is continuously? According to the opinion, it does not mean daily or weekly, but "periodically, on reasonable intervals."
2. Categorizing one's practice areas or experience under a heading such as "Skills" or "Experience" is allowed and does not run afoul of Rule of Professional Conduct 7.4, as long as the sections are accurate.
3. Using the "Skills" section is not the same as claiming to be a "specialist," as long as you don't use the word "specialist."
How should your firm respond? Does it need to quickly add the phrase "Attorney Advertising" at the bottom of all LinkedIn summaries? That is what the opinion recommends but—since my research into thousands of LinkedIn profiles suggests that more than one-third of lawyers have completely blank summary sections—the real battle may be to convince some lawyers to log on.
Then again, if they won't listen to the marketing department's pleas to update their profiles, maybe a specific recommendation from the ethics committee will get their attention.
Even if you're not one of the nearly 88,000 lawyers practicing in Manhattan, you might want to follow the example of one top law firm I work with. It requires every lawyer to include a disclaimer at the bottom of their LinkedIn summary—regardless of where they practice.
Are you proud to be a lawyer? You do realize that when doctors were still using leeches, lawyers were drafting the Constitution?
I bring this up because too many lawyers shy away from attention. I've spoken to thousands of lawyers about using LinkedIn and Twitter to increase their visibility and build their practices, and how do they reply?
"I just don't want to annoy people in my network," one lawyer told me.
"My wife told me when I posted twice in one week it was way too much," another said only yesterday.
"I don't want my family and friends connected to me on LinkedIn to see my legal articles."
Which misses the entire point.
Listen, you don't realize how much you know or how much you have to offer your network. Even basic information about your practice area can help some of your contacts. If your uncle isn't interested, he can unfollow you on LinkedIn.
(Did you know you can do that? Just click on the top right of any post you aren't interested in and click: "Unfollow." You also can select: "Unfollow all posts from this person." They aren't notified, nobody gets hurt feelings — they just won't see your posts.)
The great thing about unfollowing people and posts is that it makes LinkedIn (or Facebook or Twitter for that matter) more useful to you. It allows you to curate the content you receive. Other people can do the same. The goal of sharing updates to LinkedIn isn't to please everybody, but to educate and give insights to the people most likely to send you business or hire you.
What's the worst that can happen? Readers might unfollow your posts. What's the best that can happen? People will pay attention to you. Important: That is a good thing.
"I don't want my whole network seeing that I've just added a summary to my LinkedIn account," at least one lawyer says in every group I address.
"Of course not," I might respond, with a dose of sarcasm. "Having your network pay attention to you would be pretty much the worst thing in the world."
You are a lawyer. Be proud of it. Embrace it.
There is a great moment at the end of "To Kill a Mockingbird" when Atticus Finch's client has unjustly has been found guilty. Taking on the trial has put Finch's reputation and his family at risk, but it was the right thing to do. As Finch turns to walk out of the courtroom, the Rev. Sykes says to Finch's daughter, "Miss Jean Louise, stand up. Your father's passing."
This moment makes me proud to be a lawyer. I hope that all lawyers can not only be proud of what they do, but have confidence that their knowledge can benefit their community both online and off.
One of the lessons we learn at our parents' knee is the importance of sharing. Share your toys, share your popcorn. Don't share the caterpillar you picked up off the ground. As we get older and — dare I say? — more cynical, we spend ever more time trying to figure out how to share less. When it comes to sharing articles on LinkedIn, Twitter and even by email, we need to embrace our inner toy-sharing toddler.
• Sharing keeps you top-of-mind with clients and prospects. Think about it: When you need to hire someone quickly, you go with someone you know. When you share updates on LinkedIn, you stay on people's minds — but not in an in-your-face style, because you are adding value.
• Sharing adds value for your clients off the balance sheet. You clients hate that the billable meter is running every time they call you, but when you share content they feel they are getting something of value from you off the clock.
• Sharing helps build your personal brand. What do I mean by personal brand? Your reputation for a specific specialty. During a conference I overheard the general counsel of a large company say, "I know he's an expert on this topic — he's tweeting about it all the time." Building a personal brand does require you to choose an area of focus. There is no way around that. To build a personal brand, you absolutely need to focus.
• Sharing educates your network. This education takes two forms: First, it educates your existing and potential clients about changes in the legal environment. Maybe even more important, it allows your entire network, packed with potential referral sources, to learn more about what you do and how you can help. The vast majority of your connections know you are a lawyer, but do they not what kind? Do they have a clue what type of work they should refer to you?
• Sharing allows you to get in front of the people most likely to hire from you now. Let's be honest — a total stranger isn't very likely to hire you, but the people in your network already know you and have a certain level of trust in you. Sharing is your best chance of bringing in new business now.
There are myriad excuses not to share — "I don't want to give it all away for free" is the most common. But that's ridiculous. When you share, you aren't telling people what to do about their specific problem — they need your focused legal advice for that. This isn't a cookie that, once you give it away, is gone. These are ideas, and a shared idea can be viewed by hundreds or even thousands of people. The ideas you share can work for you all day, every day, even when you are sleeping.
A rising tide lifts all boats. When you give value to the universe, you always get back more in return. Get on LinkedIn and start sharing. It's not just for kids anymore.
There is one rule for LinkedIn: Don't connect with total strangers — unless they seem interesting, have the potential to turn into clients or could serve as referrals sources. Research by Kredible Technologies Inc. suggests in-house counsel are more likely to hire lawyers with whom they have at least one connection in common. That said, here are 10 ways to quickly build your LinkedIn network.
1) Connect with "People You May Know." This is the low-hanging fruit for new connections. LinkedIn will display these on the top right-hand side of the home page.
2) Connect with co-workers. The point is opening your Rolodex to them and vice versa. When you need an introduction, this is useful information to have.
3) Connect with fellow alumni. Along the top of the screen at LinkedIn.com is a tab that says "Connect" that gives you the option to "Find Alumni." Maybe members of your old study group can send business your way.
4) Import your contacts from Outlook. This can be tricky. LinkedIn has a default setting that will "Select All" of your contacts; deselect that option and go through the list, checking off the people with whom you want to connect.
5) LinkedIn discourages people from connecting with total strangers, but if you both belong to the same group, LinkedIn figures you have enough in common to merit a connection. Don't just click the "Connect" button, though — click on the individual's profile and then click "Connect." This allows you to send a personalized message along with your connection request.
6) Every time you bring business cards home from an event, find those people on LinkedIn and send them personalized invitations.
7) If you like what people share and talk about on Twitter, connect with them on LinkedIn. Your crazy uncle might not be the best person to connect with on LinkedIn, but your brother-in the law investment banker might be. Try and get some cross-pollination going.
8) Sometimes your LinkedIn connections will share articles from people outside your network. If you like the article, send the author a message and get connected.
9) Read the newspaper. What companies are in the news? Which interview subject tells a great story? Send that person an invite through LinkedIn with a personalized message saying how much you enjoyed the interview.
10) Check your inbox. Too many lawyers have boxes full of unanswered connection requests — sometimes from general counsel or journalists.
Growing your network isn't an end in itself, but having a large, engaged network will give you a larger audience and valuable contacts. There is an old saying: "If you aren't growing, you are dying." So keep growing your LinkedIn network. You won't like the alternative.]]>
There's a joke that 50 percent of marketing is effective, we just don't know which 50 percent. The joke is even more exaggerated at large law firms, which tend to overlook marketing and business-development metrics.
Only 29 percent of large law firms engage in deep data analytics, according to a survey presented at the Marketing Partner Forum staged recently in Southern California by Silvia Coulter of LawVision Group and Steven Petrie of Faegre Baker Daniels. Data analytics, simply put, entails measuring the results of every action a law firm takes to guide decisions in the future.
The survey tells us that although all firms measure some things — profits per partner or revenues, for example — they lack systems to take a hard look at the big picture. Here are examples of potentially valuable data that law firms are ignoring.
• The cost of a seminar in terms of work hours plus actual dollars spent against the resulting growth of business in that market.
• The cost of creating a white paper against the size of its readership, quality of the identified readers and any subsequent follow-up with readers flagged as high-value targets.
• The cost of a new website against profile views, bounce rate (how quickly a visitor leaves the page), conversion and content. Does the firm track where the visitors come from? The first pages they view? Where they go next?
• How large is the firm's spend on business -development lunches each year? How does it measure the effectiveness of the lunches and the relationships built?
What gets measured gets managed. How can we manage anything if we aren't measuring?
Some of the most successful chief marketing officers in the legal industry come from the accounting industry, because they know how to follow the data trail. It is simple — yet why can't law firms pause, take a deep breath and get their analytics together?
The answer is simple. Most nonlegal businesses are addicted to data analytics because they know their survival depends on it. Lawyers track billable hours as though their lives were at stake but view everything else as secondary. The result is that major law firms leave management of a major business responsibility to busy partners who don't understand the value of data analytics and treat it as a hobby to look at as time allows. This needs to be flipped.
Some law firms solve this problem by bringing in a full-time chief executive officer who doesn't practice law; others hire chief financial or operating officers to analyze these data. Most firms aren't there yet.
That's no way to run a business. But like Richard Susskind says, it's tough to walk into a room full of millionaires and tell them they are doing it wrong.]]>
Social-media tools are easy to use. Changing our old behaviors can prove more difficult. To help lawyers make tools like LinkedIn and Twitter work for them and their practices, I've put together checklists — daily steps you can take. Recently, we talked about LinkedIn, and this week we look at Twitter.
• Follow to be followed. It seems counterintuitive, but the best way to gain followers and get others to follow you is by following them first. A Washington lawyer told me recently that journalists from The Wall Street Journal and other publications began following him after he first followed them. They have retweeted some of his articles and blog posts and he has had interview requests as a direct result.
• Listen and Engage. Ninety-nine percent of law firms use Twitter as a broadcast platform — one-way communication. But the power of Twitter lies in instant engagement with other very smart people. When you jump on Twitter while drinking your morning coffee, read what other people have to say and reply or re-share their articles.
• Set up a search. This probably is the most overlooked feature of Twitter. Think Google search, but instead of searching Web pages you search for shared articles and interesting conversations. Who is talking about litigation or merger trends this morning? Run a quick search on Twitter to find out. Enter larger conversations by searching for topics like #obama, #ISIS or #northkorea. Twitter search is a powerful tool that can prove to be of value to anybody.
• Build a list. There is a lot of noise on Twitter, but you don't need to read everything that your Twitter followers post. Set up an "A-list" of people you most want to follow. Then, when you only have a few minutes each day, you can just check to see what your A-list is posting. I follow thousands of people on Twitter, but my A-list has only about 150 people in it.
• Share. Sharing information is most users' most common activity, but the vast majority are doing it wrong. Don't share self-promotional flummery or tout your successes; share information that will help people do their jobs better; that gives practical advice on tricky legal concepts. The secret to social media is that the more you give away the more you will get back in return. Lawyers are some of the brightest minds and best writers in the country; sharing what you write and what you are reading will be of value to others.
• Unfollow. Protect your time. If you follow someone who spouts nonsense or distractions, simply unfollow them. They won't be notified and won't have their feelings hurt. Following someone on Twitter is not a long-term commitment. When you unfollow someone undesirable, your Twitter stream becomes more useful.
Give these steps a try and I guarantee you will boost your profile online. Happy tweeting.
Lets face it, we have reached an-all time high in narcissism in the United States. Facebook and Twitter seem to fuel the fire, giving some users the impression the world cares what they ate for lunch. This behavior is ruining the online experience for many experienced users of social-media sites and scaring new users away completely. All because narcissistic users more than a dozen times per day share articles and information that are irrelevant drivel at best and self-promotional spam at worst.
What's the solution?
First, don't feed the trolls. Unfollow people who share too much. Disconnect from people on LinkedIn who over-share. If they ask you why you un-followed them, simply respond that they share too much and that it makes it difficult to keep tabs on the rest of your network. (No need to call them attention hogs.)
Second, validate good sharing. When someone in your network takes the time to find and share an article that you really appreciate, that strikes a chord, let them know. And pass the article along to your network, giving the original sharer credit.
Third, don't opt out completely. Some of the most fascinating people I know aren't using social media because they can't stand the narcissistic behavior. LinkedIn would be a better place if it featured the ideas of people with unique ways of seeing the world, if only they were willing to share their perspective.
Most professionals want to be liked by their peers, they don't want to be seen as selfish and narcissistic. Sharing online can seem a risk, but that's not true, the bigger risk is staying silent, preventing your network and your potential ideal clients from ever finding you.
How much should you share?
Ten times a day is far too much. Once a month, not enough. A few times per week is a great place to start. As long as your posts aren't all self-promotional, you will never be seen as a narcissist, but instead as a helpful professional generous enough to share your insights with those fortunate enough to be in your network.]]>
"I'm a creature of routine," a successful law firm partner told me. "If I only had a list of things to do on LinkedIn, I know I could get those tasks completed on a daily basis. I just don't know what to do."
OK. Here is that list of daily tasks:
• Listen. Log in to the LinkedIn.com homepage and check out what people in your network are posting, who has moved jobs and who has written a blog post or LinkedIn publication.
• Give to receive. Congratulate contacts who have won promotions. Pass along what your contacts have shared with you (presuming it is relevant and of value to your people in your network) and comment on interesting articles your contacts have shared.
Remember: LinkedIn is a community, and every community includes people who give and those who only take. People notice your type.
• Make it personal. Send quick thank-you messages to people who have connected with you recently. Reach out to new people you would like to connect to using customized messages. You can get ideas about whom to follow on the top right-hand corner of the homepage, where it says, "People You May Know." Don't just hit the connect button — it won't let you send a customized message. Rather, click on the person's name, then hit "connect" on his or her full profile; LinkedIn will allow you to send a personalized greeting.
• Share. On the top of the homepage on LinkedIn there is a little box that says, "Share an update." All you need to do is copy the link to an article and hit "Share."
When sharing articles to LinkedIn, what's great is the enemy of what's good — in other words, be liberal about what you share. If you only share great articles, you won't end up sharing much at all.
What types of material should you share? Articles that are helpful to your practice; articles written by other attorneys in your firm; general business or economics articles that you love or that made you think. If you love it, most likely your contacts will, too.
And by all means, don't confuse sharing with oversharing. Although people who share perhaps once a week or month will likely go unnoticed, those who share multiple times a day are annoying. Don't make either mistake. Share once a day, or at least make an effort to.
• Make an appointment. The purpose of all online tools for professionals should be to facilitate richer offline interactions. Set up a lunch or telephone call and get out of the office. LinkedIn isn't meant to replace real-life meetings, but to rather to augment them.
Hope springs eternal in the new year, so if you feel inspired to finally start bringing in business through your online efforts, set aside 10 minutes per day, print out this list and get cranking. Make it a great year.]]>
Countless articles have been written about how professionals should strategically use social media to gain recognition and bring in business. But what about the completely mindless? You know actual zombies. How would they use social media?
Zombies don't think. They lack high-level brain function, so if they post at all it's in a purely mechanical way. This may work for zombies because, you know, they are undead. But for the rest of us, sharing great articles in a thoughtful way is a much more powerful strategy for building relationships and being seen as an expert in your field.
Some zombies won't shut up. They post 10 times per day but the content is irrelevant or uninteresting. Eventually, people zone them out. Of course, others never share at all. Professionals should avoid both extremes.
Research from Bufferapp shows that the ideal number of times to share per month on LinkedIn is 20, or about one share per business day. If you don't make it every day, getting as close to that as possible is a great goal.
Zombies don't converse. Look, they're reanimated flesh they can't be expected to hold conversations with people online, unless responding will immediately lead to a chance to feast on the brains of an unsuspecting victim. The big difference between the way professionals and zombies use social media is that the former are real people with thoughts, feelings and opinions. Professionals care about their industry and their community. They care about giving back and aren't just fixated on consuming human flesh.
Zombies put precious little thought into their appearance online. They don't post updated pictures of themselves and their LinkedIn summaries lack their most recent relevant experience. (Most also have clothes that have almost completely rotted away and body parts falling off embarrassing how little effort they put into making a good first impression.)
Experienced professionals with great reputations need to make that clear online. A survey showed that the average managing partner is 10 years older than the average corporate chief executive officer. Older lawyers can't expect all of their clients to communicate in the way they are used to. That means getting your stuff together online.
Zombies disappear. One day they are posting a picture of their cat on LinkedIn and then they go away for months. Nobody notices when zombies disappear. Professionals use tools like LinkedIn and Twitter regularly because they know business development is about staying top-of-mind with the right people.
Check-in daily on LinkedIn, even if only for 5 minutes. Share an article, add a new connection or read and respond to an article posted by someone you trust.]]>
San Francisco, California (PRWEB) October 15, 2014
ClearView Social, an online social sharing application created by noted authority on social media for lawyers, Adrian Dayton, will officially launch at the Legal Marketing Technology Conference West in San Francisco on October 15.
At the event, the company will also unveil the results of its beta test phase with multiple AmLaw 100 law firms and showcase several new software features.
We had a phenomenal response during the beta phase and are excited to officially roll out the software, Dayton said. Lawyers have become prolific bloggers and content creators, but they are often too busy or hesitant to share the content on social media platforms. ClearView Social addresses a critical missing link in many firms marketing strategies.
A former practicing attorney, Dayton was named the #1 Social Media Consultant in the legal industry by The National Law Journal in 2014, and is the author of two books, Social Media for Lawyers and LinkedIn and Blogs for Lawyers (co-authored by Amy Knapp.) Dayton has seen the powerful effects of social media firsthand, helping clients bring in millions of dollars of new business over the past six years through effective use of social media and blogs. Helping organizations become better at sharing was the next step.
Many lawyers would like to participate in social media, but often they encounter difficulty with the fundamental question of "what should I say?" said Steve Bell, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice. ClearView Social makes it easy for staff professionals to suggest posts that lawyers should make, and easy for lawyers to follow through. The postings have been profitable for us. Using ClearView Social, we have established new relationships and – yes – landed new business.
ClearView Social makes it simple for lawyers to share content across networks including Twitter and LinkedIn: a marketing professional creates a simple list of content, then sends an email to each attorney. Individual attorneys can then click and choose which articles or blog posts they'd like to share. By clicking a link directly in the email, they immediately spread the content across their social networks and help build relationships with clients and prospects.
The technology has already met rave reviews by the law firms participating in the beta phase, which include AmLaw 100 firms such as Dorsey & Whitney, Shearman & Sterling, Akerman and McDermott Will & Emery, as well as more than a dozen AmLaw 250 firms. In only six months, one AmLaw 100 firm saw a 500 percent increase in sharing by its attorneys.
ClearView Social is a no-brainer, it makes it so easy for me to share. All I have to do is open the email and click a button, said Nick Akerman, Partner at Dorsey & Whitney. With ClearView Social, every attorney in the firm can participate in some aspect of business development, added Jonathan Fitzgarrald, CMO of Greenberg Glusker.
New features include IP-address tracking so attorneys can identify the companies viewing their content; tools that allow segmentation by practice areas and industry teams; and advanced analytics to measure the effectiveness of the content being shared across the entire organization.
In recognition of the technology's potential in a high-demand market, ClearView Social received $400,000 in funding from technology incubator Z80 Labs Inc. and several angel investors earlier this year. In beta since April 2014, the technology will now be available to law firms worldwide starting October 16, 2014.
About ClearView Social
Founded at Z80 Labs Technology Incubator in 2014 by attorney turned author and social media evangelist, Adrian Dayton, ClearView Social is designed to help lawyers increase their social engagement with little time investment. Top AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 250 firms across the country are using this scalable social marketing tool with proven results. Learn more at clearviewsocial.com.
About Z80 Labs
Z80 Labs mission is to serve as a catalyst, transforming Buffalo and Western New York into a technology hotbed. By creating an environment that gives entrepreneurs exposure to industry leaders typically available only in New York City or Silicon Valley, Z80 Labs kick-starts entrepreneur-driven tech businesses within an accelerated environment, bolstering the local economy.
Z80 Labs main focus is on digital media, mobile and internet based companies, providing valuable support across a wide range of service areas to help Buffalo-based entrepreneurs grow into self-sustaining businesses.
In addition to Z80 Labs co-founders Jordan Levy and Ron Schreiber of Softbank Capital, several luminaries have committed to help the incubator including Brad Feld, Foundry Group; Bijan Sabet, Spark Capital; Eric Hippeau, Lerer Ventures; Roger Ehrenberg, IA Ventures; Woody Benson, Prism VentureWorks; Mo Kaufman, Spark Capital; Jonah Peretti, Buzzfeed and co-founder of The Huffington Post; Jordan Cooper, Hyperpublic; Dan Porter, OMGPOP; Mark Pincus, Zynga; Gary Ginsberg, Time Warner; Mike Perlis, Forbes Media; Jim Spanfeller, Spanfeller Media Group; and Andrew Siegel, Advance Newhouse.
Adrian Dayton
Everyone can be a publisher with LinkedIn's web platform. But is that a good thing?
Blogs and self-publishing venues have opened up audiences to anybody with a computer and a dream. Many new and talented authors have attracted followings, but an unfortunate side effect is that more rubbish is being written than ever before. "Too much noise," I hear people complain almost on a daily basis.
How does LinkedIn publishing fit in to all this? LinkedIn now presents itself to its users as a blog platform they can draft and post their articles right there on the web service. There is no charge, and LinkedIn even helps distribute your writing to your network.
Sounds pretty great, right? It would be if your network were an extremely focused group of potential clients and referral sources with a keen interest in what you have to say, but that isn't how LinkedIn shares your articles. Basically, it notifies your entire network using red flags in the top right-hand corner of the home screen.
Previously, LinkedIn used this notification box to let users know who had viewed their profiles, accepted their LinkedIn requests or endorsed them for a particular skill. Now I'm notified every time any one of my almost 2,000 LinkedIn connections has written anything on any topic targeted to personal injury lawyers, for example.
Even though I know and like many of these people, I'm just not interested in the topics they write about. I didn't ask to receive articles from these people but here they are, served right up as notifications on my page.
I'm not really terribly annoyed to receive these notifications but, honestly, the vast majority of them aren't relevant to me, so I don't end up reading them. LinkedIn has just added more noise to my life that I don't need.
In my experience, most writing is average but only the really good writing stands out. Twitter.com does a great job of filtering out the junk by allowing you simply to unfollow people. But LinkedIn sends it all to you via these notifications.
I have heard that some very good writers are finding success using LinkedIn's publishing platform. My friend Aviva Cuyler, co-founder of JD Supra, published an article on LinkedIn that went absolutely viral, attracting more than 100,000 views. Other connections of mine have used the publishing platform with less remarkable results.
There definitely is potential in the LinkedIn publishing platform, but don't go abandoning your blog just yet. I plan to experiment with the platform myself during the next couple of months, so please don't be too annoyed if you are notified by LinkedIn that I have written another article that you're just not that interested in reading.]]>
The pace was too fast. I couldn't breathe. I kept putting one foot in front of the other, careful not to catch my crampons on my boots and trip into a crevasse. My heart was racing, it was still pitch black and we were a long way from the top. I wasn't ready for this. As I felt a wave of nausea coming on I took a deep pressure breath like they taught me. It has two parts, first a deep inhale filling your lungs, and then a fast sudden exhale- as if blowing out a candle. With each breath, the fresh new oxygen that filled my lungs kept the nausea and headache at bay. But how long could I keep this up? It was only a few hours into a very long night…
Three days earlier
We pulled into the RMI offices just after 2pm on a hot sunny Monday afternoon. We collected the rental gear we had ordered and checked in at our Wellspring cabin near the tiny town of Ashford. "Is there any place to buy groceries around here?" we asked the lady cleaning our cabin (who may have also been the owner.)
"You have two options, the Country Store just down the road or the gas station. I recommend the gas station, plus my sister works there." After grabbing some gatorades, ear plugs and a few other necessities for the hike we headed back to RMI for our orientation.
We were welcomed by Casey, our guide. He was extremely personable and had arms that looked liked they belonged on a gymnast. If that wasn't enough to set our minds at ease about the upcoming climb, the fact that he had summited Mt. Everest three times certainly didn't hurt. We sat down on comfy leather couches (perhaps the last time I would be really comfortable in the next three days) and after brief introductions he started a slideshow to explain what we could expect the next few days.
|Notice the overstuffed leather couches. Nothing like the rest of the trek.
"Tomorrow we head up to Paradise to train on a snow field. Bring your crampons, ice axe, helmet and all your gear except for your sleeping bag and your cold weather gear." It would be a dress rehearsal for the actual hike that would begin Wednesday. The hike Wednesday, he explained, would be done with our 40 pound packs and would begin with a 2.2 mile hike on dry trails until we reached the snow and ice fields that we would trudge up for the next 2.3 miles to Camp Muir where we would spend the night. Then the real challenge would begin.
I expected the dress rehearsal to be pretty straight forward. Our packs were only 25 pounds, we were only hiking for an hour and we were still at pretty low altitude. We got our packs together, lined up in single file with Casey in front. And then it started.
Do you know what guide's pace is? Have you heard that term before?
It basically means, taking slow rest steps so that each time you front foot goes forward your back leg holds the weight while your front leg can "rest" for just a moment. Casey did not start at guide's pace. He took off. And we had to follow him. Eight of the nine of us were breathing hard as we followed, but we were keeping up. Dave, who was 71 years old with a sturdy frame, unfortunately couldn't keep up.
"Shouldn't we slow down for Dave?" I asked Casey, trying to appear as strong as possible, as if the pace was no problem at all for me.
"We need to test everyone in the group, to see if they are ready for tomorrow."
(So it's just a test, I thought to myself. Good thing we won't be going this fast on the real hike.)
We eventually reached the snow fields, that we would train on the for the next few hours. We practiced hiking with and without crampons on, we practiced the french step, which entails climbing up sideways with on leg crossing above the other. We practiced the duck step (no explanation needed). We practice the American step (Not to be left out, the Americans came up with a step that involves putting one foot sideways and one foot straight up the mountain.)
After a surprisingly exhausting afternoon, we headed back to Ashford for one more good night of sleep before the real trek began. Natalie and I went to bed early, but neither of us slept. The mattress was lumpy, but that wasn't the problem, there was just too much running through our minds. Finally, morning came and it was time for the real adventure to begin.
|With our packs loaded, we were ready to take on the mountain.
|At our very first rest stop we were told tore-apply sunblock. With bright sun and snow all around us, glacier sunglasses
and copious amounts of sunblock were a must.
Starting with the first morning, this was no walk in the park. We always walked for at least 60 minutes, then took a fifteen minute break. The break was our only time to: drink, eat, apply sunscreen, relieve ourselves and rest. "Time to go," Casey signaled by putting his pack on. And I hadn't even had time to eat my Swedish Fish. Originally I had planned to bring a mixture of cliff bars and protein bars, but Casey strongly encouraged us to bring food the was easy to eat and would still be appetizing at high altitude. I can't imaging being so sick that Swedish Fish wouldn't sound good.
After that first rest stop I also switched from my sneakers to my hard plastic boots. We didn't put our crampons on yet, but we would be hiking the rest of the way through hard packed snow. After three more 60 minutes segments and three more too-short-to-rest breaks, with sweat pouring down my forehead and stinging my eyes we hobbled into Camp Muir where we removed our packs, unloaded our clothes and sleeping bags and headed into the bunkhouse to claim a place to sleep. Seventeen men and my wife Natalie in one small bunkhouse. Almost from the minute the place filled up, man stench and cursing filled the air. Sorry Natalie.
On a positive note. We were able to get the top corner two bunks, which Natalie was able to choose as the token woman in the group. It had the most privacy and a small window. It was cool peering out above the clouds, but we didn't really have time to relax. We got out of our boots, prepared our sleeping bags, used hot water to prepare a quick re-hydrated dinner, got all of our gear in order and threw on eye masks and ear plugs to try and grab a few hours of sleep. The goal: fall asleep before others started snoring.
I took a few ibuprofens for my aches and pains and pretty quickly fell into a restless sleep. When I finally stirred enough to become completely awake, I took off my eye mask and couldn't see anything. It must have been 10pm or so. I tried to get back to sleep, not knowing for sure what time it was, but I couldn't keep my mind from racing with questions. How would my body respond to the altitude? What if I got nervous crossing a huge crevasse? What if I had to go to the bathroom during the hike and had to pack out my human waste in a blue bag? (That's a real thing) What if I stumbled and fell to my death, taking my entire group with me into an icy grave? You know, the usually stuff people think about when they can't sleep before climbing mountains.
Suddenly, the light flashed on in the bunkhouse.
"Time to get up, have breakfast, and get ready. You have one hour," Casey explained.
To be honest, I was a little relieved. I was getting pretty anxious, so it was time to start hiking. Walking out of the bunkhouse under a clear sky, no moon, and billions of stars is a moment I won't forget. I clicked on my headlamp and could see the reflection of tiny particles of snow in the air.
"My group at the bottom of the stairs," Casey requested. Natalie, Phil, and I would be in the lead group. At first I thought this meant that he trusted us to be first, then I realized it may have been because he was most worried about the three of us making it to the top.
We set off on the first section, which was pretty straight forward. We traversed the mountain on a long flat section that worked its way up the mountain until we reached a point where the trail turned to rocks and dirt. We coiled up the ropes ahead of us and walked through this section close together so that the ropes wouldn't catch on the medium sized boulders that ran across the trail. As we came around the corner at Cathedral Gap we hit the snow again and saw three hikers from another group sitting down taking break to the right of us. To the left of us, massive car sized blocks of ice hung off the Ingraham Glacier about 200 yards away from us.
"You guys may want to get moving," Casey mentioned to the three strangers taking a break, "11 people died at this spot in 1981." We moved quickly past. At one point we hiked up the crest of a hill, and on the left and right side were gaping crevasses. It was really dark though, probably a blessing, because it might have been terrifying to cross this area in the day light. Finally we reached our first break just after sixty minutes of hiking. A trail of light on the heads of hikers followed behind us. "We may have a longer break here," Casey explained. "Dave is turning back, so Stoney (one of the other guides) will have to return with him. We will have to rope one more person onto our group.
Now I know originally I had complained about breaks being too short, but this break took almost 30 minutes, and by the time we took off I was freezing. During the rest breaks we pulled out our heavy parkas, but I only had a medium sized parka and hadn't put on any other layers, so I was shivering when we pulled out of that rest stop. This worried meed a little because it was only 2am and we were going to go much higher and the temperature was going to get much lower. The upcoming stretch was the most dangerous of the entire climb. Disappointment Cleaver. It was very steep, mostly over rocks and scaling small sections of cliff. Â Although we only hiked 60 minutes at a time for the rest of the trek, this section would be 90 minutes long without a break. They explained that taking a break anywhere along the Cleaver would be too dangerous. So, no rest breaks, in total darkness, scaling loose rocks in freezing weather. Awesome. In the orientation the day earlier I had asked Casey, "it this the crux (or the hardest part) of the hike?" He told us the hike with heavy packs we had just completed was the crux. (Turns out he just didn't want to scare us, the Cleaver was very challenging.)
"We need to shorten the ropes," Casey called out. Disappointment Cleaver is so much more dangerous that it required us to short rope, which means we shortened the length of the rope between climbers. This decreased the momentum someone could pick up if they slipped and fell, but it also kept us hiking almost in unison as we picked our way up through the Cleaver. The guides kept referring to it as simply "The Cleaver," I guess they didn't want to psyche us out by using the word disappointment over and over. With my ice axe in my uphill hand and my right hand reaching up for handholds I matched the pace of Natalie in front of me. I had probably done ten thousand squats and mountain climbers at CrossFit over the six months before. Suddenly they didn't seem so pointless.
Eventually we reached the top of the Cleaver. Time for another break. I immediately pulled out another layer, putting on my Gore Tex jacket, then my down coat next. As I took a large gulp of gatorade and choked down a peanut butter sandwich I had Phil and Natalie huddle in close to me for warmth. It was literally freezing, and I had been sweating for the last 90 minutes. The next group below us caught up in a few minutes but hiked right past us to find a good rest spot. "See you at high break," the other guide said.
"Just one more break after this, and then we reach the top?" I thought to myself. "I might just make it." I was exhausted, but I could make it to one more break, couldn't I? I had underestimated the effect of the altitude on me though. It was time to get moving. "Everybody leave your parkas on," Casey warned us.
As we started hiking again, I was immediately exhausted. It felt like I hadn't taken a break at all. I was dizzy and as we walked along a flat section and I was having trouble walking straight. Phil was behind me, and I'm sure he noticed. My head started to throb, and then I took a big pressure breath. That helped a little. A few steps later, I did another pressure breath, then another. Pretty soon I was taking a pressure breath ever other step, and then once the trail got even steeper I was taking a pressure breath every step. It was slow and exhausting, but it was the only way for me to get enough oxygen for my body to keep moving. I looked up to the top of mountain, and it seemed like were weren't even close. It had only been ten minutes since our last stop, I didn't know how I was going to keep this up for another 50 minutes. Then suddenly the sky turned a deep red across the horizon. The sun wasn't rising, but it would be soon. I'm not sure if it was psychological or the pressure breaths, but to know that I wouldn't be this cold and tired forever gave me hope. After another twenty minutes the sun began to peak out from behind the horizon, and I'm not sure if I was driven by the beauty or the exhaustion, but I asked Casey if we could stop to take a quick picture.
|Natalie up ahead of me, rocking the hike like it was no big deal.
|Sunrise from Rainier
|Sunrise selfie? I'll allow it.
|Phil is smiling way too much.He never complained or asked for a break. Kind of humbling to have your50+ year old Father-in-law out-hiking you.
Thirty minutes later, under a bright morning sun we arrived at High Break. Our last rest before reaching the top. We only had 45 minutes of hiking left to reach the top of Rainier. The last 45 minutes weren't the hardest, but they were definitely the longest. Our progress just seemed so slow as we inched ahead. Pressure breaths every step now. We finally inched our way over the ridge of the crater and we had made it. I let out a whoop and once we reached the middle of the crater Casey had us sit down and take a well deserved rest. I wanted to lay down. I wanted to take a nap, but my next nap was still over 16 hours away. We had reached the summit, but not the "tippy top" as Casey called it. After a short rest, eating and drinking and applying sunscreen, we took a fifteen minute hike that wrapped around to the top of the crater. We had made it to the top. My eyes started to water, and it wasn't the altitude. I felt a wave of emotion and warmth that I had only experienced a few times before. Completing a marathon, reaching the top of Kilimanjaro and witnessing the birth of my first and second child. It was a completely unforgettable moment that made it all worth it.
"It isn't the people that are in the best shape that make it to the top of Mt. Rainier," Casey had explained the day before, "it's the people that want it the most. You've got to really want it."
I'm sure there is a metaphor in there somewhere for life. But due to the altitude at 14,410 feet, I'm not sure what it is.
The sad part of the story is that in reality we were only halfway done. We had completed the mentally challenging part, but the real physical test was only 50% over. Our legs were done, but we still had a long way to go. The next four hours we had an exhausting but breathtaking decent over glaciers and crevasses that were only shadows on the way up.
|As you can see the snow was very soft on the decent, Casey really pushed us to hurry because as the snow melts the conditions can become perilous very quickly. He kept telling us to stop talking and listen for snow and ice falls.
|In the darkness we had crossed this massive crevasse on a 2X1′ piece of plywood stretched across an aluminum ladder.It was much more intimidating in the light. You had a small chord that you pulled up on with your left hand while you carried your ice axe in your right hand to walk across the ladder. I think it was pretty awesome. Phil and Natalie didn't think it was quite as much fun.
I'm not going to go into a ton of details on the rest of the decent, but it was exhausting. After we got back to camp muir we loaded up are sleeping bags and gear in our bags, took off our crampons and switched to our trekking poles for the final three hour hike back down to civilization. There was a lot of sledding and stand up skiing down for the last stretch until we got back to the dirt trailed. We were dirty, smelly and sunburned and as we got down to the main trail we eventually started passing little kids and elderly folks out for a short day hike. "Did you guys make it all the way the top?" A kid in hawaiian shorts asked us. "All the way to the tippy-top," we responded proudly. With over 150 summits of Rainier and 3 of Mt. Everest, I'm sure Casey was just shaking his head. We may not be professional mountain climbers, but we sure felt like it today.
|These shots were snapped in our last mile as we reached the end of our journey.
A cooler full of lemonade welcomed us to the trail head where the RMI shuttle was waiting to drive us home. I had three glasses. Char' was waiting for us back at the RMI offices, and as we loaded into the van she was nice enough to pretend we didn't stink.
We took one final shot of Rainier as Charlotte drove us back to our hotel in Seattle. It was a great adventure, but I'm glad to finally have it my rearview mirror.]]>
"Sales" is a dirty word at some law firms one that brings to mind "Glengarry Glenn Ross" or a fast-talking used car dealer. But in an increasingly competitive marketplace, where firms fight one another to land work, business development is necessary to survival. How can lawyers sell online and offline without losing their dignity? Here are five simple techniques:
Skip the small talk. It's fine to be friendly, but buyers are busy and will choose you only if they are confident you can solve their problem. Whether in person or on Twitter, nobody wants to talk about the weather.
Stop talking about yourself. Nobody cares where you went to law school, how many lawyers are in your firm or if you made Chambers this year. The best salesmen ask great questions to learn to understand the problems confronting the potential client. A few months ago a law firm marketing department responding to a request for proposals asked the lawyers to pose a few questions to help match the client's needs. The lawyers refused they preferred to assume they already knew what the customer needed than stoop to asking questions.
Be a consultant. I've heard many lawyers claim that they stand out because they understand the client's business and not just the law. How do they prove that to the client? Remember the old adage: Don't tell me, show me, by the quality of the questions you ask. A while back, I spoke to a few lawyers about a small legal problem at my software company. Each offered expensive legal solutions but none asked me any questions involving the business consequences of my decisions. (I didn't hire any of them.) Good consultants ask great questions. Preparing a list of essential questions is a great way to prepare for any interaction with a potential client.
Stop trying to close the deal. "Always be closing," Alec Baldwin's character says in "Glengarry." That might work for someone selling shoes or a necktie, but won't when the purchasing decision is very large. In "Spin Selling," Neil Rackham examines research on thousands of sales presentations and concludes that overly aggressive salespeople were better at irritating potential customers than selling.
Always be setting appointments. That doesn't mean another sales call; it means to keep working on better understanding the needs of the potential client. Some sales take months and others take years, so every appointment that ends in another appointment is a small victory. The lawyers most effective at using LinkedIn and Twitter aren't incredibly tech savvy they just use these tools to help set up more appointments.
It's time for lawyers to embrace their responsibility to cultivate potential clients while leaving the tired sales tactics behind. Stop "selling" and bring in the business.]]>


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Information Session at Stonecrest Library | Make a Difference Overseas
Stonecrest Public Library
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
3123 Klondike Road
Lithonia, GA 30038
Make a difference in the lives of others and your own. Help a community in need and become a global citizen with Peace Corps service. Attend an Application Workshop and receive insider tips on how to complete an application and get suggestions on writing a competitive resume for Peace Corps assignments. This will also be an opportunity to learn about Volunteer experiences and have your questions answered. Please pre-register for this event by clicking the below "Register Now" button at the bottom of this page. The event is free and open to public.
The best way to know if you qualify for Peace Corps service is to apply. Submit an online application NOW to be considered for programs departing in 2015!
About the Peace Corps: Read more or watch a video about what it's like to be a Volunteer including what Volunteers do, where they go, and the many benefits of Peace Corps service.
Stay Connected: Sign Up for E-Updates || Facebook || Twitter || YouTube || Flickr || Tumblr || LinkedIn || Southeast Volunteer Blog
For questions about this event contact Leslie Jean-Pierre
If you require a reasonable accommodation when attending a Peace Corps event, please contact the recruiter identified in the "for questions about this event" section of the event listing. Please provide the details of the reasonable accommodation you are requesting.
Last updated Aug 26 2014
Reference #18927

subset: commoncrawl


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Admission: $15 per paddler, $10 per child riding with an adult
Meeting Place: Marina
One of the best ways to enjoy the lake at sunset is to paddle a kayak along the shoreline, exploring quiet coves. Sign up early for this guided kayak tour. Flatwater kayaks, paddles, and lifejackets are provided, and no previous paddling experience is necessary. Be prepared to paddle approximately 2 miles (1 ½ hours). Your guide demonstrates the basics of kayaking and answers your nature questions along the way. Participants must be 10 years old to paddle a boat solo. There is limited space available for children age 9 and under to ride with an adult. Reservations are required and are taken at the marina, (501) 865-5840. Stop by the marina to pay, then meet the park interpreter with your receipt. Wear clothes and shoes that can get wet!
Explore DeGray Lake Resort State Park with our helpful maps and brochures! Just click on an icon to view, or right-click on your mouse to save a
copy to your computer.


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Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs
August 22, 2013
Topic: Food and Beverage Franchising in Sri Lanka
Host: Ambassador Michele J. Sison
Date, time, time zone for call: Thursday, August 22, 2013; 7:30 a.m. EDT (5:00 p.m. local time)
Deadline for RSVPs: Friday, August 16, 2013
Brief description of call: Direct Line will connect Ambassador Sison with U.S. companies – either in the U.S., in the region, or in-country, which are interested in exploring new export and investment opportunities or developing existing opportunities in Sri Lanka. Food and beverage are key areas in franchising that will be the focus for this call.
For more information, click here.
[This is a mobile copy of Food and Beverage Franchising in Sri Lanka]
Short URL: http://m.state.gov/md212281.htm
Short URL: http://m.state.gov/md212281.htm


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You'd think that Where the Wild Things Are was Sendak's greatest work. Maybe it is, I don't know…and I don't care.
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text: Nothing can be more stressful than a job interview. My interview spells will surround you with confidence, calming and clarity, to interview well, and get the job. You will have the right answers, and stand out above the rest. A positive aura will surround you, during the interview. The calming effect will be felt by all those in the room. You will be remembered. And an added "dash" of good luck never hurts either. My powerful interview spells will bring all this to you. And give you that extra edge to interview well, and get the job.


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Mamacita says: Every year around this time, I like to re-run this little piece about choosing a gift for your children's teachers. We really do appreciate anything and everything we receive from our kids and their families, but some things … Continue reading
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Latest Headlines
SharePoint 2013 represents a dramatic shift in Microsoft's SharePoint strategy. An industry expert gives 10 predictions about how it could change the way you use it.
When Microsoft proposed having a hybrid solution of Yammer in the cloud and SharePoint on-premises, it probably didn't think through the complications that could result from such a solution.
Microsoft's going full on to the cloud, but are its customers ready to go with it?
Microsoft has introduced new eDiscovery tools in SharePoint 2013 they claim is a magnitude better in terms of ease of use, but it's not without limitations.
I thought about skipping this year's SharePoint conference, but given what's at stake as it transitions to a cloud-mobile strategy, I didn't want to miss it.
Axceler updates its product line for SharePoint 2013.
When Microsoft purchased Yammer in June, it put its SharePoint social partners in a precarious position, but its up to the partners to figure out what to do next.
Microsoft released SharePoint 2013 last week and it promises to be more social, thanks to the recent Yammer purchase, and more cloud focused.
Press Releases
- CartoDB Acquires Nutiteq to Bring Location Intelligence to Mobile Devices
- MobileIron Wins Jury Verdict in Clean Sweep
- IBM Delivers Engineering Software for 'Internet of Things'
- AT&T, NYU Announce Winners Of $100,000 Connect Ability Tech Challenge To Improve The Lives Of People Living With Disabilities
- Amgen Announces Webcast of 2015 Second Quarter Financial Results
- More Press Releases
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text: My pc runs on windows Vista 64-bit and i am using Asus nVidia GeForce EN7600 GS Silent with DVI and VGA connections with nVidia (Vista 64-bit) 163.75 drivers. I have two 12.1" LCD 1280x800 native resolution but clone is not able to use different resolutions in Dualview. I wanted to know if there is any setting in nVidia Control Panel for setting up clone with different resolutions? Help regrading this will be highly appreciated.


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We asked readers where to go in the Northwest for the best fish 'n' chips: • The best fish 'n' chips by far is at Spud Fish &...
We asked readers where to go in the Northwest for the best fish 'n' chips:
• "The best fish 'n' chips by far is at Spud Fish & Chips (2666 Alki Ave S.W., Seattle). I've been eating their fish 'n' chips since they opened decades ago. The batter is crispy and the fish tender and moist. In addition, they have the best French fries in the area. They cut the potatoes fresh and the French fries are hot and 'mealy,' like a good French fry should be."
— John Reeves, Seattle
• "My vote for best fish 'n' chips would be Chinooks At Salmon Bay (1900 W. Nickerson St., Seattle). Every Monday night they serve it 'all you can eat' style. The tempura batter is crispy but light and not too greasy. Keep it coming!"
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— Dan Fernandez, Seattle
• "The best fish 'n' chips outside of England? Right here in downtown Burien at Mick Kelly's Irish Pub (435 S.W. 152nd St., Burien). Not only the fish 'n' chips, but everything on the menu is great." — Val Stuart, SeaTac
• "The Totem House Seafood & Chowder (3058 N.W. 54th St., Seattle) across the street from the Ballard Locks, is my favorite place for fish 'n' chips. Although not as good as when the original owner was around, it still is No. 2 with me. Ordering to go and enjoying them while sitting on the grassy knoll at the locks, watching the fat cats maneuver their yachts between fresh and saltwater, is my idea of an enjoyable sunny day in Seattle." — David Stetler, Bothell
• "The best fish 'n' chips are at San Juan Lanes Stork's Restaurant (2821 Commercial Ave., Anacortes), inside the local bowling alley. They do an incredible coating on generous chunks of fish. We often stop by on our way home from the San Juan Islands ferry, when we're thinking about seafood, anyhow!" — Twyla Hoskins, Seattle
• "Nisqually Bar & Grill (10323 Martin Way E., Olympia) has true cod fillets and fries. They also bring out a sauce tray, including vinegar. Best cod in the state." — Thomas Tracewell, Tacoma
• "Our favorite fish 'n' chips is Lowell's Restaurant (1519 Pike Place, Seattle) in the Pike Place Market. Order the hand-breaded Alaskan cod and go to the third floor and watch the waterfront from above … it's a circus of eating, chaos and history all in one place! — Jon and Pauline Michelsohn, Gig Harbor
• "The absolute best fish 'n' chips in Washington has to be at the Tides Tavern (2925 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor). A perfectly battered piece of cod and awesome tartar sauce. The views are nice, too." — Matt Kennedy, Gig Harbor
• "Deluxe Bar & Grill (625 Broadway E., Seattle) has the best fish 'n' chips. The fish is sweet, not fishy; batter doesn't overwhelm the fish. Fries are good and just enough of them." — Teresa Williams, Seattle
• "The Lockspot Cafe (3005 N.W. 54th St., Seattle) has authentic British-style fish 'n' chips. Simply the best in town." — Eric Arellano, Ballard
• "By far, the very best fish 'n' chips I've ever had are at the La Conner Tavern (702 S. First St., La Conner). Only available on Fridays (Saturday if supply lasts) they are made with only fresh halibut. They have a light, delicate coating and are not overcooked, as most fish 'n' chips are." — Chris Swanson, Bellevue


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The War Within
Long before there was a modern state of Israel, activists working toward its creation were divided between those most concerned with founding a state for the Jewish people and... Read More
Long before there was a modern state of Israel, activists working toward its creation were divided between those most concerned with founding a state for the Jewish people and... Read More
Immigration is a hot-button political topic for many Americans. What most people forget is that the heated debate over immigration is almost as old as the United States itself.... Read More
In Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO's War on Libya and Africa, Maximilian Forte dissects the purposes, justifications, myths, and consequences of NATO's military intervention... Read More
Robin Hood's concept of taking from the rich to give to the poor sounds good—unless you happen to be rich. Frank Merlo's The Robin Hood Lies asks, "What happens when... Read More
After the 2012 US election, Al Cardenas, the head of the American Conservative Union, was quoted as saying, "Our party needs a lot of work to do if we expect to be competitive... Read More
A bleak postrecession landscape has diverted attention from the possibilities inherent in progressivism. Not merely a simplistic manifesto but a clarion call for democratic... Read More
Author Jane M. Hogg writes with a straightforward and precise style perfect for nonfiction. Beware the Mandarins goes beyond the standard memoir, detailing a period of... Read More
The United States Supreme Court's October 2012 term opened with a flutter. Media buzzed about how the high court might rule on two divisive race-related issues: the Voting... Read More
In modern American electoral politics, "message" has become a convenient shorthand term for both the narrative a politician tries to convey and the verbal and body language... Read More
From the early days of the Obama administration, Republicans in the Senate have used the filibuster to an unprecedented degree. They deployed the obstructionist tactic not only... Read More
"If a New World Order is to be successful, the goal will have to be good wages, benefits, and working conditions for all people, regardless of where they live." So states... Read More
According to a research study released in 2010 by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press 81 percent of Americans believe that elected officials are more personally... Read More


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Must Watch
Marcel's Quantum Kitchen
- Summary
- Reviews / Ratings
- Photos
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Marcel Vigneron ("Top Chef") is starting a fabulously fancy catering company, one where he's going to be forced to put his molecular gastronomy cooking skills to the test. Every week this series will feature Marcel working for some demanding new client and being forced to pull off ridiculously cool new dishes. It's not that we won't think he'll succeed, it's much more about not only watching the weekly struggle, but the end result of that struggle as well. Forget 3D, if only we had Smell-o-vision this show would really be complete.
Mar 31, 2016
Mar 29, 2016
Aug 21, 2012
Aug 20, 2012
More Details
Official Website
TV Network - Syfy
TV Network - Syfy
- Starring - Marcel Vigneron


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MMORPG.com StarQuest Online expert Allen Richardson writes this look at the Ticonderoga Class Heavy Cruiser in the space-based MMO.
Following the victory of the United Systems Alliance in the war against the Klinshaya Empire in 2184 S.T.Y. , the newly formed Alliance Starfleet felt the need to both modernize and enlarge the fleet. Learning numerous lessons from Terra's aging Icarus class battlecruisers before, during and after the war, a new starship design was envisioned incorporating the newest technologies of the Alliance worlds, a design as powerful as any in known space. The keel of the first of this class of starship was laid down in Mars Orbit in June of 2187, and would be christened U.A.S. Ticonderoga in honor of the starship that turned the tide of battle during the Klinshaya attack on Terra in 2180. Currently U.A.S. Ticonderoga serves a dual role as a fleet training vessel and is attached to the Sol System defense fleet.
Read about the Ticonderoga Class Heavy Cruiser
Jon Wood
Managing Editor
Thats one ugly, ugly ship!!
Alliance ships are built for brawn. Its their style.
The Ryl' Atti or Tikopaki ships are muchhhh better looking.
Originally posted by LoboMau
Thats one ugly, ugly ship!!
Not... not as ugly as.. euh ... You!


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Delegates chose Frank Teunissen as the GOP candidate for Jeffco commissioner in the District 2 race at the at the Jefferson County Republican assembly on Saturday.
And Jeffco Commissioner Libby Szabo accepted the nomination as the District 1 Republican candidate.
If elected, Teunissen said he would serve as "a new conservative commissioner."
Jeffco Democrats saw some unusual action at their March 19 county assembly when the names of five county residents were put forward to run for the county commission seat in District 1 against incumbent Republican Libby Szabo.
About 25 people attended a community meeting hosted by the Evergreen Park and Recreation District at the picnic pavilion in Marshdale Park March 10 to discuss replacing the park's 20-year-old playground equipment.
The rec district has a total of $285,000 to invest in the renovation, including a $95,000 grant from Jeffco Open Space and $185,000 in park-district funds approved in the 2016 budget.
The results of a computer survey have been tallied, and the name of the new garden near Wilmot Elementary School will be Buffalo Park Community Garden.
"Buffalo Park" received 63 percent of the votes. The other choices in descending order of preference were Wilmot Community Garden, Evergreen Community Garden at Wilmot Elementary, Common Grounds Garden, Legacy Natural Garden and Park, and Hatch Heritage Park and Garden.
The Alderfer barn is apparently sturdy enough and could be used for a variety of things, according to an engineering study commissioned by the Evergreen Park and Recreation District last year.
Located at the entrance to Alderfer/Three Sisters Open Space Park, the barn was built in the 1970s with volunteer labor and, along with the ranch house and trails, is owned by Jefferson County Open Space. The park district has leased and maintained the structure for the last 25 years.
The board of directors of the Evergreen Metropolitan District voted March 16 to award a contract for dredging Evergreen Lake to ESCO Construction of Evergreen.
The project is expected to take four months, with a possible start date in May, depending on how long it takes to set up the equipment.
Cutbacks could be in store for Evergreen's Call-n-Ride service, commonly known as the "little green bus," if ridership doesn't increase.
Funded by taxpayers in the Regional Transportation District, Call-n-Ride is an affordable form of public transportation that operates somewhat like a taxi service. Customers call drivers directly for pick-up and delivery within a prescribed area around Evergreen from El Rancho to Kittredge.
Two Evergreen natives and longtime friends will perform Friday at the Little Bear in a five-piece band that covers the music of The Who.
Pete Ward, founder of The Substitutes, and David Floyd met in Evergreen in 1974, when they were neighbors and rode the bus together to Bergen Elementary. From good times spent summer camping to winter sledding, music was always a part of their friendship.
This week's home delivery of the Courier has been delayed due to Wednesday's snowstorm. No estimate for a delivery time is currently available.
The 11th annual Mountain Area Home and Garden Show kicks off at the end of next month, bringing together as many as 110 providers and good and services with thousands of attendees.
Copyright © 2016
Canyon Courier is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Evergreen, Colo, and the surrounding area.


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New Homes for Sale in Round Rock, TX
Complete with a private lake, Paloma Lake is your oasis from the hectic pace of life. Just minutes from Austin, this master planned community will complement your lifestyle, whether you're a family, empty nester or somewhere in between. Learn More
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What's New
- New Amenity Center and Trails - Now Open!
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- New Highland Homes, M/I Homes and Wilshire Homes' Models - Now Open
- Wes Peoples Homes - Now Open!


text: IELTS Test Preparation Seminars Phone number: 215.895.6138 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Test Center #US 112 Drexel University offers a series of IELTS Test Preparation Seminars. These seminars are dedicated to understanding, reviewing and practicing all four components of the IELTS exam: Listening, Speaking, Writing (Academic and General), and Reading (Academic and General). The seminar classes are taught in the evening and are three hours each, for a total of nine hours per session. Candidates may attend one, two, or all three seminar meetings. The APRIL, MAY and JUNE 2016 seminars are taught in the ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTER (Building 48), ROOM 011 on the campus of DREXEL UNIVERSITY. PLACE: English Language Center (Building #48), 229 N. 33rd Street, Room 011 CAMPUS MAP: http://drexel.edu/about/directions/university-city-map/ TIME: THURSDAY, 5-8pm Seminar Topic APRIL 2016 Thursday 5-8pm MAY 2016 Thursday 5-8pm JUNE 2016 Thursday 5-8pm IELTS overview and test taking strategies; Speaking and Listening April 14 May 12 June 9 Writing April 21 May 19 June 16 Reading April 28 May 26 June 23 FEES Seminar/Materials Price One Seminar $75 Two Seminars $150 Take all three $205 (save $20) Required textbook $35 How to register Follow the online doodle link to register. Type your NAME and E-MAIL ADDRESS in the left field. Indicate the session(s) you wish to attend. Submit your registration by clicking "SAVE." You must register and pay at least ONE DAY before the class date. We do NOT accept seminar registration by e-mail, fax or phone. How to pay Only online credit/debit card payment is accepted at: online payment. We do NOT accept seminar payment by e-mail, fax or phone. You will receive your IELTS seminar textbook ($35.00) at your first seminar. Please bring your paid receipt(s) to all seminar classes. Drexel English Language Center reserves the right to cancel seminars up to 3 working days prior to the scheduled date. You will be notified by e-mail. The session will be rescheduled or your payment will be refunded.