Want To Know How To Increase Billable Hours?

Has your firm set your billable hour goals for 2009? Are you wondering how you're going to reach those goals? Are you thinking it's impossible?

You need to know my seven secrets!

Seven Secrets That Will Increase Your Billable Hours launches on Thursday, December 11th at 4:00 p.m. ET (3 pm CT/2 pm MT/1pm PT).

Does quitting time come and you have no idea what you did all day? Do you scramble at the end of the month to get your time entered so bills can go out? Do you reach the end of the year and find you've fallen short of your annual billable hour goals? STOP! Stop the madness and stop the overwhelm!

Regardless of your experience or expertise, recording time and reaching billable hour goals is perhaps the most important thing you do. How do you reach those goals?

Do you have to work harder? NO!

Do you have to work longer hours? NO!

Do you have to sacrifice your quality of life? NO!

The seven secrets I will reveal are tried and true. All you have to do is take seven simple steps...form seven simple habits...and you'll be optimizing your day...you'll be working smarter...the result will be an increase in total hours recorded and billed.

Join me Thursday, December 11, 2008. For more information and to register, follow this link.

Dedicated to your Success!

Vicki

Who's Doing the Filing?

There is a saying that goes like this: If you want to know if the person you are hiring is truthful, ask if they like to file. If the answer is ‘Yes!’ do not hire them because they are not truthful. NO ONE likes to file! Unfortunately, like it or not, filing accurately and regularly is crucial in our business.

A filing system is really a finding system. This is your method for storing information today and finding it quickly and easily tomorrow.

Searching for a misplaced document or file is not only a waste of time and energy, it is also a waste of money. Assuming you work 48 weeks in a year and spend just five minutes of each hour of an eight-hour workday looking for lost documents or files, you will waste 160 hours per year. Using a billing rate of $95 per hour (insert yours here), the annual loss is $15,200. Usually this search involves several people and it delays getting your work done, so the cost increases proportionately. You also lose credibility and appear unprepared when you do not have information at your fingertips.

A good filing system can remedy all of this. Here are some tips to help you create a system that will minimize the time you spend (waste) looking for lost files and documents.

Begin by making some decisions. First decide who is responsible for the filing. This may be delegated to one or more employees or it may be that the person doing the work on the file is responsible for putting their work away and cleaning up any loose ends. Unless this is clear, papers will be thrown haphazardly into the file, if they make it there at all, creating a continuing nightmare. Second, decide when the filing will be done. Again, doing this as you do your work is really the most efficient. If that cannot happen, establish a policy that filing is to be done by the end of every day or at the beginning of the next. Do not allow papers to disappear into a filing tray, never to surface again.

Establish a filing system that is easy and flexible. Your mantra should be 'store it where you can retrieve it...file it where you can easily access it.' Visualize how you use files and set up a system that is both flexible and matches your situation. This system should include a policy on where the files will be stored (a central area or in the office of the person working on the file?) with an explicit rule that the floor is not a filing cabinet. Also, how do you want the files set up in the first place? How will the documents be put in the file? What kind of file folder will be used? How do you want them labeled? Even if all the filing is done perfectly, if the label is not visible, you will not be able to find the file.

Remember that bloated files are a waste of money and space. Statistics reflect that you will only refer to about 20% of what you file. The remaining 80% just takes up space. Generally waaaaaay too much paper is being filed in the first place. Aim to keep your files lean and mean. Do not save anything you will not need. Condense and purge whatever you can before filing. You do not need five copies of the same document. Before you put papers away, ask these questions:

• Is this relevant?
• Will I need this again?
• Can I get this again if I need it?
• What are the consequences of getting rid of this
• What is the worst case scenario if I don't have this?

Depending on the answers to your questions, you may be able to get rid of the paper altogether.

Are you done? Move it out! Do the math: if you keep adding files to the filing cabinet and never move any out, the cabinet will soon be overflowing. When you are done with a matter, move the file to closed storage immediately. This is the only way to make room for new files. If more comes in than goes out, you have a problem. Your file drawers should have a minimum of two inches of free space or it will be too difficult to put anything away. Where will the files go? on your desk, on the floor...and the piles mount.

What about those files on your desk? A vertical step file organizer is your solution to the piles of files on the corner of your desk (or on the floor!) that become part of the landscape and soon forgotten. When the files are upright, they are easier to see and easier to locate.

Your challenge: Visualize your office: consider the flow of work and the best location for your files. Then design a policy for setting up the files, doing the actual filing, and moving the closed files to storage. This policy will include who will actually do the work, when they will do it, and how it will be done. Be very clear and concise. Remember that this is a lot like home: if everyone understands their responsibilities, does their fair share and picks up after themselves, the problem will be solved.

© 2008 Vicki Voisin, Inc.

Do you want to use this article in your newsletter, e-zine or website? You can, so long as you include this entire blurb with it: Vicki Voisin, also known as The Paralegal Mentor, publishes the bi-weekly ezine ‘Strategies for Paralegals Seeking Excellence’ where she offers tips for paralegals and others who want to create lasting success in their personal and professional lives. Get tips and information at no cost at www.paralegalmentor.com.

How to Use Voice Mail to Organize Your Time

The key to getting more done in your day is to minimize interruptions. If you answer your telephone every time it rings, you'll have no block of time to complete your work. Controlling your phone time allows you to maximize your day and get more work done in less time.

The answer? Use voice mail to avoid disruptions. When you have a deadline to meet or need some uninterrupted time to think and work, let your calls go to voice mail and deal with them later. This will avoid calls from those people who need 'just a minute' of your time and end up talking for fifteen minutes. Your telephone will become one of your favorite time organization tools.

Your outgoing message should give your callers lots of information. Plan this carefully so you will know exactly what the caller wants when you retrieve their message. In fact, you may not have to return the call if you manage to get enough information from your caller. If you just say, "Hi! This is Vicki. Leave your number and I'll call you back." you've not helped yourself at all. Be clear and concise and give your callers as many details as possible. Let them know when they can expect to hear from you, how to bypass your message or speak with someone else, and let them know if there are alternative ways to reach you. Then ask them for a detailed message.

Voice mail is a two-way street so the message you leave must also be effective. Plan your return call and be concise. No one wants to listen to a message that rambles on and on. If you have to, make notes so there's no stammering, no lost train of thought, and no forgetting an important detail. Let them know the best time to reach you and then tell them precisely what you need. If you do a good enough job, you may even avoid exchanging phone calls. For instance, "This is Vicki calling. Please fax a copy of Dr. Smith's IME report for John Jones to me at 231-555-5555." should get the results you want without spending any more time on the phone. Remember, too, that you're not in a race to talk as fast as you can. Say your name and telephone number slowly...and then repeat both before you end the call.

Try to return calls all at once. In other words, do this in one chunk of time; don't drag the calls out all day long. Experts will tell you that the best times to return calls are first thing in the morning or immediately after the lunch hour. The last two hours of the day are also good. These are the times when most people are in their offices and you'll have a better chance of avoiding the dreaded game of phone tag.

One last thing: Your voice mail message reflects your image. Whether it's the message your callers hear or the message you leave for someone else, this is your opportunity to project a professional image. These messages may be for people you'll never meet face-to-face. Act accordingly.

Your challenge: Take control of your voice mail. Carefully consider the message your callers currently hear. Does it include enough information so that your expectations are clear? Prepare scripts for different situations (you're at a meeting or a seminar or on vacation, etc) and update your voice mail as needed. Then move on to the message you leave when you get someone else's voice mail. Be sure you are, again, including enough information so that they know why you're calling, when they can reach you and what information you want when they call back. If you take these steps, you'll be on your way to making the best use of every minute of your day.

Always remember that I remain...

Dedicated to your success!

Vicki

Vicki Voisin shows paralegals and other professionals how to create lasting success by making small changes that will lead to big improvements in their personal and professional lives. Visit Vicki at http://www.paralegalmentor.com/ for details, and her free special report "Is Your Computer Talking Behind Your Back?"