Author: Kirsty France

When I was a solicitor, I’d often be called upon to speak before a judge. Sometimes it would be a pleasant chat where everything was agreed. It could also be a battle of wills where I’d try to persuade them to give me what I wanted whilst remaining civil to my opponent. That could be a challenge if my opponent was being an obnoxious swine.

Sometimes you knew what to expect. We used to have a list of other solicitors who made a habit of being unnecessarily difficult pinned up in the office. Occasionally both sides would be in complete agreement and we’d be derailed by an irate judge demanding to know why we’d come up with something so stupid.

Dealing with customer complaints can be similarly challenging.

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Which do you think is more important, time management or routine? Perhaps you think they’re the same thing. After all, having a consistent schedule probably means you’re managing your time well and you’ve developed some routines which are working effectively.

I’d say routine is more about the small things that make each day work (or not). I’ve got tons of little habits that I barely notice any more yet I feel out of sorts if they’re disrupted.

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Everyone hates meetings, right? You either have to sit in a stuffy room listening to information that has little or no relevance to your work, or you’re stuck in the car or on a train heading to see a client who won’t speak to you over the phone. You’ve got too much else to do and it’s all a massive waste of time.

Well, maybe not. Whilst meetings can be counterproductive if they lack focus there are times when face to face communication can be hugely beneficial. Since the financial crisis the idea of eliminating meetings altogether has become much more popular; phone calls and emails are considerably cheaper, after all. However, this underestimates the role that meeting in person can play in building trust and allowing emotional intelligence to play a part in client relationships and your dealings with colleagues.

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Let’s face it, we’re all busy most of the time.  If you’re anything like me there are a thousand and one things to be achieved in the course of a single day and never enough hours to get it all done.  I find myself going into headless chicken mode, dotting between one task and the next and never feeling as if anything’s been done properly.

You can stop

If this is you, just stop.  Right now.  It’s OK, as long as your children aren’t crying in their classroom because you’re not there to pick them up.  Take a deep breath, close your eyes if you won’t get funny looks from the boss (or even if you will).  Better?  OK, take another deep breath and read on.

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Why does your business need to blog? Blogging is one of my primary marketing tools. It’s cheap, effective and shares your expertise with your customers without beating them over the head. More importantly, it shows that there is a person behind the branding.

As my regular readers hopefully already know, people ultimately buy from people. The term ‘faceless corporation’ isn’t usually applied by anyone who has had a good customer service experience. Simply put, sharing content which shows the human face of your business increases engagement and the likelihood of a continuing relationship.

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Are you a person or a brand? Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting that you’re having some kind of identity crisis. It’s just that when you’re either a sole trader or the figurehead for a small business, it can be hard to think of yourself in terms of a brand identity when the qualities that you bring to the role are personal ones. It’s certainly been a tricky one for me to navigate since I stopped being a representative of a national law firm and started advertising writing services on my own behalf.

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My decision to stop being a solicitor and become a writer was met with several different reactions.  To my great relief, my most closest friends cheered and confessed that they had always thought I was too nice to be a lawyer*.  Others responded in a more muted way, wishing me luck with a raised eyebrow.  One or two asked whether I had a back-up plan; I’ll get back to you on that.

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