My wife and I relocated to Minnesota in 1995 with our two children, I became a member in a downtown firm for one year.
We broke off and joined the Academy in 1996, one of the best things about the Academy that I have seen is the introduction of financial services to our firm. We were able to put both our kids, through Southern Cal and our son through University of Pennsylvania solely based on revenue from the financial services, which is a part of the firm but it’s an add-on with very little intensive work by us in the law firm.
In addition, I wouldn’t practice any other way than being with the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. It’s a wonderful way to have a small practice yet be part of a large national organization, so I would encourage anybody to look into this organization and again, I’ve been a member since 1996 and it’s been like a home away from home for my wife and I.
Jeff Molever, MN Member Since 1996
“I had been practicing law about 20 years when I joined the American Academy. In my first three years with the American Academy my gross income increased an average of 33% each year over the prior year. After the first year—really a partial year—my gross had increased 49% over my prior Non-Academy year. By the end of my third year with the Academy, my gross was 2.34 times greater than when I started.”
Deborah Sexton,
AR Member Since 2003
“I now make more in a month [with AAEPA] than I used to make in a year in my general legal practice.”
Dave Purcell,
MO Member Since 1995
“I joined the Academy eight years ago. I don’t think that I would still be an attorney if I hadn’t had this opportunity open up to me.
I sat at that first boot camp that I went to in La Jolla, and after the three or four day boot camp, they passed the microphone
around at the end and asked people to comment on what had been the biggest benefit of that boot camp. I can remember when they handed the microphone to me, I said something to the effect of, ‘Robert and Sandy and everybody in the Academy have done everything that they said they would do.’
That was a big leap of faith for me to plunk down that much money and make a big commitment. I wasn’t used to dealing with people who actually do what they say they’ll do. That was an emotional moment for me as I sat there and after being acquainted with them for a couple
of months, they had done everything that they said they would do.
Little did I know, little did I realize that eight years later, I would still be here and be able to say, ‘They have done everything
that they said they would do.’ In today’s world, that’s just unbelievable.
My membership in the Academy has helped me to continue to be an attorney, and I don’t know that they started this thing. They have changed my life and I appreciate it.”
Randy Holmgren,
UT Member Since 1995
“The Academy saved my professional
life. The relationships
have enriched my personal life.”
Jim Nash, IL Member Since 1995
“Without the advice and guidance of the AAEPA, my law practice would not be nearly as successful. The resources made available to members of the AAEPA are invaluable. The ability to draw on the personal and practical experience of estate planning
attorneys across the country coupled
with the knowledge and commitment of the education department has allowed me to better assist my clients and their needs. Furthermore, the organized and efficient marketing systems not only helped me to find prospective
clients; but also, helped me maintain client relationships. I owe much of the success of my law practice to the AAEPA.”
Mary Falk,
CA Member Since 1997
“The biggest benefit is just to get together with a bunch of people who know a hell of a lot more than me, and to talk to them, talk to them either during the event or at the cocktail party.”
Dean Hedeker,
IL Member
Since 1994
“The biggest
benefit of membership has been really teaching us all the systems and it’s just made a world of different in our practice.”
Paul Kraft,
IN Member
Since 1993
“Membership was quite a revelation to us. It enabled us to change our practice from something that had been rather broad and to get into the estate planning practice in the way that we wanted to. I’m very glad to be a member.”
Jim Thompson,
MT Member Since 1994
“I think one of the greatest benefits of the Academy is all of you. It’s great to have such great colleagues.”
Marv Frank,
IN Member
Since 1993
“I don’t think I can put this in words exactly, but from my point of view, the Academy is a piece of the puzzle for me. I think my life has changed dramatically since I’ve been in this. This is something that kind of put it together for me.”
Larry Howell,
GA Member Since 1996
“I particularly enjoy the collegial
exchange of ideas and everything that the education department does. Really appreciate their help.”
Steve Mendel,
TX Member Since 1997
“I’m Pam Potter from Ashland, Kentucky. I’ve been a Member Since 2005. I’m in solo practice and I could not do what I do if it weren’t for all of you. I really appreciate
the way the Academy keeps innovating
and helping us recreate our practice.”
Pam Potter,
KY Member Since 2005
“I’ve benefited
from the software and systems, but however, the biggest benefit I’ve gotten from the organization
is to take advantage of the collected wisdom of the members and also the staff of the Academy.”
Chester Przybylo,
IL Member Since 1993
“Membership in the Academy
has totally transformed my practice and my life. Formerly a general practitioner
for 22 years, I never knew what was going to come in the door next, nor whether I would have the resources to handle it. I now have a strategic plan such that I have been able to create a practice
that adds value in tangible ways to the lives of everyone it touches.”
Dave Purcell,
MO Member Since 1995
“I think I saw an advertisement
in Trust and Estate Magazine. I answered
the ad, and I came to realize maybe the Academy was possibly the solution to my problem.
I had pictured myself at the time as, there used to be a television commercial, I don’t think it’s on anymore, of the Maytag repair man. This guy is sitting by the phone waiting for the phone to ring. It never rang. I could see myself in that chair. I don’t play golf, so I couldn’t hang out at the country club, hoping I’d bump into somebody who might need an estate plan, so I figured I’ve got to be proactive.
I joined the Academy, and the Academy has exceeded my expectations
in every way. We are proactive now. We have a very nice client base, and I owe it all to them. Another one of my objectives back in 1995 when I joined was, now that I’m going to be proactive and create my population of clients,
I couldn’t keep track of them on yellow pads, so I had to learn something about database management.
The Academy has exceeded my expectations as well. Just to put the frosting
on the cake, I would say the seemingly intangible benefit,
but equally important to me is the camaraderie
among all of you. Last night we had dinner over at New York, New York. There were about ten of us sitting around the table. That’s every bit as much value to me as the formal agenda and everything else. All in all, the Academy has changed my life, and I’m very grateful.”
John Power,
NJ Member
Since 1995
“I enjoy practicing
law now.”
Dennis Duffy,
IA Member Since 1995
““Having the Academy’s Education Department
at my beck-and-call allows me to devote
more time to developing my practice and bringing in more business instead of constantly reading case law and journals. Even the best publications are a month to 6 weeks behind on the law by the time I get them. With the Academy, I get the new and relevant
case and tax law changes literally as they are happening! That feature alone is worth my membership
fee. And even my most complex questions
are usually answered within a few hours—my clients are always shocked at how fast I can resolve their issues.
Now that’s real customer service.”
Ronda Gabb,
LA Member Since 2002
“The education support is timely,
practical, and prompt! My Practice Building Consultant
really cares about my success and is always willing to help.”
Bob McCrary,
WY Member Since 1999
“The number one benefit to membership in the Academy is the completeness
of the support systems
in place: the education department, the practice consultant, the technical support,
and the marketing support
- it’s all in one place. The response time from Education is unbeatable, as is the completeness
of their knowledge and willingness to help. Marketing
materials—I have received such positive
feedback from the public and referral sources from the seminars, it makes my development very easy.”
Carolyn Thompson,
SD Member Since 2001
“Approaching the practice of law as a business and running the law firm as a business is one of the biggest membership benefits to our firm. Working on a marketing plan with our Practice Building Consultant
is a great tool and benefit. Getting another set of ears and eyes for the best strategy and hearing what others are doing successfully
around the country.”
Colleen Prosser,
MD Member Since 1995
“I like the concept
of Legacy Planning helping people with more than just the financial assets.”
Charles Pyke,
GA Member Since 1996
“I now have a partner and an associate. We are keeping 11 full-time and 2 part-time employees
busy and manage to bring in close to $2M in revenue each year.
I have used virtually every aspect of the Academy from education to what furniture to purchase. I found that with the basic practice building
systems I would do better to follow the Academy method almost to the letter. Whenever I have felt I had a better way, I almost always lost valuable time and revenue. We currently use the AAEPA software exclusively
for the living trust and related documents. We use the AAEPA documents for other trusts, as well, except for one or two of the more technical
trusts.
The marketing is ingenious. Stick with the call-to-action marketing at least until you are very well established in the community.
The documents are complete and without rival. The education
is superb as is the customer service, collegiality and professionalism.”
Brad Anderson, NV Member since 1996
We get so excited when we think about all of the entire process of going out into the community and bringing in qualified prospects in a predictable way. And then seeing those prospects come through this system, not only into the office, how the office is furnished, what everyone looks like, what’s on the tables in the reception room, how people answer the phone, to see how the client then moves through the system for initial consultations and having a system to handle those rather than just how you feel that day, kind of an unconscious system.
Then we see that once the client is retained, that there’s a complete system for handling the finances, a system for generating the documents, any kind of estate planning documents, however complex. How it gets finally signed, all of the interaction within the engagement with the client, all the way through to the end. And then a constant communication with those clients, long after the initial engagement is over. So that referrals come in from friends, from family and that there’s a real organic sort of enterprise going on here.
And it’s exciting when we get an opportunity to show what’s possible with an estate planning law practice, rather than the kind of prosaic steps that everyone is taking. They’re saying, “How can I get a better estate planning piece of software? How can I go and learn more estate planning strategies?” And not really understanding that they’re engaged in an enterprise and in something that’s far greater than any of those little technician tools.
And once attorneys grasp that idea that there is something available to them, that they can plug themselves into those dreams that started them off in the practice of law to begin with, now they have a track to run on.
Robert Armstrong
President and Co-Founder AAEPA |
|
“Before I came into the Academy
I described my practice as "representing unimportant people in unimportant
matters." I had a huge file of accounts receivable, and I was constantly calling people to pay me. Since I joined the Academy, things have completely turned around. With me, it was a wonderful success.”
Saul Kobrick,
NY Member Since 1996
“When I joined the Academy I had been practicing
twenty-two years or so, Michael Gerber talks about ‘doing it, doing it, and doing it.’ I think I had an inkling that this was something other than a profession, that it was a business
and could be done in that way. That’s the biggest thing I think I’ve learned from the Academy, to take it beyond ‘doing it, doing it, and doing
it,’ and the professional, and become an entrepreneur and expand on that.”
Larry Deason,
AZ Member Since 1994
“You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Because the Academy has already done all of it for you, every last piece, other than your dream, other than your vision,
other than your purpose and other than your mission. And the system you’ll find at the American Academy will, in fact, enable you to produce anything you can imagine you truly are called to do.”
Michael Gerber,
Best-Selling Author
“The greatest benefit of membership is really the collected wisdom of Robert and Sandy, the collected wisdom of all of the members, I learned real early in my life that it was a lot easier to go to my older brother and sister and ask them for the answer to something, rather than trying to figure it out myself.”
John Hall,
OH Member Since 1995
“The biggest benefit of being a member of the Academy, I see us as a national law firm, so I rely on a lot of members. This past year, I think I worked with at least six members
in different states for my clients
in Maryland that had issues in other states.”
Colleen Prosser,
MD Member Since 1995
“I made the transition into estate planning at that time. It simply would not have been possible without Robert and Sandy and all of the members.”
John Laughton,
CA Member Since 1999
“That’s the work that you’ve done [at the Academy] and I’ve got to say, guys, you are absolutely, clearly adding immense value to every single estate planning client that your estate planning attorneys actually
are capable of working with. Because you’ve eliminated
the chaos, eliminated the confusion and created the blessed result of everybody beginning to plan in an organized,
dedicated
and productive
way.”
Michael Gerber,
Best-Selling Author of the
“E-Myth”
“Joining the Academy, and being involved with it is really what’s made it possible for me to get into estate planning after doing some other kinds of practice for a long time.
Rick Schneider,
OR Member Since 1999
“The Academy
has really changed my life. I now work only half days, 8:00 to 8:00. I would echo what several of you have said. The education, the techniques, the marketing are all great, but the biggest benefit is the friends, and practically family that I’ve gotten out of this organization.
I appreciate the organization a lot.”
Wes Gersh,
KY Member
Since 1995
”I used to be just a grinder, a technician, and I think now I’ve become much more innovative. I think I can relate to people. I listen to people better. I think I do a better job for my clients.”
Bob Nash,
IL Member
Since 1995
“It’s hard to pick out the best thing about the Academy. I absolutely agree about the camaraderie,
but the other thing I think that’s really important to me is not only the marketing, but the shared marketing that goes on between the members.”
Phil Keenan,
CO Member
Since 2001
“I have always felt that Academy
membership
is my secret weapon for success in estate planning!
I would not want to attempt
to practice
in this field without being a member.”
Dennis Duffy,
IA Member Since 1995
“The database is the key to my practice. With a simple point and click, I can manage the marketing of my practice. I can also see instantaneously every time we have contacted a prospect or client and everything we’ve either done for them, or said to them or been told by them. I can’t imagine practicing without it.”
Geoff Garrett,
WA Member Since 2007
“It’s the people. It’s the systems.
It’s the software. It’s the seminars. I don’t think there’s just one thing that I can identify. It’s the whole package and we have everybody in this room available
to us. That is the biggest benefit to me.”
Charles Pyke,
GA Member Since 1996
“Being a member
of the Academy
is like being a member of a large law firm. When I have a question about any topic that I don’t know the answer to, I can always get the answer from the Academy. As a sole practitioner that is very important
to me.”
Stan Byrd,
WA Member Since 1994
“I’m from Worcester, Massachusetts. I joined the Academy in 2001 and my first seminar was on September
11. We had twenty-five people scheduled.
Twelve people showed up, six couples, all of them took trusts. I think I was on the phone with Susan Russel five times that day saying, ‘Should I cancel?
Should I cancel? Should I cancel?’
She kept saying, ‘No. Somebody’s going to show up. Don’t worry about it. Make your phone calls.’ The most important thing that I’ve gotten
out of this is the Practice
Building Consultants are wonderful, and the Education
Department
is above reproach. It’s very comforting
being able to pick up the phone and say, ‘I have a problem.’
It’s been a tremendous experience and I thank them all.”
Jim Miller,
MA Member Since 2001
As a new member
I can tell you that I have gotten
my money’s worth so far. I’ve directed questions
to education
and have gotten practical answers quickly. The tapes and other materials are outstanding. I think you are going to save me five years of mistakes. The idea of a PBC is a good one. Susan keeps me focused.”
Allan Senkow,
CA Member Since 2001
“Hi, I’m Carlos Di Ponio. I’ve been an attorney
at the firm for about three or four years now. I conduct seminars on the islands of Maui and also Honolulu.
The thing I like best about the Academy is the marketing
structure and the education
department.
Also, I would say, the overall success of the entire platform that they provide for estate planning attorneys that are here in the room with us together.”
Carlos Di Ponio,
HI Member
“[What I like best is the] New approach to planning is less about taxes and more about a holistic approach.”
Jim Miller,
MA Member Since 2001
“With the AAEPA Education
Department
to back me up, I can handle cases which I might not have current,
fresh information to handle, and not enough time to research by myself. More importantly, when I have a hunch that I need help, or guidance, I contact the Academy. It may only take a little nudge to get me on the right path, but then, I have a greater level of assurance I am on the right path. The AAEPA documents
truly are the result of the combined efforts of the Academy staff and its members
resulting in a quality product which I could have never on my own created.”
Roy Litherland,
CA Member Since 1998
“The Academy is the single most important professional
tool I have found in my sixteen years of practice. The AAEPA provides me with top-notch educational
training, turn-key business systems, marketing
expertise, financial acumen and colleagues, now friends, who readily share information and support without worrying about competition. While initially deciding to join was scary and expensive, the rewards have far exceeded my expectations.”
Cheryl David,
NC Member
Since 1997
We’ve been members of the Academy since 1994. I’d like to tell you why the Academy’s Education Department is so important to us. My partners and I are all CPAs and we all have advanced degrees in taxation, but the Academy people are just beyond belief.
Whenever we go to regular Bar Association meetings and they say, “Do your documents include this?” and “Do your documents include that?” we always say yes, because the Academy keeps us up-to-date with all the most current documents and knowledge about what’s going on in tax law. We’re truly state of the art.
I started with another member last year. I would say that his membership in the Academy (since 1994) and his introduction to the Academy was one of the reasons I bought his firm. I appreciate everything about it. In addition, there are some other things I’ve done. I’ve practiced law for about 28 years actively, and I’ve never been in an organization where the attorneys talk to each other as freely and openly as they do here. It astonished me when I saw it the first time, now I’ve just come to appreciate it.
Roger Levine, NJ Member
I’ve been a member for eleven years, and while there are a lot of great things that I like about the Academy, probably one of the best things is the Education Department. I think that attorneys that head up the Education Department are just incredibly smart, and the value that they provide my practice far exceeds the fee that I pay to be a member.
In addition to that, oftentimes I have found that the advice that the Education Department gives me is just incredibly helpful in retaining the client that has a unique fact pattern that you’re trying to solve in order to retain the client. So, if there is anything to consider, and there’s a lot to consider, I would recommend the Education Department.
Steve Mendel,
TX Member
Since 1997
We’re from Oklahoma City and Kansas City, and we also have an office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I want to speak as a wife of an American Academy member who’s worked in the practice over the years. I was a Doubting Tom like so many of the wives, and now I’m their greatest fan.
I can’t say enough about the friendships, the relationships, the networking, the education, the marketing tools, the support in every area that you need. If you have a question or a problem, there is always someone there that will help you, and help you get it answered. I recommend the Academy to anyone that’s thinking about it, and I certainly would say to any wives that would like to visit, I’d be happy to tell them about my experience.
Darlene Parman, OK Member Since 1993
I’ve been a member since 2001. The thought that comes to mind most frequently when I think of the Academy is the entrepreneurial spirit that runs from top to bottom for the entire organization. Whether you use all of the tools in the toolbox or some of them, it’s a wonderful toolbox to draw from. We’re very proud to be members.
Michael O’Brien, OH Member Since 2001
The benefits to me since I joined the Academy could not possibly have been anticipated by me. First, my documents are probably the best in the area, as I am repeatedly told by those who see them and deal with them. Second, I have been able to streamline my operation and make it more efficient. Third, I have increased my income substantially. Fourth, and perhaps the most important, I have done all of this and been able to cut back to working three days a week and taking only three appointments a day for at least the past 10 years. I wish the Academy had come along when I was 40 years old.
Jack O’Drobinak,
IN Member
Since 1993 |
Announcing an Extremely Limited Opportunity
For Just One Lawyer in Your Area
The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys will “hand over” these
time proven Systems to just one lawyer in your local area and then work with
him or her each month to help generate increased revenues and work less.
Dear Fellow Lawyer,
You may have heard of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. They’re the ones recommended by Money Magazine for Estate Planning. They show lawyers across the country how to generate revenues exceeding a million dollars annually using their  proven techniques.
The Academy is the brainchild of two attorneys, Robert Armstrong and Sanford Fisch who co-founded it in 1993. Since that time, the Academy has been recognized by Money Magazine, The John Tesh Radio Show and Suze Orman in her book, 9 Steps to Financial Freedom.
Business growth expert Michael Gerber, author of best- selling book The E-Myth, recommends the Academy as an organization saying: “The Academy is so absolutely capable of producing results unlike any individual estate planning attorney has been able to produce for himself or herself.”
Over 25 years ago, when their effective marketing programs began generating more clients than they could handle, they saw the need to systemize their law practice, streamline production methods and utilize state-of-the-art law practice management techniques.
Subsequently, they recognized a similar need among attorneys nationwide and founded the Academy to meet that need.
They have specialized in showing lawyers how using their practice building formulas, strategies, and techniques, can help develop the kind of legal business most other lawyers can only dream about.
Once lawyers are admitted to the Academy, they become part of an “inner-circle” and are literally given the keys to the kingdom. Once exposed to the success strategies employed by the Academy, they become its strongest advocates (knowing that due to the Academy’s strict “territorial exclusivity” rules, their domination of their area is secure.)
Tom Edwards, an estate planning attorney in Saint Augustine, Florida, knew if something didn’t change, “I’d be working 100 hours a week and I would die at my desk.” Something changed. Edwards joined the Academy and now takes off more than two months a year from his office and his staff is on a four-day work week. And yet…
His Office Is More Successful Than Ever
Carolyn Thompson from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, walked away from a partnership with the state’s oldest law firm. She was the first female partner in the history of the firm. Something changed. Today she sets her own hours and…
Earns More Than Twice What the Senior
Partners Make at Her Old Firm
How did they do it? Simple, they followed the step-by-step blueprint Armstrong and Fisch established which enables lawyers to immediately put into action proven, low cost Systems for attracting prospects, converting them into paying clients, and helping them achieve their financial goals.
Many members of the Academy start off as single attorney offices and begin to expand to multi-attorney offices. One Academy member grew from a single practice to over twelve offices in three states!
Some members of the Academy rarely work with clients directly any more. They hire staff attorneys to do the day-to-day work while they focus on growing their businesses.
And the end results they achieve for their clients get rave reviews from other professionals.
Their clients are so happy they are eager to refer their friends and family members to Academy members across the country.
For lawyers reading this letter, the most important news is…
The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys
Has Developed Time-Proven Practice Building Systems
Which You Can Replicate Anywhere In the Country
In 1993, Armstrong and Fisch began consulting with attorneys across the country. Their goal was to determine if the “secret recipe” could be duplicated in other areas. They recognized every region had its unique character, laws, and every lawyer had different backgrounds.
To say they’ve achieved their goals would force one to… redefine the word “understatement.”
Charles Pyke, an Academy member from Georgia reports, “My investment in the Academy is one of the best investments I’ve made in my career. Within six months, it had more than paid for itself.”
Wes Gersh, a member from Kentucky notes, “Membership is a bargain. Within 60 days the Academy system paid for itself several times over.”
Of course with results like these, Armstrong and Fisch could have taught every estate planning lawyer across the country these secrets but they preferred to create…
A Rare Opportunity for an “Exclusive”
Group of Savvy Lawyers
Look, we all know there are millions of Americans who need help in estate planning and asset protection. These are the people who respond to the Academy’s proven marketing campaigns helping to create these wildly successful law firms that generate generous net profits for their owners—often a million dollars a year (or more).
An Automatic Cash Machine
Recognizing that their Systems worked in other parts of the country gave Armstrong and Fisch the idea to create an exclusive attorney group. They would take a select group of attorneys under their wing and give them every single proven secret, strategy, and tool they used to build their own practice into…
So they went to work studying the key systems that helped them explode their own legal practice and packaged it up to include proven advertisements, presentation tools, sales techniques, workflow guides, legal research, consulting, office management and training modules and much more that I’ll share with you shortly.
And the best part is that Armstrong and Fisch—who could have enjoyed an early retirement years ago—continue to take individual lawyers under their wing and train them in their “state-of-the-art” practice building techniques.
And they also made it simple to introduce new profit centers into practices, generating tens of thousands of dollars in revenue for attorneys nationwide.
Here’s What Other Lawyers Are Saying About the American
Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys' Success Package |
Follow the Proven Success Path...
The Academy Provides the Practice Management
Systems Every Law Firm Needs
 Practice Management Systems include everything from answering the phone a specific way to producing highly customized legal documents for clients and… everything in between.
The Academy breaks Systems for an estate planning law practice down into a variety of areas outlined in the Academy’s Manual called the Practice Building Handbook.
This important handbook along with the Ad and Direct Mail Library and the Integrated Marketing Guide are the cornerstones of support in launching systems. Every great skyscraper depends on a strong foundation. Your foundation rests on your…
Planning and Organization Strategies
• How to plan for success. You’ll discover the Strategic Planning Approach and get coaching to make sure you can implement this in your office.
• Learn the Art of Financial Analysis and how to look at your business with the eyes of an entrepreneur. You’ll be shocked at what you are leaving on the table.
• All months are not created equal. The Academy’s unique Marketing Calendar will show you exactly where in the calendar year your prospects are most interested in your message. Not knowing these secrets could cost you a small fortune in wasted marketing costs.
• You’ll receive your own Strategic Staffing Guide. Your office will expand if you join the Academy and you’ll learn the right ways of recruiting team members and when to hire them. Armed with the Team Member Training Handbook Template, you will have all the documentation provided for you. And, it’s likely any questions you have will be answered in the section on Employment Law Information for Your Firm.
• Every aspect of your practice benefits from these strategic systems. They’ll even show you how to train your receptionist and administrative support staff.
• One of the keys to a successful law office is to learn what can be delegated and what you must do yourself. You’ll probably be surprised at what we suggest, but once you’ve tried it, you’ll never turn back.
• Everyone knows first impressions are priceless. This is the reason they’ll show you how to train your staff to provide great customer service. A successful office leaves nothing to chance.
• They’ve discovered even the way you set up your office can affect your bottom line. They’ll show you how to re-arrange your office so it operates at peak efficiency. Talk to other members about reaching “peak efficiency.” That is the moment when your life looks different, but achieving it is one thing - maintaining it, is the real magic the Academy teaches.
Attracting a Client Base
Lawyers spend years learning the law but usually receive no training in marketing their services. You can be the best lawyer in the world but if your office is empty, it doesn’t matter how good you are.
Some people may not like that message but it’s true nonetheless!
Here are some of the things that are Not Critical in building a successful law practice:
• How many years of practice you have
• Whether or not you made law review
• The number of advanced degrees you've earned
• The size of your office law library
• How many legal listservs you subscribe to
• The brand of furniture in your waiting room
The bottom line in defining a successful practice is creating a non-stop stream of clients to your office and delivering world-class service.
They recognize it takes “marketing” to keep a steady stream of clients knocking at your door. And they also know most lawyers don’t have any marketing experience or training.
The Academy spends hundreds of thousands of dollars developing and testing new marketing programs for its members. These programs are at the core of their success. That’s why…
You Get All of the Home Runs
and None of the Strikeouts.
Because marketing is the heart of a successful practice, they go out of their way to “over deliver” in this area.
• The Academy doesn’t just hand you the materials. They include detailed training on how to get started and organize your marketing campaigns.
• The Academy does it all for you. They help to create your marketing campaigns and teach you how to work with various marketing methods, including how to build referral systems, implement direct mail, newspaper, television and radio for existing clients or to attract brand new business.Your materials even include information and coaching on how to pay the lowest prices for your marketing.
• Everyone knows the importance of marketing but few lawyers practice the discipline of measurement and tracking. Once you learn these secrets, your marketing campaigns will always generate the highest possible returns.
• You’ll learn how to track the results of each marketing campaign using, CounselPro™ the Academy’s proprietary software.
• Many Academy members find the Estate and Legacy Planning seminars are a critical ingredient in client attraction. You’ll learn the differences between endorsed seminars, private meetings, public presentations and educating professionals. Your Integrated Marketing Guide spells out each step with easy to follow instructions.
• Relax. They don’t expect you to create your own client attraction seminars. They hand them to you ready to go, complete with PowerPoint slides, scripts, and training.
• While most lawyers are effective speakers, everyone finds the Seminar Presentation Tips Module a handy short cut to rapid proficiency in delivering memorable and excited seminars on both Estate and Legacy Planning and Asset Protection.
• Referrals make the best clients to any business. Most attorneys lack a systematic approach for attracting referral clients, but it’s all part of the Integrating Marketing strategy. The Academy will show you how to become the “go to person” for estate planning in your community.
• Without question, their innovative marketing will get people to your office, but the Academy will also show you exactly what questions to ask to guarantee that they will retain your firm. If you leave this component out, you’ve just wasted an opportunity and marketing dollars. They’ll show you the specific steps to move them from prospect to client.
• Powerful continuing education programs put you on the cutting edge of information on Estate and Legacy Planning. You can be the one that newspapers, television and radio stations turn to when they need an expert. Talk about instant credibility building... appearing in the media drives people to your office.
• The Academy’s Integrated Marketing Systems come together to turn your practice into a powerhouse. And once you set these systems in place, they continue to run without having to give them constant attention. And here’s something you’ll want to know…
The Systems Work Even in a Bad Economy |
It's important to note that almost every single person who joins the Academy will have a huge advantage over lawyers in their particular area.
Once You’ve Been Trained by the Academy
and Receive All the Materials,
There Are No Other Experts to Hire
The Systems Robert and Sandy will hand you in San Diego are ready to “plug and play.” After your training you’ll be able to return to your office and begin to implement Systems you never dreamed of before.
Though they know they’re going to be providing more information about running a legal practice than you’ve ever seen in your entire life, these Systems are so simple they almost run themselves.
You’ll hand your marketing representative at the local newspaper or radio station an ad and say “run this.”
For example, you’ll hand your office manager a document and say, “we need these for our referral campaign.” You’ll load the PowerPoint slides for your presentation and familiarize yourself with the script before you appear in front of an audience of qualified prospective clients who need your services.
These are people who want what you are offering and they’ll need you to provide legal services for them.
You'll find that many of them may come to you because their friends used an Academy member elsewhere in the country.
Others may come to you because of the recommendations of Money Magazine or Suze Orman.
The Systems are specifically designed so you get to…
Work Less and Earn More!
The Systems the Academy provides are designed to free up your time. You’ll discover how to work on your business but not get lost in your business... and you'll never be alone in your practice again.
The level of success is entirely up to you. You can grow as big as you want by hiring other lawyers to work for you or stay a little smaller and do the legal work yourself.
Whichever you choose, you’ll get everything you need to transform your office to get incredible results.
Your First Days As a Member
After receiving marketing tools, software, document compendia, public relations and personnel systems, new members often don’t know where to start with the enormous load of Academy materials.
That’s when we introduce you to the Members-Only Website with over 1,000 pages of practice building tools. What to use first, how to use it, what not to use at various times of the year or geographic areas… there are 1001 traps to avoid along the way that will be pointed out by your coaches at the Academy.
You Are Never Without Individual Support
The Academy Member Services Department assigns a Practice Building Consultant to coach members through implementation and planning. These coaches meet by phone on a weekly basis with new members until a certain level of implementation is accomplished, then the phone meetings move to once or twice per month.
You Set the Pace and Direction
The phone meeting agendas vary depending on where your firm is and what goals you have.
The primary focus on these calls is to review the action items and your results. Getting the Academy Systems in place is often a huge task up front, but keeping those Systems in place requires very little maintenance… the coaching necessary to accomplish this growth in a member law firm is the primary focus of this department.
During and after implementation, the focus is on planning. Month-end and year-end financials are reviewed in detail so planning for the coming month, quarter or year is on target.
These Strategic Planning calls are typically conducted twice annually, the marketing plans that stem from these calls are reviewed monthly or quarterly.
They Support Your Staff Too!
When experienced members hire associate attorneys or marketing coordinators, the Practice Building Consultants also work closely with those key law firm people to ensure they too are familiar with all of the Academy tools and recommendations.
The Member Services Department is referred to as “the gateway to the Academy.” The experienced Practice Building Consultants are experts in the products, tools and services offered by the Academy and meeting with each and every member keeps the success rate of all programs top of mind.
Frankly, They Were Surprised to Discover…
The Academy thinks highly of its practice building programs. After all, they were the exact same Systems Robert and Sandy used in their own practice.
But a survey of the membership showed that the association with other members was the unexpected benefit they didn’t anticipate. Members are open with one another – and with new prospective members as well. You’ll find they’re a friendly group who will welcome you in right away. Members recognize that adding quality new attorneys to the Academy—benefits everyone.
If you are married, bring your spouse with you to San Diego so they can enjoy a vacation and see what the Academy is all about. While you're there, please pull members aside and ask them for their frank opinion about membership.
Most members will just look at you blankly and ask…
“Why Wouldn’t You Join?”
The Academy is going to work with you continuously so you succeed. And they are going to constantly improve and refine their Systems based on your feedback.
The Academy knows this is all new to you so…
THEY WILL TAKE ALL THE RISK
Imagine you’re getting ready for a first date and when you meet the date for the first time they ask, “So are you ready to get married now?”
Robert and Sandy hate pushy salesmen and will never pressure anyone to join the Academy.
It’s either right for you or it isn’t. If you aren’t 100% convinced the Academy is the best thing to ever happen to your legal practice, we don’t want you to join.
And it simply wouldn’t be right if they didn’t let you fully explore membership and its benefits at their risk before you jump in.
So, Here’s the Plan
Join us at the Academy’s annual meeting in San Diego from October 15th through October 19th.
Robert and Sandy will personally spend hours with you on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning examining:
• 10 critical success factors for a profitable estate planning firm.
• The right way to look at your practice. It’s not what you’re used to. They’ll show you how to look at your practice as a savvy business person.
• The four elements you need to integrate into your practice to totally dominate your market. (Now and in the future.)
• The important technology you must know and the ones which are just time wasters.
• How to dramatically increase the number of prospective clients who come to your office.
• The beauty of building systems in your office so your office can run efficiently while you are on vacation.
• How to develop delegation skills so you stop doing everything in your office and focus on growing your business. (working on your business, not just in it)
• How to virtually eliminate your accounts receivable. Bottom line: if it isn’t in your bank account, it’s not yours yet.
• A little known secret way to get others to pay for your marketing costs.
• How to build a referral network so other professionals automatically refer a steady stream of clients to you.
• A simple formula for setting and reaching your financial goals. Yes, you can have a million dollar practice like many Academy members. They’ll lay out the plan with you while holding nothing back.
• The critical (and usually overlooked) method to track everything you do. Follow these suggestions and you’ll achieve fantastic ROI on your marketing. Ignore this step and your practice will flounder.
• An instant way to stay attuned to the latest developments in the field without living in a law library.
• How to build a practice other lawyers will want to buy when you want to retire. (Although with other people doing the work, you may want to hold on to your practice.)
Plus lots more!
Your Brain Will Spin With Possibilities
On Thursday afternoon, you’ll join the members at the annual Summit. You’ll be astonished at the amazing content and the new developments of the Academy. You’ll get some time to recover before you attend the evening cocktail party and dinner reception.
This is your chance to honestly ask the members what they honestly think. They’ll be frank and no, they don’t get anything extra if you sign up because they said something positive.
By Friday morning, you’ll have a bunch of new friends and know this is the right direction to take your practice. And that’s when they’ll ask you the big question…
Are You Ready to Say Maybe?
If you are, you will be invited to stay for the rest of the educational weekend just like a regular member, ask all your questions, take notes, and make plans to blast off when you return home. The membership department will handle all the financials and they’ll take your membership registration check and put it aside for the rest of the weekend.
And you can still change your mind! (But you won’t want to.) If, after you spend the weekend with Robert, Sandy and then the members… you find that this isn’t for you. There’s no harm—no foul. You can take your uncashed registration check home with you, with their blessing.
It’s been the Academy’s experience that lawyers who are serious about joining the membership don’t rush into things. In the Academy's eyes, this is a life long relationship based on trust and mutual commitment.
So you’ll never find them using a pressure tactic to get someone to sign up as a member.
You’re probably curious about both the membership benefits and the obligations. That’s why I’d like you to pick up the phone and call me at 800-263-9689. It will be a rewarding conversation.
First, I will listen deeply to where your practice is today and where you would like to take it. What are your dreams and secret aspirations?
Next, I’ll answer your questions about the systems the Academy provides its members and any other issues you have about membership.
Then, we’ll try and determine if you are, in fact, a good candidate for the Academy, which qualifies you as a potential guest, at the Fall Summit in October. If you are, only then will we discuss our registration fee and monthly membership.
If it’s a fit, nothing is final. Remember, we insist you check out the Academy at our expense. We will pick up your room tab through Friday night. And heck, if you stay, we’ll pick up your room for the rest of the weekend too.
But the next step is up to you. Whether you explore our website at www.aaepa.com or call me at 800-263-9689, we’ll find out if your exclusive area is open and sign you up for the special training session in October.
To the Top of the Mountain
Once, an adventurer decided to climb to the top of a faraway mountain. He took lessons in mountain climbing and got proficient in ascending and descending mountains. He bought the best equipment and built himself up so he could haul himself up the side of the mountain. On the day he decided to go for the summit, the weather was against him, but he struggled and fought the elements until he reached the peak.
The satisfaction he felt quickly vanished when he saw a group of relaxed people on recliners. His face was puzzled and he approached one of the people who held out a frosted drink glass to him, “How did you get here?” He asked in wonderment.
“Simple,” the person answered, “We took a helicopter to the top.”
The choice is yours—build your practice the old fashioned way by trial and error. Maybe you’ll make it. Maybe you won’t.
Or you can take the helicopter to the top with the Academy.
Pick up the phone and call me if you want to join the members of the Academy at the top.
Sincerely,
Ivy Atkinson
Academy Membership Consultant
PS. I don’t want a Yes from you now. I only want a Maybe. Pick up the phone and call me at 800-263-9689 and say “I’m a Maybe.”
P.P.S. Remember, joining the Academy and implementing the systems puts you at the top of the food chain as an expert in Estate and Legacy Planning in your exclusive territory. Whether you are fresh out of law school or an industry veteran who has yet to taste the fullest fruits of your legal practice, you’ll want to secure your territory while it is still available.
P.P.P.S. If Sandy and Robert are willing to pick up your tab in San Diego and let you talk to current members about their incredible Systems before you put up a dime, why not say “Maybe?” It could be the most important transforming move of your career.
Tentatively mark OCTOBER 15TH THROUGH 19TH
on your calendar…
then contact us to see if you’re qualified to join us at this Summit!
Call me now at 800-263-9689 or fill in the information below so we can send you the agenda for the upcoming event in San Diego.
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