cmq's blog

How Kevin Smith’s Films Are Filled with Employment Lawsuits Just Waiting to Happen

cmq — Thu, 08 Apr 2021 19:23:43 +0000

How Kevin Smith’s Films Are Filled with Employment Lawsuits Just Waiting to Happen

In 1994, a lifelong comic book enthusiast and prototypical Jersey slacker by the name of Kevin Smith became one of Hollywood’s greatest overnight sensations with the release of his freshman effort and magnum opus, Clerks—a tale of two underachieving connivence store clerks in their mid-twenties grappling with the harsh realities of minimum wage life.

The film’s protagonist, Dante Hicks, is called into work on his day off, only to be tormented by his best friend and coworker, Randal Graves, as well as a slew of other despicable characters, ultimately cultivating in Dante’s very own personal, multi-layered Hell.

Despite the runway success of the film and the entire interconnected universe it spawned, (which fans have affectionately dubbed the “View Askewniverse”), the greatest thread in nearly all of Smith’s films isn’t the lovable duo of Jay & Silent Bob, but rather Smith’s main characters’ aversion to work. But then again, with coworkers and bosses like those featured in Clerks, Clerks II, Mall Rats and Yoga Hosiers, who wouldn’t hate their job?

To highlight the living nightmare that is working a job in in the View Askewniverse, we’ll be taking a look at some of the greatest workplace violations in the history of Clerks franchise, namely the sequel Clerks II, (most of which are enacted by fan favorite slacker, Randal Graves). We’ll also be looking at real-world cases for each employment law case type that Randal’s offenses fall under.

Randal’s Sexual Harassment

Although seemingly played for laughs, the character of Randal Graves is the textbook definition of an inappropriate workplace colleague. He constantly harasses everyone he works with and has even gone so far as to harass customers. One of his primary methods of harassment is sexual harassment. From asking deeply personal questions about his colleagues’ love lives to regularly using sexually charged expletives, Randal has done it all and yet faces virtually zero consequences for his abhorrent actions.

But, if Rosario Dawn’s character, Becky “Becks” Scott, the manager of the fictional fast food burger mecca “Mooby’s”, were to actually exercise her authority as his employer instead of making idle threats to fire him or giving into his depravity, she’d immediately report him to corporate and swiftly open an investigation against him.

Unfortunately, sexual harassment is all too real of an issue within the fast food industry. Currently, the golden arch-flanked giant McDonald’s is embroiled in series of class action lawsuits for its alleged mismanagement of sexual harassment incidents. These claims range from retaliation against employees in the form of reduced work hours to claims of wrongfully termination for reporting instances of sexual harassment.

Just last year, McDonald’s lost a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (1) against a North Carolina store whose “people manager” had repeat sexually harassed and eventually assaulted a 16-year-old employee. In addition to paying $12,500 in damages, the string of locally franchised stores was ordered by the EEOC to revise their policies on sexual harassment and post a notice detailing both the lawsuit and federally mandated employee rights which protect workers from discriminatory practices.

Randal’s Instances of Various Discrimination

Randal’s mistreatment of those within his workplace of Mooby’s extends well beyond sexual harassment as the foulmouthed miscreant has also used deeply racist, homophobic, agist, anti-religious and misogynistic language in the presence of both colleagues and customers alike. (It’s honestly a wonder why he hasn’t made national news as the subject of the biggest employment lawsuit in history.)

Obviously, without going into explicit detail, Randal uses string of the some of the worst imaginable slurs in the English language in front of two African American customers; uses disgustingly homophobic language to describe the Lord of the Rings and its fans; demeans his younger colleague, Elias, by repeatedly insulting him for his age and childish interests such as his love for Transformers; makes fun of Elias for his strongly held Christian beliefs, and says incredibly demoralizing and depraved things to his manager Becks about her womanhood.

Sadly, discrimination in all its ugly forms remains a major issue in today’s food service industry, particularly racial discrimination. Back in the late spring of 2019 (2), the sandwich-slinging behemoth that is Subway found themselves under warranted public scrutiny after a manager at their Spring, TX location refused to hire a Black teen applying for a summer job due to her race. And, although the manager was promptly fired once the incident made national news and no lawsuit was ever filed, the actions against said manager should have been taken much sooner.

Quick Stop’s (Possible) Wage & Hour Violations

The entire Clerks franchise and View Askewniverse as we know it is predicated upon a single and seemingly illegal request made by Dante’s boss at the very beginning of the film. The request is for him to come in and work his part-time position as a clerk at the Leonardo, N.J. Quick Stop on his only day off, and it’s safe to assume that his boss threatens him with dismissal if he fails to comply.

So, on top of threats of wrongful termination, Dante is also possibly faced with wage and hour violations, as there is never any discussion of overtime pay to properly compensate him for the extra shift. Given this, it would have been wise for Dante to consult his employment contract with the local Quick Stop, advocate his rights and reach out to a local employment law attorney, but he instead relents and begrudgingly goes to work.

Alas, wage and hour violations are all too common of an issue in today’s convenience services industry. This is best evidenced by the collective $173,000,000 (3) in unpaid wages that various 7-Eleven franchises throughout Australia withheld from their employees from as early as 2015, all the way up until 2020. Had it not been for the intervention of Australia’s Four Corners ABC program, who knows how long this fraud would have persisted?

Fortunately, there exist amazing attorneys such as yourself—attorneys who are committed to representing all wronged employees. Additionally, there also exist lead generation services that can help you connect with victims of workplace violations facing issues from any and all case types.

Should be you ever find yourself in need of more employees to represent, then please feel free to reach out to eGen at 617.800.0089 and we’ll help you in your fight to protect innocent people from all of the Randal Graveses of the world.

1. https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/par-ventures-mcdonalds-franchisee-pay-12500-settle-eeoc-sexual-harassment-lawsuit

2. https://nypost.com/2019/06/04/subway-boss-fired-for-saying-black-teen-wasnt-wanted-for-job/

3. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/oct/30/7-eleven-repays-173m-to-workers-after-some-franchisees-falsified-records-in-underpayments-scandal

cmq Thu, 04/08/2021 - 15:23

What 3 Holiday Classics Can Teach You About Managing Your Practice During the Pandemic

cmq — Thu, 10 Dec 2020 20:09:24 +0000

What 3 Holiday Classics Can Teach You About Managing Your Practice During the Pandemic

It’s practically mid-December and the Season of Giving is finally upon us! And what’s arguably the best part of Holiday Season, you ask? Holiday movies, of course! And the best part about these childhood & family classics is that they can still teach you invaluable life lessons—lessons which also can be applied to your legal practice and offer ways of coping with the current state of the world as a business owner.

Don’t Give Up

The 1964 made-for-television Roemer & Nagashima stop motion classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has provided generations of children with messages of tolerance & self-acceptance, but an often-overlooked theme in the film is never giving up on your dreams. During the course of the film, Rudolph teams up with several misfits to help save Christmas and although all of the characters are rather memorable, the film’s deuteragonist and Rudolph’s best friend, Hermey the Misfit Elf, offers up a very valuable lesson in perseverance & goal setting. You see, Hermey’s dream is to become a dentist. He’s a sub-par toymaker who’s devoted all of his free time (and even some of his work hours) to studying dentistry. A major milestone along his journey to becoming a world-class dentist is when he saves Rudolph and their ice-climbing companion Yukon Cornelius from Bumble "The Abominable Snow Monster" by using his fantastic dental wizardry to subdue the beast. And, finally, at the end of the film, we get to see Hermey become the official dentist of the North Pole.

So, what can this teach you about handling your practice during this particular holiday season? Well, despite the many setbacks that this pandemic has thrust upon us, you can always look towards setting realistic goals for the next quarter. Perhaps you want to better manage your various case documents? Or help your intake staff improve their daily operations and methods of handling claims? Expand the areas you service or gear your practice to a new area of law or practice type? Maybe would like to explore new avenues of marketing and give online lead generation a try? Setting attainable long & short-term goals are one of the greatest cornerstones of running a successful, long-lasting practice and are key to unlocking your lifelong dreams & professional aspirations.

Your Hard Work Matters

In Adam Sandler’s 2002 foyer into the world of animation with Eight Crazy Nights, Sandler tells the tale of not only the self-destructive Dave Stoney in search of a Hanukkah like the one he used to share with his late parents when he was a kid, but also of the timid, good-natured Whitey Duvall. Whitey, the geriatric, ailment-addled punching bag of the fictional New England town of Dukesberry, N.H. has spent his entire life servicing its people and has never once received any proper recognition or thanks for his unbelievably hard work, especially kind heart, and countless good deeds. During the film’s finale, Whitey is gifted with every Dukesberry All-Star Patch ever awarded to the various residents of the town, and although it took him 35 years, he finally got to live out his dream and receive the love & respect that he so rightfully deserves for his decades of selflessness and unwavering kindheartedness.

So, why mention this during the 2020 Holidays? Well, many attorneys and advocates are unable to celebrate with their fellow legal experts & communities. Local bar associations’, chambers of commerce’s & downtown business associations’ end of the year award ceremonies/holiday parties have been canceled or made virtual, and many hardworking lawyers & representatives may feel as though they’ll go unrecognized for all their sacrifices this year. Given this, it’s important to remember that it’s not strictly about the accolades or the fun holiday bash, but rather that you, your clients, your colleagues & your community know how truly devoted and fun you are. There’s always next year! None of these canceled or heavily altered holiday & year-end festivities can take away from that fact you’re a highly skilled, hardworking and well-respected legal expert with so much to offer both your profession and community.

Be Willing To Embrace Change

Will Ferrell & John Favreau’s 2003 Elf was an instant classic and still remains a beloved family holiday favorite seventeen years later! Many fans remember Buddy’s journey from the fun & frosty North Pole to the chewing gum-coated sidewalks of New York City, but the message of change is often lost on some viewers. You see, it isn’t Buddy who has genuine difficulty adjusting to the changes in his new and unusual surroundings, but rather his biological father, Walter Hobbs. Walter’s transformation from emotionally distant father, disinterested husband and corner-cutting children’s book publisher to loving family man, co-creator of a hit new children's book and Santa believer is the defining part of the film’s message of holiday spirit & cheer.

So, how does this benefit you? Well, it’s important to continue evolving with the ever-changing work trends that this virus has forced us into, and a great way to do this to rely on a combination of the aforementioned advice, particularly a willingness to invest in new methods of lead acquisition and case management.

If you’re interested in exploring lead generation and making your Holiday Season & New Year more manageable, then please do not hesitate to contact us today! Please give us a call at 617.800.0089 so we can answer your questions about online case lead generation. And remember, even though a pandemic has drastically altered the legal realm, it can’t cancel the Holiday Season!

cmq Thu, 12/10/2020 - 15:09

How to Handle Good Reviews

cmq — Fri, 27 Mar 2020 17:58:28 +0000

How to Handle Good Reviews

Everybody loves a good review, right? There’s nothing better than receiving a compliment or a “thank you” acknowledging your hard work. A good review can also be far more than just an unexpected day-maker that boosts your confidence. A positive review or rating of your practice can directly yield new clients and even, (once you have enough of them), help you garner local and national awards.

But managing such reviews and ratings can require just as much work in terms of maintenance and response as it does actually working hard to receive them in the first place. That being said, the following are some practical steps that you can take to ensure that your handling of a good review is as positive as the review itself.

Types of Reviews

There are several types of positive reviews that an attorney or advocate can receive. You can receive a private e-mail or handwritten letter, a rating with an accompanying post to your social media feed, a rating on a review website for legal professionals or widespread word-of-mouth. Each of these types of reviews carry a different initial level of both online and offline visibility, but all can be equally effective in bolstering your reputation if you respond accordingly.

How to Respond

Before you do anything, it’s always important to consider asking permission first. You don’t want to violate someone’s privacy, misquote them or violate a website’s Terms of Service, so you should always reach out privately and ask the following questions if you have any uncertainty:

Can you use their full name and/or location?
Should you redact any information regarding the specifics of their case?
Are they okay with their review being published either digitally or even in print?

However, there are instances in which you won’t have to ask permission. For example, if someone gives you a 5-star rating and a very thoughtfully written post directly to your practice’s Facebook page, then you should definitely respond sometime during that very day, (the sooner the better), and throw a thumbs-up their way. Be sure to publicly thank them via the comment thread connected to their review and avoid sharing any information regarding their case or any overly personal information about their experience with your firm outside of what they’ve already shared in their review.

Where to Display

Another important thing to consider when managing a positive review is where you should display it. Depending on your own personal preferences, marketing budget and social media usage, you may have a variety of options.

If you prefer only displaying any and all practice-related content on your firm’s website, then display it openly in a testimonials sections either directly at the bottom of your homepage or in an easy-to-find tab located towards the top of the very same homepage.

But maybe you’re partial to print media and would like to create a testimonials section for your firm’s upcoming mailer. Or perhaps, you’re more into T.V. advertising and want to create and air a commercial (or YouTube video) with real clients giving real accounts of their experiences with you and your firm.

Regardless of which route you take, just remember to comply with the wishes of your clients as well as any terms of services for any third-party sites you choose to use.

How to Maintain Quality

Lastly, since you already know how to get good reviews and how to handle a bad review, it’s important to maintain their steady inflow. Beyond responding to and sharing positive reviews, you just need to continue delivering the same topnotch service that you’re known for.

And, should you ever find yourself in need of more adoring clients, then please feel free to reach out to eGen at 617.800.0089 for all of your legal case lead needs.

cmq Fri, 03/27/2020 - 13:58

Attorneys that Make Ideal Halloween Costumes

cmq — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:15:25 +0000

Attorneys that Make Ideal Halloween Costumes

Halloween is here and if you’re scrambling for a last-minute costume and you still want to play the role of an attorney, then here are a few famous fictional attorneys for you to consider. They’ll not only leave a great impression at any party, but also teach you something invaluable about the legal practice. Each of the following attorneys either encapsulate a truly desirable trait that all clients seek in their counsel or demonstrate what not to do if you want to be a successful and well-respected attorney.

Enact Goodwill

During the day, Matt Murdock is a blind, mild-mannered Manhattan-based criminal defense attorney whose unique lie-detection skills help him win some of New York’s toughest cases. At night, he prowls the rooftops as Marvel Comics’ Daredevil—a swashbuckling masked vigilante sworn to protect the neighborhood of Hell’s Kitchen with his world-class ninjutsu skills and acrobatics.

Matt and his partner Foggy Nelson can teach you a lot about being better involved in your local community. They are known for their pro bono work and continue to offer free consultations once they wind-up becoming New York City’s premiere legal firm. Their charity and goodwill have firmly cemented them as the most compassionate law firm throughout the Five Boroughs, enabling Matt to do as much good in the office and courtroom as out in the crime-infested streets of Midtown.

You too can be a hero by not only constantly striving to provide your clients with the best possible representation, but by giving back to your community. The best possible ways of doing this are by sponsoring local charities relevant to your practice type or donating your time to a local soup kitchen or food bank. For example, if you predominantly handle Social Security and specialize in representing both children and adults, then donate your time to a local charity that helps families of children with disabilities.

So, grab a pair of red-tinted sunglasses and get ready to protect your community.

Embrace a New Community

Vincent LaGuardia "Vinny" Gambini is the lovable, wisecrackin’, back talking protagonist of the hit 1992 comedy My Cousin Vinny. He’s a Brooklyn native, transplanted to rural town in the fictional county of Beechum, Alabama, where he must defend his cousin and his cousin’s best friend in a first-degree murder trial. Despite being a newly licensed attorney trying his first-ever case in a hostile town with a strong prejudice towards outsiders, he and his fiancée Mona Lisa manage to prove their clients’ innocence.

So, what can you learn from Vinny? Throughout the course of the movie, you get to see Vinny’s transformation from Brooklynite to Southerner. He learns to live with the passing of a daily 5:00 AM train, learns how to eat and cook grits, and most importantly, endears himself to the residents of the small town natives. He gets to know locals on a first-name basis, frequents the town diner, and gains the confidence to build and present an amazing defense, all because he’s accepted that he must embrace his new surroundings.

If you’re a recently transplanted attorney setting up shop in a new region or if you’re a native of your current town or city, you can always further engage your local community and do more to learn about your area’s culture and history. Some ways to do this include regularly attending local artisan fairs and neighborhood or volunteering your time at seasonal festivals and school fundraisers. You can also make frequent visits to local museums or community theaters.

To complete this ensemble, all you’ll need is some hair product and a black leather jacket to wear over your suit.

Create Brand Awareness

Jimmy McGill (DBA “Saul Goodman”) is not a particularly good person, but he’s a highly gifted and tenacious lawyer. Yet, despite his natural talent, this con man has repeatedly impeded his own legal career. He’s so self-sabotaging that he’s forced to operate his practice out of a small room behind a nail saloon and resorts to using a tacky slogan, Better Call Saul, which he plasters across billboards throughout Albuquerque.

Obviously, Jimmy’s involvement with the cartel, the suspension of his license and his dysfunctional relationship with family and friends aren’t things that any attorney should strive to emulate, but his efforts to cultivate brand awareness via traditional methods of marketing and advertising is admirable, (although does he certainly form an over-reliance on them and his word-of-mouth reputation rarely serves him much better either). So, what can you learn from him about how to potentially better your legal practice? Well, unlike Slippin’ Jimmy, you can take advantage of online case lead generation!

Lead generation can be a cost and time effective way to expand your caseload. If you’re interested in learning more about eGen’s legal leads, give us a call at 617.800.0089. Our leads also come with our lead management system, eLuminate, that can help you improve your intake process, free yourself of the time required to manage a hands-on marketing campaign, and more efficiently generate and organize your office’s documents.

Everybody loves a villain (or in this case, an anti-hero), so grab a wireless Bluetooth earpiece and get ready to repeat the phrase, “It’s all good, man!”

cmq Thu, 10/31/2019 - 12:15

How Spider-Man Can Improve Your Legal Practice

cmq — Thu, 10 May 2018 19:56:39 +0000

How Spider-Man Can Improve Your Legal Practice

Today, May 3, 2018 is a big milestone. It’s the 16th anniversary of the 2002 hit film, Spider-Man, based on the beloved Marvel comic book character of the same name.

Not only is Spider-Man one of the world’s most celebrated superheroes, but he’s also a shining example of how to run a law firm. Here are some tips learned from the Spider-Man brand that could help your firm stand out among the competition.

Create Brand Awareness

Spider-Man is considered as one of the world’s most successful brands. One component of Spider-Man’s brand awareness is his costume design. Spider-Man’s eyes and spider logo are universally recognizable. Even when new comic book artists or Hollywood costume designers make alterations, his suit still maintains its classic feel and instant recognizability. An easily discernible logo coupled with a simple yet eye-catching color scheme can drastically improve both your practice’s visibility and memorability.

Spider-Man’s successes can also be attributed to his constant charity and goodwill. Across the realms of fiction and reality, Spider-Man and those who uphold his values, give back to their local community. Both the character of Spider-Man, as well as the several actors who have portrayed him, have donated their time by visiting children in hospitals and volunteering at food kitchens. By volunteering with local organizations relevant to your practice, you will build brand awareness as well as make valuable connections with potential claimants. Personal injury attorneys often sponsor cycling teams and many Social Security disability attorneys volunteer with nonprofits serving people with disabilities.

Be Accessible

You don’t need a “Spider-Sense” to know when claimants are in need of your help. You just need to make yourself accessible and have the right resources at your disposal, because there’s no point in cultivating brand awareness if nobody’s answering or following-up with claimants. For example, if you have a legal website you should ensure that your firm’s phone number is visible on every single webpage. Including a “Contact Us” form on most (if not all) pages is another way to make it easier for people to reach out and get help. Train your team to respond to inquiries as quickly as possible to increase your chances of signing clients.

With eGenerationMarketing’s live transfer option, you can swing into action as soon as someone needs your help. We connect your firm with claimants via phone as soon as they indicate that they’d like legal assistance. This dramatically increases your chances of speaking with a lead.

Specialize Your Practice

Spider-Man’s alter ego, Peter Parker, is the world’s foremost expert on spider webbing. His understanding of the tensile strength and adhesive properties of both organic and inorganic webbing make him a force to be reckoned with.

You can improve your practice by concentrating on one or two specific case types within your primary area of law. Examples include personal injury lawyers who focus largely on automobile accidents and premises liability or Social security disability attorneys who primarily take Compassionate Allowance claims. A good superhero focuses on his or her strengths, and so should you. By optimizing your online content to cater to your ideal claimants as opposed to general personal injury or Social Security claims, you’ll bring in high quality traffic that’s more relevant for your firm.

Lean On a Team

Even though Spidey is known to web-sling solo, he often relies on the assistance of other heroes. He has found himself on the roster of many well-known teams, including both the X-Men and the Avengers.

You too, can have a super-heroic team of your own with eGenerationMarketing. Just as Iron Man upgraded Spider-Man’s technology to aid him is the fight against crime, we can provide you with a valuable and profitable resource through legal lead generation. Our high quality, low-cost leads can make the process of acquiring new clients easier because you no longer need to toil over your own in-house marketing campaigns. We also offer eLuminate, a complementary lead management and document generation software, so that can better manage your caseload.

Remember, no friendly neighborhood attorney or advocate is ever alone in his or her battle for justice, so use all the help you can get to sign claimants and win cases! Contact us today to learn more about our services and remember, "with great power, comes great responsibility."

cmq Thu, 05/10/2018 - 15:56

Finding a Reason to Blog

cmq — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 20:48:40 +0000

Finding a Reason to Blog

Maintaining a successful blog isn’t simple. Doing so requires undivided attention. Having a blog means that you’ll often find yourself preforming various tasks such as brainstorming new content, editing multiple drafts of potential posts, monitoring the traffic to your blog, and sharing blog entries across your firm’s social media. It’s imperative to understand the level of time and effort that goes into maintaining a successful blog.

That being said, it’s important to maintain your blog with high-quality content, not just weekly posts to meet a monthly content quota. Here are three helpful tips for avoiding meaningless blogging.

Keep Your Audience In Mind

The most important part of any blog is your audience. It is always helpful to keep potential claimants in mind. So, what does this mean? The content you generate must remain accessible and relevant to your intended audience. Each of your posts should be specifically tailored to the needs and understanding of those reading them.

For example, if you’re a personal injury attorney whose practice largely focuses on the representation of injured victims in automobile accidents, then you should construct a blog that reflects the needs and concerns of said victims. That being said, consider outlining the claims process. For instance, explain how long it typically takes for an auto insurance claim to be approved, or how fault determination influences the strength of a claim. It is also best to employ a sympathetic tone whenever blogging about things such as damages and injuries.

Write About Your Own Expertise

You should always blog about your practice. It’s always easiest to write a blog when you're knowledgeable and passionate about the subject at hand. Doing so helps you create more engaging and meaningful blog entries and ensures that you never write anything that isn’t factual.

For example, if you’re a passionate Social Security disability attorney with over three decades of legal experience, then allow that knowledge and passion to shine through your blogging. If you post a blog entry about how your experiences helped hundreds of SSD claimants receive their benefits with a myriad of conditions, claimants will not only want to hire and retain you as their attorney, but they’ll also have a greater understanding and appreciation of your skill set.

Identify Top-Performing Posts

Identify top-performing blog posts and create new content ideas based on what’s yielding the most traffic or highest-quality clients. Recognizing which of your blog posts are performing well is extremely valuable when developing new approaches for the creation of future content. Once you’ve established a successful formula, it’s all a matter of replication from there on out.

For example, if you’re a workers’ compensation attorney with a successful blog post about the ins-and-outs of your state’s workers’ compensation system, then you should continue blogging about the internal workings of your state’s legal system and/or the general workers’ compensation process. Examples of unique content ideas could be separate posts on how long it takes for a workers’ compensation claim to be processed in your state, or what types of claims are commonly approved in your state. Ultimately, doing so enables you create a more coherent and cohesive blog.

Continuously working on maintaining a successful blog can feel like a very challenging feat, but it is always worth it in the end. Remember, a well-managed blog can yield dozens of high-quality clients for your firm!

cmq Thu, 03/01/2018 - 15:48

How Headlines Hook Readers

cmq — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 20:56:08 +0000

How Headlines Hook Readers

A well-written headline at the top of a blog post, webpage, print ad, internet ad or e-mail is all it takes to get your firm noticed online. The right combination of words, font, font size and even font color can significantly increase the number of claimants willing to interact with and explore your website.

David Ogilvy, the father of modern advertising, once said that, “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.” You want to make sure that you get the best return-on-investment in terms of the amount of time and effort you devote towards maintaining a blog, managing an ad campaign or constructing an e-mail. Small changes to your headlines can have dramatic effects on how many people read your firm’s content.

Below are four tips to keep in mind when writing a headline.

Be Straightforward:

A good headline should be attention-grabbing, relevant and direct. This does not mean that a headline cannot be fun, but specificity is key. For example, if you are composing a blog post about how injured employees should file for workers’ compensation in your state of practice, be certain to include said state and use words like “file” and “claim” or terms relating to specific injury or accident types in your headline. Basically, try not to stray from your body’s message with unnecessary information or click-bait-y phrases.

Convey a Sense of Accessibility:

It’s important to use encouraging language that supports your message’s purpose and readability. It should be immediately evident to readers that you are writing something that is worthwhile to them in terms of its practicality and comprehensibility. In other words, be certain that what you have written is useful to claimants and that they can easily understand your message. It is best to words or phrases such as “easy," “accessible," “simple," “fast," “You Can” and “Anyone Can”.

Keep it Simple:

Keeping you message simple is…well, simple. There is no need to overcomplicate things. Simple words and phrases are often the most powerful and evocative. Use words like “who,” “what,” “why,” “when” and “how” with phrases similar to those suggested in the previous tips to form effective headlines of any length. For example, “Understanding How Easy it is to File a Claim,” “What’s Needed to Win A Personal Injury Case” or “Filing a Claim is Easy – Learn How Now”.

Also, a common rule of thumb with e-mail subject lines is to keep the line to a maximum of 50 characters and this can also be best applied to blog post headlines, as well. Not only does this ensure that the length of your headline is easy to digest for the average reader, but it can be especially beneficial for older applicants applying for Social Security disability that may have poor vision and may not be able to read lengthy or complicated subject lines.

Have a Solid Design:

Try experimenting with numbers, font styles and font color. The key here is creating a headline that compliments the design of your message’s body. In regard to font type and size, use a bold style and select a font that compliments the length and size of your body. You would never want to select an absurdly large font size or any colors that poorly contrast with your written content's background.

Lastly, when given the opportunity, try incorporating numbers, as the combination of letters and numbers is often more likely to attract a reader’s eye. This works best with statistical data or dates. Information such as the rates of initial Social Security claims that are filed successfully and immediately approved or the dates that new laws or policies go into effect should always be included. Eye-grabbing headlines could include “Social Security Laws 2018 – What You Need To Know” or “12 New Insurance Laws Affecting All Virginia Drivers.”

A headline may not seem like an important component of your office or firm’s blog or other online content, but if you write low-quality headlines, you risk the potential of losing thousands of online inquiries. On the other hand, a well-crafted headline gives your firm the potential to sign more claimants than ever before. Take the time to revaluate and rewrite your next headline—you may be surprised by the results!

cmq Thu, 12/21/2017 - 15:56

How To Handle Bad Reviews

cmq — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 20:22:49 +0000

How To Handle Bad Reviews

No one likes bad reviews, (obviously). Devoting your time and attention to those in need of your legal expertise and representation is something that you choose to do, so it can be especially frustrating to see those whom you’ve pledged your services to suddenly turn around and write ludicrous things about you and your office.

Seriously, there are some pretty harsh and even puzzling reviews out there. You can find 3-Star Google reviews with remarks like “I think I went to college with the head attorney’s brother”, but no explanation as to why the review itself only contained three stars, as well as absurdly cruel Yelp reviews asserting that certain firms are actually “slippery reptilian law offices”.

Decidedly uninformative or mean reviews such as those above can have a profoundly negative impact on your practice. Merely a few devastating reviews could cause you to lose potential clients, be passed up for local awards, and lose out to competing offices. If your firm has received a negative online comment, or even a multitude of bad reviews, you should take action to protect your reputation by employing one of the following methods:

1.) Determine If The Review Merits A Response

If the negative review you received is simply the antics of a troll and has a minimal impact on your overall rating, then it’s entirely acceptable to disregard it and move on. Most potential claimants combing through your reviews should be able to ascertain that such a review is not a legitimate critique of you and your firm. Bear in mind that especially mean or unhelpful reviews, including those that directly call out or disparage employees by name can be potential Terms of Service violation for Google, Yelp and other review sites, so be certain that you understand whether or not the review is truly illegitimate.

However, if such a review does truly concern you and you believe that it still does not deserve a direct response, simply report it. This can be done in one of two ways: contact the website’s administrator to ensure that the account associated with the review is suspended or directly “flag” it as inappropriate, so it will be investigated.

2.) Respond Immediately (On-Site)

Assuming that the review in question is indeed legitimate and warrants a response on your part, then be prepared to respond immediately, and do so with a gracious and apologetic tone. It is imperative to issue a thoughtful public response, along with a well-constructed private message detailing your proposed solution. Typically, it’s best to offer an explanation as to what happened that made the claimant write the review in the first place, whether it’s explaining that the claimant’s case wasn’t pursuable, or that the claim wasn’t as valuable as he or she may have hoped.

Once you have sent your private message, reiterate the solution in a publicly-issued comment. It’s crucial that your public response states that you have already privately messaged the reviewer. Make certain that future reviewers know that you reached out and that you offered a solution. Take care to avoid revealing any personal information such the reviewer’s full name, case details, phone numbers or street address.

An alternative to this could be sending an e-mail, the content of which should be identical in both style and tone to what is suggested for online communication.

3.) Respond Immediately (Offline/Off-Site)

If you recognize the reviewer as someone who has contacted your office or as a previous client, reach out to him or her directly if you still have their contact information on file. It is wise to avoid calling a claimant at his or her place of employment or calling him or her at home, as this is seen as a traditionally intrusive act. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get in touch with the reviewer, as your attempts at reconciliation could be misconstrued as efforts to harass or intimate negative reviewers.

This is the least preferable method of communicating with a reviewer, as you are often at the mercy of their time schedule and have no means of knowing how he or she will respond. Remember, this should only be done if you believe that a case is either still pursuable or if genuinely feel the need to issue a formal apology over the phone.

4.) Address Any Problems Internally

Lastly, assuming that the reviews did contain some substance, then it is best to notify your team of the review and works towards a collective solution. If that means improving upon how you or your staff answer phone calls, schedule meetings or explain the legal system to clients, then so be it. Valid online reviews many give your firm valuable insight as to how you can improve your practice’s day-to-day activities.

It’s important to remember that you are not the only law firm or advocacy group in the world to have ever received an unfair or even unnecessarily harsh review. Just remain calm and work to craft both a public and private response to the review. If applicable, be sure to notify the claimant of any changes to the daily operations of your practices that have come as a result of the review. By taking these simple steps you’ll ensure that potential claimants don’t pass over your firm by due to a negative review.

cmq Thu, 09/14/2017 - 16:22