by Mary G. Anderson, Life Management Consulting Group
(This is a story about Pablo Picasso. The source is unknown.) In Paris, there was a woman strolling along a street, when she spotted Picasso sketching near a sidewalk cafe. Not so thrilled that she could not be slightly presumptuous, the woman asked Picasso if he might sketch her, and charge accordingly. Picasso obliged. In just minutes, there she was: an original Picasso.” “And what do I owe you?” she asked. “Five thousand francs,” he answered. “But it only took you three minutes,” she politely reminded him. “No,” Picasso said, “It took me all my life.” He established the value– not the customer, though she wanted to.
What are you professional services worth? Have you ever thought about that? What’s your time, education, expertise and knowledge worth? What is your unique experience worth to a potential client? It seems to me that too often a price is put on a legal product, process or plan and this price is compared to a competitor’s price. That’s pure nonsense! That’s like Picasso being compared to Hooey Tooey another young painter in Paris. Each painter has created a sketch in pencil on paper. I’m sure a “Un jeune peintre” (a young painter) wouldn’t consider charging five thousand francs for his sketch.
As an attorney and/or wealth planning professional your expertise counts! Your education, ideas, creativity, and imagination count too. Your experience counts even more. If you don’t share it with both your current and prospective clients they won’t see your genuine value. It’s up to you to establish your value — the higher the better. When you start thinking like Pablo Picasso, you’ll start behaving in a fashion that is more focused, efficient and profitable. Get clear about your strengths, your unique gift, learn how to share that expertise with others from your colleagues to your clients.
Quote To Ponder
“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold.
For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases,
it will have no power to hurt you.
So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs,
and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.
~Leonardo da Vinci, artist, inventor
About the Author:
Mary G. Anderson, is the Program Director at Advanced Legal Training Institute. She also provides client service programs through her company, Life Management Consulting Group. Many estate-planning attorneys have clients that are in need of guidance and support as they manage their elder years. Mary offers 1-on-1 coaching support for families that are facing some of the challenging aspects of end-of-life/eldercare such as choosing/evaluating a nursing home/assisted living center, professional organizing of important papers and documents, estate settlement and support with funeral planning, grief and loss. These consulting services assist clients who are either in 1) the midst of handling a death of a loved one and executing their estate and/or ) a client who has decided to get organized and plan ahead by completing their will, organizing their important papers, completing a checklist of final wishes and creating a legacy will. Mary is the author of “My Estate Management Guide”, “Pet Protection Legal Care Plan: Financial and Legal Planning to Protect Your Companion Pet” and a Certified Mediator & Estate Settlement Agent.
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