in those conversations. They have to think and respond and join in the conversation. It’s been very helpful. They feel as though they are a part of the team, and their insights are very helpful.” Susan wasn’t Sandlerized right off the bat, though; one aspect of the training was a struggle for her. When we do our public training in management, customer service, and sales, we ask for an interactive dialogue — commonly known as role-playing. “I dreaded the whole thing,” Susan admits. But it didn’t take her long to come around to the idea of role-playing. “Right now, I’m taking my dog to dog school. I started with boarding school, where I was not present, but I needed to be a participant if it was ever going to work. Sandler was the same thing. Role-playing became very valuable once I participated. It helps cement in my brain why I was doing what I was doing.” “I’ve been using Sandler’s services for five or six years, and the money I’ve spent has been returned tenfold,” says Susan. “It has allowed me to take a step back and look at my business. It’s difficult to take an extra block of time to improve my business, but it’s helped me not work so much and make more money.” We can’t think of a bigger compliment, and we’re proud to have had such a positive effect on Susan’s business. She returns the favor by offering a brief bit of advice for anyone considering Sandler. “You won’t have immediate results, but after a year, you see them financially, and the business runs smoother. I’m sorry I didn’t come across Sandler decades ago.”
knows all the ins and outs of elder law, but maintaining this breadth of knowledge requires a commitment to learning. Susan isn’t an expert simply because she’s really smart — she also commits herself to continuing education. “The law keeps shifting. Once a month, I do continuing education to stay-up- to date.” Susan feels a responsibility to keep learning, not just because she wants to be an expert, but also because she views it as an expectation. “I really like helping people. If I lack knowledge in a certain area, I could actually hurt families or make things more difficult on them. That’s where the value is to me as a specialist.” Becoming an expert in this field wasn’t just happenstance, either. Susan made a very intentional decision. “I’m certified in elder law on purpose. It made me hone my skills even more.” That’s the kind of lawyer you can be proud to have representing you.
stop her from growing a business. “I’ve always advertised. When I first started, I didn’t know anyone or have any clients.” It didn’t take her long to realize that advertising isn’t always a slam dunk, even after bending the rules of her industry. After she posted an ad in the paper, she “expected people to be lining up out the door. That didn’t happen.” Susan didn’t stop though. “Persistence, consistency, and getting your name out in front of people is important.” problems I was finding impossible to deal with,” Susan recalls. Providing solutions to problems like Susan’s is exactly what we do for companies at Sandler Training. Internal communication is often a struggle for growing businesses. Improper or ineffective communication can foster harsh relationships and negativity in your work culture. That’s why we’re huge on bringing everyone under one roof to set goals as a group. “Quarterly meetings and being accountable has been very valuable,” Susan says. A meeting is only as valuable as those in attendance and the information communicated, so Susan has her staff attend. “It helps because we review where we are and where we’ve been,” she says. “[Team members] participate SANDLER STEPS IN “I originally reached out because I had personnel
UNWRITTEN RULES
It’s important that someone with Susan’s expertise gets
the opportunity to demonstrate her talents to as many people as possible. That usually means having an effective marketing channel that funnels potential clients to your front door. But in the field of law, advertising is almost frowned upon. There’s a stigma that self- promotion is not professional and you’re no better than an ambulance chaser. But Susan wasn’t going to let that
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