Sequencing Matters in Estate Planning — Here's a Real Example

When I first started coaching estate planning attorneys, one of my early clients was a lawyer named Josh. Josh was doing what so many lawyers do when they first launch — trying to figure it out all on his own. He was working too many hours, charging too little, and struggling to get clients past the first meeting.

You could hear the frustration in his voice when he described it. He cared deeply about serving his clients, but something just wasn’t clicking. We started with the basics. 

I asked him, “What do you do when someone calls and says, ‘I need a will’?”

Josh told me he immediately sent them his questionnaire.

“Before they book a meeting?” I asked.

“Yes," he said, handing me the document.

It was 19 pages long.

I asked how many people actually filled it out.

Josh smiled sheepishly. “None.”

We both burst out laughing - not because the situation was funny, but because the problem was suddenly so obvious.

The issue wasn’t his work ethic. It was the sequencing. You can't start by giving someone homework. You have to start by getting a commitment.

I told Josh: First, book the meeting. Then send the questionnaire. And by the way — don't send a 19-pager either (but that’s a conversation for another day).

The reason is simple. Nobody wants to sit down and complete a huge form without a reason to prioritize it. But when you book the meeting first, and tell them their intake form is due three days beforehand, now there’s a natural deadline.

Now there’s urgency. Now there’s momentum. And momentum is everything when you’re building trust and moving a client toward action.

So how’s Josh doing today? He’s closing a lot more business — and serving clients better — just from making that one simple shift.

Here’s the truth:

You don't have to struggle alone.

The wheel has already been created.

At 2HLL, we give you the full roadmap, so you can skip to the head of the line and build the firm and the life you actually want.