How To Make Money as a Mediator (And Create Value for Everyone): 30 Top Mediators Share Secrets to Building a Successful Practice [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Krivis (Author), Naomi Lucks (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787982040 | ISBN-13: 978-0787982041 | Publication Date: August 18, 2006 | Edition: 1

How to Make Money as a Mediator (and Create Value for Everyone) is an invaluable and inspirational resource filled with practical, proven, and down-to-earth information on how you can develop a satisfying and lucrative career as a mediator, no matter what your area of interest—labor and employment mediation, intellectual property, environment, personal injury, family and divorce, contract, securities, or international peacekeeping.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"When parties are truly committed to settling a large case, they are willing to pay what it takes to get the done . . . " (Dispute Resolution Journal, Sept 2007)

From the Inside Flap

How does a lawyer, Ph.D., certificate-trained mediator, or someone just getting started in their career get established as a well-paid conflict resolution professional? How can you be the name that repeatedly shows up on the short list of people who are looking for mediators?

How to Make Money as a Mediator (and Create Value for Everyone) is an invaluable and inspirational resource filled with practical, proven, and down-to-earth information on how you can develop a satisfying and lucrative career as a mediator, no matter what your area of interest—labor and employment mediation, intellectual property, environment, personal injury, family and divorce, contract, securities, or international peacekeeping.

Authors Jeffrey Krivis and Naomi Lucks recruited top mediators to give readers a behind-the-scenes look at how they achieved success in this highly competitive profession. These leading mediators offer insights into their backgrounds, their decision to commit to mediation, and their choice of specialty. They also share trade secrets and personal tips: what it takes to be a top mediator, their approach to marketing and networking, keys to getting referrals and keeping clients, their personal experiences in learning the business aspects of mediation, the value of education and specialized training, and much more. These well-known mediators are candid about their financial successes and failures, where they are now, and what the future holds. For anyone who is considering entering this dynamic and growing field, their advice is invaluable.

How to Make Money as a Mediator is your hands-on guide for achieving the financial success and professional satisfaction that comes with the privilege of being able to work every day at a job you are passionate about!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (August 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787982040
• ISBN-13: 978-0787982041
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #691,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Law > Procedures & Litigation > Alternative Dispute Resolution

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading for Any Mediator Earning Under Six Figures, September 4, 2006

By 

cebepe (Woodland Hills, CA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How To Make Money as a Mediator (And Create Value for Everyone): 30 Top Mediators Share Secrets to Building a Successful Practice (Hardcover)

So, how does one make money as a mediator? To answer this question, Krivis has turned to consider the habits of 30 highly successful people, comprising a Who's Who of top mediators from Canada to New Zealand and across the United States, all of whom are liberally quoted in the book. Each of these people found a different path to mediation and different approaches to what success requires, yet there are also striking similarities. All the top mediators view mediation as a calling. While all love the practice of mediation, none are particularly drawn to the business of marketing, yet all realize its essential importance. Jeff Kichaven does 150 mediations a years yet finds that marketing time `far outstrips' mediating time: `You have to do it. Swim or die. Get used to it.' None achieved success immediately; most required several years of hard work to build a practice - `It takes a three-to-five year plan to make this work,' says Susan Hammer. `You need endurance,' advises Nina Meierding.

Everyone emphasizes the intensely personal nature of the business, making marketing far more a matter of making and maintaining personal contacts than print advertising. Michelle Obradovic finds it a `waste to time' to do generic mass-market advertising. `Target your specialty' insists Cliff Hendler. Yet all agree on the value, indeed the necessity, of a Web site - `They expect you to have a Web site' says Ralph Williams. `Our Web site has been very good for us,' adds Rick Russell.

The book outlines different fee structures and methods of billing, as well as different methods of using support staff. Most highly paid mediators expect payment upfront; `You get the people committed,' says Robert Creo, `and you don't spend time billing people or collecting money.' The issue of staffing is also addressed. Because `face time' is so critical, and because that includes both marketing and the mediation session, top mediators need a support staff. Only a few seem to use full-time staff; most seem to prefer `unbundled services,' that is to say, they rent space in a full-service suite which takes care of reception, additional conference rooms, mail sorting, and telephone answering. Then they use outside billing services for their bookkeeping. They organize themselves to outsource as much administration as possible. Some mediators use outside marketing services, placing advertisements in strategic magazines, but also rely heavily on obtaining speaking engagements to different groups. The clientele of top mediators is primarily, though by no means exclusively, the legal community, because, as bank robber Willie Sutton said with timeless simplicity: `That's where the money is.' However, the doyen of mediation marketing, Natalie Armstrong, finds a continuing trend towards `proactive mediation' by industries such as `hospitals, hospitality, construction, film studios,' even `linen supply companies.'

Krivis divides his book into eight accessible chapters, including `Invisible Marketing,' `How Much Money Can You Earn,' and `Weathering the Ups and Downs of a Mediation Practice.' The final chapter is particularly interesting. It's called `Looking Ahead: The Future of Mediation and Your Future in Mediation.' Krivis quotes Jeff Abrams "I see a bright future for everyone,' yet notes some not-so-hopeful trends that the profession will have to deal with, including a trend towards institutionalization, the `stale' mediator, `instant mediators' which goes to the lack of, and resistance to, any kind of accreditation, and rising business costs. There are also many hopeful trends, including the undeniable fact, as veteran Chris Moore notes: `...mediation has grown dramatically over the last fifteen years.' Krivis also approves of the increase in mentoring, almost a revival of the old apprenticeship system, or as it is still called at the English bar, `pupillage.' And he sees an increase in mediator partnering across borders, that might prove a boon to mediators with language skills, and increasing use of mediation in the public policy and non-profit sectors, and a slow trend to view mediation not as the `alternative,' but as the first choice in dispute resolution.

While sprinkling the book with the views of numerous of his colleagues, the book in all its essentials belongs to Krivis himself. From his very personal introductory chapter, `How I Found my Dharma in Mediation,' to the invaluable final chapter `The Mediator's Field Guide to a Successful Practice,' the book is a detailed account of a busy, thoughtful mediator who has watched the profession grow up around him. This little review cannot hope to do justice to a 220-page book that is crammed with practical tips and the accumulated experience of so many successful mediators. It flows well and is an easy read.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mediation Marketing, August 5, 2007

By 

Walter Mcdonough "WM" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How To Make Money as a Mediator (And Create Value for Everyone): 30 Top Mediators Share Secrets to Building a Successful Practice (Hardcover)

I think the book was helpful, but not as practical as I had expected for somebody starting out. The passion all of the mediators have for the field is evident, but it would have been more helpful to have nuts and bolts tips included.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good read for anyone thinking about a mediation career, November 6, 2009

By 

Don C. Hampton "dch" (Kansas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How To Make Money as a Mediator (And Create Value for Everyone): 30 Top Mediators Share Secrets to Building a Successful Practice (Hardcover)

This could be an important read for someone considering a mediation career. My 15 years as a mediator has confirmed what the author says, that its a lot of work. I have taught many mediation classes including students who were heading into the field with stars in their eyes. It's great fun and very rewarding but lots and lots of work. Much more than the 40 hour a week job I had before. An important point the author makes is that no one is looking for a mediator who specializes in every type of case. They want someone with expertise that will solve their problem. dch