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In his last blog, Robert Armstrong talked a little bit about the haphazard way most legal practices approach their marketing activities. This is a shame, since marketing truly is the lifeblood of any business, and law firms are no exception.
What if your marketing system needs an overhaul? The following five-step system can make an immediate difference in your firm’s marketing efforts:
- Write down specific, measurable, time-bound goals. These are the only kinds of goals that are truly valuable because they are the only kinds of goals that are actionable.
- Start with the end in mind.
- Find out where your firm’s revenues are now.
- Identify your revenue goal for 2012.
- Break down the categories of work you did this year, identify how much revenue you generated for each category, and determine the number of clients each category represented for your firm.
- List your 2012 revenue goal for each category.
- Divide that number by 12 to get a monthly revenue goal.
- Identify how many clients you’ll need per month to meet the revenue goal for each specific category.
- Play the body count game – how many people do you have to be in front of to reach the numbers you wrote down for Rule 2? The more people who attend one of your seminars, read your marketing materials, or otherwise come into contact with you as part of your marketing strategy, the more clients you’ll ultimately have by the end of the year. It all boils down to numbers.
- Maximize your marketing channels. You need multiple channels – forget buying a Yellow Pages ad and waiting for the clients to pour through your door. The key is to come up with a system that implements multiple marketing activities that suit your personality, your staff, and your marketing budget. A few ideas:
- Arrange seminars for prospective clients.
- Appear as a CLE speaker.
- Endorse private seminars for a local insurance agent or financial planner.
- Publish radio or television ads.
- Send out monthly e-Alerts to your centers of influence.
- Send a three-year amendment letter to your existing estate planning clients.
- Have a family seminar to educate the children of your existing clients about estate planning.
- Schedule next year’s marketing activities now. The schedule should be on a huge plastic wall calendar where everyone in the firm can see the plan and be part of it. Then, set deadlines, delegate responsibilities to your staff, and hold everyone accountable by having weekly marketing meetings.
It sounds like a lot of work, and if you have not implemented a focused marketing strategy before now, it will take some getting used to. However, before long, you’ll begin to reap the rewards of planning your marketing and taking steps to stay on track. Trust me, the rewards are extraordinary!
Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
How do you build lasting relationships with your clients and make sure they don’t see you as just the provider of an ink-on-paper commodity?
One way to do this is to keep in regular communication, with routine “touches” throughout the year. At the Academy, we find that it’s ideal to make contact with clients twelve times per year. It would be a little odd for your estate planning attorney to call you every month or to send you an email, like clockwork, every few weeks. However, there are a variety of ways to provide value to your clients and remain in regular contact with them. Things like:
- Newsletters, both paper and electronic
- Estate Plan Review Invitations
- Client Appreciation Events
A number of our Member firms also have a Client Advisory Board. They invite 6 to 10 loyal clients into the office every quarter to get feedback and to find out what additional services those clients would like the firm to provide.
Using strategies like these to stay in touch with your clients sets the stage for you to have lifetime and even multigenerational clients. Eventually, you’ll meet the children of your existing clients and have the opportunity to win their trust and loyalty. Before long, they will be clients as well.
You want to be viewed as the trusted advisor for the entire family. By remaining in contact through valuable information that is of interest to them, you continue to nurture the relationship as well as be visible and relevant. Make sure you do everything possible to be the sounding board and problem solver most are looking to rely upon.
In your experience, what are the most effective ways to keep in touch with your clients?
Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
9444 Balboa Avenue, Suite 300
San Diego, California 92123
Phone: (858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
The words “Nice Bike” to all who attended the Summit, including the entire Academy staff, never meant so much until the New Orleans event. Our guest speaker, Mark Scharenbroich, author of Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life, did more than make a keynote presentation. He honored, acknowledged, and connected with all of us by showing us firsthand how to make meaningful connections. Many Members made it a point to let us know, either right after the session or on their evaluations, that this was a phenomenal speaker and topic!
This Summit was about “connection.” Connection begins with you connecting to why you do what you do and moves on to connecting with your staff, prospects and clients. For those at the Summit, let this be the reminder to create structure and accountability so this message does not get lost and overcome by the demands of daily activity. For those offices who were unable to attend, be sure to calendar time to listen to this session, take notes, and plan for a review of the other sessions at the Summit. There was a wide array of important game changing concepts covered that you will be able to implement immediately.
ACADEMY BOOT CAMP
Prior to the Summit, we held an Academy Systems Boot Camp for partners, associates attorneys, and attorneys looking into Membership. We spent 8 hours reviewing strategic planning, marketing approaches and planning, tracking, and the entire Academy “think like a business owner, not a technician” philosophy. They also learned more about the Academy services and programs, which will enable them to take immediate advantage of the full scope of Membership benefits on an ongoing basis. The feedback from Members and participants was outstanding, and we are making plans for another Boot Camp at the Fall Summit.
THURSDAY SESSIONS
We shook things up and did some things differently at this Summit. We kicked off the event with a drawing for a free Kindle – the winner was Jim Nash, a 16-year Member from IL. We eliminated many of the Member Day topics and instead created a Summit Program with the typical Member Day items in there. Our focus during the session was on the New Developments at the Academy. We touched on the new Legacy Wealth Planning Co-Author Book Project, a new style of marketing videos specifically designed for the internet, and our latest technology developments. It is important to listen to this first session to hear about the upcoming upgrades to CounselPro™ regarding Lifetime Funding and the new Trust Administration module. In addition, we announced the continuation of a project that was sidelined as we reviewed document language. We are currently programming our documents into the commercial document assembly program HotDocs. Some Members currently use this program and we are well on the way to having our documents on this platform.
We ended our session with a review of our last keynote speaker, Darren Hardy. His message was inspiring and focused on individual productivity. Many Members told us they have implemented some of his recommendations. As we heard, “The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” The Compound Effect was the perfect message leading up to Mark Scharenbroich and Nice Bike! There was definitely a special connection between Mark and the Membership during his presentation. This connection continued as he signed books and well into the evening when he and his wife joined us for the cocktail party and dinner. Nice Bike Mark!
FRIDAY SESSIONS
Success Stories: This is always a highlight of every event. Don’t miss the recording and materials from this session and use the successes of others to immediately impact your business. Although all of them were noteworthy, be sure to pay attention to the referrals received from the internet through the SEO program. In fact, one Member forwarded a website lead request email to us just after the Summit and shared the following: “Just look at these amazing Internet requests. Of course I’ll schedule this prospect when she has a good day. Isn’t this amazing? Look at the people you are helping! At the next event I would suggest you show the Members about 100 of these real examples.“
Good idea! We ask that your offices forward meaningful web leads to your PBC – those that turn into clients, or additional work or referrals!
Ethics Case Studies: Best Practices and Biggest Blunders: Members really thought the format of this session was great and there was a lot of contribution by Members. In addition, Dennis and Steve plan to provide follow up to the session in the upcoming months.
Financial Database Session: Always a favorite of Members and extremely informative! Thanks to our panel of Members who were kind enough to share their numbers with participating Members. We always wonder why all Members do not submit financials (which remain confidential and NO OTHER MEMBERS see your numbers unless you volunteer for the panel discussion). One success factor is being able to model what highly successful Academy attorneys are doing. This gives you the exact financial information which reveals their success. If you have not participated, make sure you do not miss this discussion at the next Spring Summit. The top owner compensation was $846,000. Come find out how it was done by making 2011 the year you will participate! Talk to your PBC for more details.
Funeral Trusts, Insurance Cases and Medicare Supplemental Insurance: This session covered several important topics. Funeral Trusts was presented by Steven Prince of Premier Planning (Bryan Adams was out of the country) and it is fast becoming a standard part of estate plans. There is a lot of activity inside the Academy Membership as well as by others not in the Academy. If you are not meeting this need for your clients, then it is likely that some other professional has or will. The top Academy firm has funded $1.5M in funeral trusts. This session covered how they did it. The Insurance Cases session reviewed several case studies that have been handled by Steven Burmeister of Premier Planning. The cases were interesting and may likely apply to one of your client situations. The final topic was Medicare Supplemental Insurance which many of your clients may already have in place; however, one primary benefit you can offer them is the same insurance at a lower cost. Premier Planning has a turn-key system to make this happen for you. For more information, contact Bryan Adams at badams@premier-planning.com to let him know what services you’re interested in and expect a follow up from him or his staff. If you have not yet worked with Premier Planning, take advantage of this opportunity to work with an organization that can help you, help your clients with these important planning decisions and leave a lasting, positive impression of your firm and the services you provide.
SEO and the Future of Legal Services: 89% of shoppers begin online, 2 out of 3 consumers use Google to find your firm. There is no doubt that visibility online is vital to a firm’s success. This session highlighted the importance of online marketing and the latest tools for use in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that every law firm needs to implement. We reviewed the constant changes happening at Google and other search engines, the importance of SEO and social media, actions you can take now to get better placement, and the use of smart phones, mobile websites, and text notifications. Stay tuned for more innovation in this area.
Social Event: Even with the Mississippi River water level rising by the minute, the weather was perfect for dinner and conversation at the Audubon’s Swamp Exhibit. Although the band got caught in traffic, no one seemed to mind. The Cajun food was great, and a few Members even took advantage of the dance lessons to learn how to dance to lively Zydeco music.
Saturday Sessions
New Law, New Strategy: Dennis and Steve gave a brief overview of the new law and then focused on how to take advantage of the two-year window of opportunity. They spent most of the session exploring a case study and the pros and cons of various planning strategies.
Getting the Best of Both Worlds: Assets Separate During Life, Together at Death: This discussion caused a great deal of buzz because of the unique opportunities available through the use of general powers of appointment. Steve walked through the PLR funding options (200101021 and 200604028), which allow the use of the survivor spouse’s funds to fully fund the Family Trust. Steve also showed how to get a step-up in basis on the Family Trust at the death of the surviving spouse, by using his unique contingent GPOA, getting a step-up in basis whenever possible!
Client Engagement Standards and the Impact on Profitability: This covered a topic introduced earlier in the year, Engagement Standards (ES). These standards set forth what clients should expect from your law firm and what you expect from your clients. We introduced a methodology for you to follow when developing your law firm’s ES. In addition, we covered how and when to implement this with clients. This can dramatically improve your practice and set the stage for referrals. We will continue to discuss this topic throughout the year because this can be a game changer in your firm.
Technology Update: We covered two important developments in the technology area. DocuBank shared their new SAFE program (Store All Files Electronically), which provides client portals from your website to store clients’ healthcare and other important documents. Make sure to contact DocuBank about this new addition to their services. We also had a demonstration of creating an Academy document using the new HotDocs program. We look forward to the initial release of the Academy HotDocs program.
Roundtable Session: Members openly sharing what works in their practices is always a session that has immediate impact on Member firms. The topic covered at this event was Setting and Quoting Fees – Charging What Your Services Are Worth. A special thanks to each of the panelists who shared their specific fees, methodology and successes. Be sure to listen and compare what you’re doing to the strategies these Members are using.
Sunday Sessions
Sunday was devoted to education where Dennis and Steve covered Avoiding Estate Planning Malpractice, Including New Cutting Edge Claims - how about that for Sunday morning excitement! The final topic was Getting Medicaid and VA Benefits Without Giving Up the Farm. This was a comprehensive half day of education with great feedback from all who attended!
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Introduction of CounselPro™ 6A: Donna Hooper and Randy Harwick showed staff and Members the new design features of the soon-to-be-released update for CounselPro™ 6.0. This update includes the redesign of Lifetime Funding, integration of Advanced Funding, a new Trust Administration and Probate Module, and four new Wizards. The new Funding redesign tracks asset information in one screen, allows offices to add and update funding institutions globally, and to transfer assets from any source to any destination, including Family and Marital Trusts, or other trust type transfers. The new Funding Wizards automate the entire transfer process. The new Trust Administration and Probate module includes a new field for administration capacity, the ability to automate government, state and local deadlines by date of death, various member selected trigger points, generate forms, letters, and reports, and manage scheduling and calendaring. Keep an eye out for installation information in the coming months. Members attending the session were impressed with the comprehensive nature of the program. The session also provided a forum for user input as the final programming is being completed.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR OUR UPCOMING EVENTS!
2011 Fall Summit in downtown San Diego: October 13-16, 2011
Optional Educational Training (same location): October 16-17, 2011
We are already working on the Summit agenda for this event! Be sure to book your rooms now at the U.S. Grant Hotel. Optional Educational Training will be offered on October 16 and 17, topics to be announced.
2012 Spring Summit in historic Williamsburg, VA: May 3-6, 2012
Hotel information will be posted soon.
Keep in mind… If you miss one Summit, at least 365 days will have passed since you were surrounded by the most successful, knowledgeable, and like-minded estate planning business entrepreneurs in the country. This is not something to take lightly. More ideas and inspiration, that produce vast amounts of revenue, are exchanged at Academy events than any other place you could go.
Don’t leave your future to chance—mark your calendar now and commit to working on your business and your life with the rest of your Academy community!
ONE FINAL THOUGHT
Most attorneys never understand the importance of investing in themselves and their staff. You are all different and continue to invest in your business in many ways. As entrepreneurs, you have chosen to get more out of life than the rank and file attorneys out there who leave their destiny in others’ hands. You have accepted the risk, responsibility, and rewards that go with this territory, rather than the illusory security of a job and the routine that usually follows. To all of you – Nice Bike!
To your success,
Robert and Sandy
Robert Armstrong & Sanford M. Fisch
Co-Founders
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Road Ste 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com
How many times has this happened to you? You’re meeting with a potential client for the first time, and you get to the end of what you thought was a successful consultation. You think you have a new client, but then you hear the news – they’re meeting with another attorney later in the week to “comparison shop.”
The Academy offers training specifically on the topic of initial consultations. Here are some excerpts – see if any of them might help you out:
Before you address appointments in the future, be sure to uncover appointments they already have had with another law firm! How to do this? Ask questions methodically. For example:
- After finding out what issue has brought the potential client into your office, ask how long it has been an issue.
- Then, find out what actions they’ve taken so far to address the issue. Have they seen other attorneys? Have they gone to another estate planning seminar?
- If the answer is “yes,” then ask them to tell you what happened. Usually, this results in them discussing some disappointing aspect of that meeting. Be sure to ask, “What does the ideal relationship with an estate planning law firm look like?” This lets you know the target!
- If the answer is “no,” then be sure to ask the question mentioned above to uncover what they’re looking for in the attorney and law firm who will handle their estate planning. Here’s a key tip: if you’re consulting with a married couple, be sure to ask each spouse this question. Their responses can be both revealing and helpful. In addition, this helps continue, or establish, rapport with each spouse.
Now, on to the issue of a future appointment. What do you do when you find out that a potential client has a pending appointment with another attorney? Here are some responses you might consider using:
- Ask, “What exactly are you looking for that we have not covered today?” What you are trying to do is get at the real reason they are not moving forward with you today. There usually is a reason and it is often – fees! Questions are the only way you will uncover that. Another approach is to ask, “In my ___ years as an estate planning attorney, I’ve learned that this often means I’ve done something that makes you uncomfortable. Is this the case? If it is, I’d appreciate the feedback.”
What you hear will determine your next questions. However, when they indicate they want to compare others’ fees to what you get, you need to be prepared. Usually, they know what the other firm charges. So ask. When it is lower than your fees you need to ask, “What do you need to hear to convince you that it’s in your best interest to pay the higher fees we charge?”
This will let you know, and help the prospect clarify in their mind, what they are looking for. Sometimes there is nothing you can do when someone wants the lowest fee possible. The fact is that this is likely not the prospect you want as a client anyway.
You want clients who recognize and appreciate the value of your expertise and are willing to pay for it. Carefully qualifying who you accept as a client is a major factor in building the type of firm you want. This is another topic for another day; we call it Client Engagement Standards.
Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Rd., Ste. 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Setting fees for your services… it’s something we could have an endless conversation about. How do you determine what to charge when price is such an elastic thing? And, are you bound by what your competitors are charging?
The first thing you have to do when determining what fees to charge is to stop comparing yourself to other lawyers in your market. And stop thinking of yourself as simply providing a commodity.
You see, one of the factors that cause prices to bunch together in a certain range within a market is competition. But are other lawyers in your area truly your competitors if you’re offering more than just the same old documents… if you’re offering your clients an experience they can’t get anywhere else?
If what you’re offering is unique, then you’re not bound by the conventions of your local market. That’s why the Academy is continually inventing new approaches and strategies to offer to clients, like Legacy Wealth Planning, Access Trusts, Sentry Trusts, and Family Wealth Trusts. These approaches help you provide a level of service – and a transformational experience – that can’t be compared to the average documents being produced by other attorneys in your area.
So, once you’ve differentiated yourself from your competition and broken out of your local price structure, what’s next?
You need to find the right clients – selling to clients who are only looking to buy a commodity will just frustrate you and lead to unnecessary price cuts. Instead, you need to identify your ideal clients – people who will value the artistry you have to offer. And they’re out there. But you need to think, deeply and specifically, about who they are. You need to know things like:
- Where do they live, work and shop?
- What do they do for a living? How much do they earn?
- How many children do they have?
- What are their political leanings?
- What are their dreams, hopes, and fears – what keeps them up at night?
Come up with a profile of your perfect clients, down to every last detail – even naming them – and then construct your business around them.
This is why we keep telling you to raise your fees! Peak Performers create a transformational experience for their ideal clients and receive a major price premium for their efforts.
Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Rd., Ste. 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com
Do you know where your firm’s money is at any given moment? This is a necessity because, as we all know, you can produce a profit and still be short of cash. If you’ve owned a firm for any length of time, you know that money is not a constant. It ebbs and flows, sometimes predictably and sometimes erratically.
The challenge as a business owner is to have strategies in place to make sure that you always have funds available when you need them.
Strategy 1: The first strategy you should employ, if you haven’t already, is to cultivate and maintain a good relationship with a local banker. Bankers tend to move from one financial institution to another as they advance in their careers, and it’s usually a good idea to stay with your banker when he or she moves. So, you’ll need to choose this relationship wisely. If you run into financial difficulty in the future, this person may just be your lifeline amid the nameless, faceless decision-making committees at your bank.
Strategy 2: Your second strategy is to make sure you have a line of credit that’s sufficient to cover any variations in cash flow and to bridge the gap between accounts receivable and accounts payable. This can be the key to your firm’s survival during tough times.
Strategy 3: Your third strategy involves developing another relationship, this time with a “numbers person.” If you want to get a handle on your firm’s finances, you need a relationship with a good CPA or bookkeeper who can track and, more importantly, interpret your firm’s numbers for you on a monthly basis. This means a meeting every month, no later than the tenth of the month, to make sure your firm stays on course.
Over the years, the Academy has developed several financial benchmarks specifically for the use of estate planning attorneys in evaluating whether they’re on track when it comes to their firm’s finances.
Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Rd., Ste. 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com
What financial goals do you have for your firm? More specifically, how much is your practice really capable of producing – and putting in your pocket – on an annual basis? Most attorneys have never really thought about this, but something as simple as having a concrete financial goal for your practice can do amazing things for your firm’s profitability.
So, take a few minutes to come up with a number… and, once you have it in mind, write it down.
Now that you’ve written down your annual goal, you can work on breaking it down further. The next step is to figure out how much revenue your practice needs to bring in on a daily basis to turn the number you’ve just written down into a reality.
Here’s how you do it:
- First, break the year into weeks. There are 52 weeks in a year, but you don’t want to be a slave to your practice, so give yourself four weeks of vacation. Plus, if your office is anything like most firms, things tend to grind to a halt around Christmas, so you’ll want to subtract another two weeks at the end of the year, bringing you to 46 working weeks.
- Next, break those 46 working weeks down into working days. If you worked seven days a week, that would be 322 working days, but I’m assuming you’ll want weekends and national holidays for yourself. There are 11 national holidays and 46 weekends (92 days) each year, leaving you about 219 working days.
- So, let’s assume the dream number you wrote down at the beginning of this exercise was $ 2 million. Divide that by 219 days, and your daily revenue number is $9,132. If your operating expenses run at 50% of gross, then this number puts $1 million in your pocket annually, before taxes.
Of course, everyone’s daily number will be different. Once you find yours, write it down and let your entire team know what the number is. Make sure they understand that, in order for your practice to be a success, this is the number that has to be brought in on a daily basis. And in a successful practice, team members get bonuses.
Keep track of the “number” on a daily basis. Come up with incentives for hitting goals on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis and watch what happens. Once your team is in on the game, you’ll be amazed at how focused and efficient your practice will become.
Sanford M. Fisch
CEO & Co-Founder
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
6050 Santo Rd., Ste. 240
San Diego, CA 92124
858-453-2128
www.aaepa.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Robert Armstrong and Sanford M. Fisch Co-Author the E-Myth Attorney
SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2010–Attorneys nationwide have long looked to Robert Armstrong and Sanford M. Fisch as pioneers in law firm practice management. Now, with the publication of The E-Myth Attorney: Why Most Legal Practices Don’t Work and What to Do About It (ISBN 0470503653, Wiley, http://www.amazon.com/E-Myth-Attorney-Legal-Practices-About/dp/0470503653), Armstrong and Fisch are showing attorneys everywhere exactly how to build a successful legal practice while enjoying a balanced life.
Armstrong and Fisch, co-founders of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. (AAEPA, www.aaepa.com), co-authored The E-Myth Attorney with small business expert Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth: Why Most Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It. Though the authors are estate planning attorneys, the principles they lay out in The E-Myth Attorney can be used to build a thriving legal business regardless of practice type or law firm size.
“This is a NOW read for attorneys. Gerber, Armstrong, and Fisch hit the mark by applying E-Myth principles to the legal profession,” stated Larry V. Parman of Parman & Easterday. “The attorney’s unspoken fear is, ‘What happens if I’m not here’ [The E-Myth Attorney] is a roadmap for creating systems that make a business out of a practice, one that works for you, not you for it… Live and apply these principles and watch what happens to your practice… and your life.”
While most attorneys have a solid understanding of the technical aspects of a legal practice, far fewer have the training or experience needed to run a successful business. The E-Myth Attorney combines Gerber’s business development expertise with Armstrong and Fisch’s experience in implementing legal practice management systems to bridge the gap between attorney and entrepreneur.
The E-Myth Attorney serves as a blueprint for building a practice that attracts qualified clients and produces exceptional work, while allowing time for family and a fulfilling life outside of work. Equally valuable for start-ups and existing practices, the book details the systems and processes Armstrong and Fisch developed in their own successful California law firm. In fact, the American Academy, a national membership organization for attorneys, was built on the foundation of these very same principles. Those systems give attorneys the tools they need to balance successful estate planning practices with quality of life.
A limited number of attorneys will receive The E-Myth Attorney free for participating in the Academy’s August 10, 2010 teleseminar, “7 Deadly Law Firm Mistakes That Can Kill Your Estate Planning Practice.” Though Armstrong and Fisch have co-authored estate planning books for consumers, The E-Myth Attorney is the authors’ first book for attorneys. The authors’ blog, blog.aaepa.com, gives attorneys additional insight into systems and how they serve as the foundation of a thriving practice. Learn more about The E-Myth Attorney and the AAEPA at www.aaepa.com.
For further information please contact:
Erin Laverty
Event and Publicity Coordinator
(858) 453-2128
erin@aaepa.com
Jennifer Price
Director, Member Services
American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.
(858) 453-2128
www.aaepa.com
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