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I DIDN’T GO TO LAW SCHOOL TO BE A
SALESPERSON: PRACTICAL TIPS TO
DEVELOP NEW BUSINESS
By Terrie S. Wheeler, MBC
To attract new clients, consider that both sales and best clients how they found you. It is highly likely they
marketing are part of the mix. Lawyers quickly acknowledge marketing is not something they learned in law school, and that doing marketing doesn’t come
naturally to them. If lawyers are really honest with themselves, most engage in marketing activities because they feel they have to, not because they genuinely enjoy the process. However, there are always exceptions. It’s easy to conclude that the lawyers who are successful in marketing have inherent strengths in this area; they were born to market. The truth is, the vast majority of lawyers we work with simply want to do what they do best, practice law. They hope that word of their expertise will spread near and far: “If you build it they will come!” Enter the article you are reading right now; the purpose of which is to remove the mystique and mild distaste of sales by focusing on innovative and results-oriented strategies you can implement in your practice today. Consider the following tips:
1. Dispel the advertising myth. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a direct correlation between spending a lot of money on marketing and attracting new, high quality clients. In fact, many lawyers who throw money at marketing hoping to advertise their way to success end up disappointed with the results. The reason? Successful sales and marketing is about relationship building. Ask your
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were referred to you by someone they trust.
2. Know the difference between sales and marketing. Marketing is about the messages you convey, and sales is about asking the right questions. Marketing is what you do to build name recognition in the marketplace. You are marketing when you provide exceptional client service, add content to your website, write an article, speak to a group, make a referral, host an event, write a proposal, research a prospective client or referral source, and attend trade or professional association meetings. You market through your visual identity, being quoted in the paper, serving on a board, and engaging in social media.
3. Learn what sales for lawyers really means.
Sales is the art of asking the right questions – not the proverbial dog and pony show where you talk about who you are, your credentials, and what a fabulous lawyer you are. Sales is not about you. Rather, it is about the person sitting in front of you, and your ability to help that person solve a problem they are facing. Sales involves asking probing questions, listening and digging deeper. As a lawyer, you are inherently good at sales (yes, I really said that!). Law school trains