Let’s face it, most lawyers hate the word “sales.” But if you’re growing a law practice, you are selling, whether you realize it or not.
In this episode of “Be That Lawyer,” I had a great conversation with Dan Lear, who heads up partnerships at InfoTrack, about how lawyers can embrace business development without feeling inauthentic or pushy.
Here are a few key takeaways:
There’s no room for manipulation when everyone has the same data
Dan shared a story about negotiating for a car and doing the classic walkout move.
Five days later, the dealer came back with a discount. Why? Because they knew exactly what that car was worth, and so did he.
The same goes for legal services.
Clients today can compare you with dozens of other lawyers.
The modern buyer is informed, and your role is to be clear, trustworthy, and helpful, not salesy.
Relationships beat résumés
Dan shared how, early in his career, he quickly realized that sending out cold résumés was a losing game.
What worked instead? Meeting people. Being curious. Listening to their stories and connecting with them on a human level.
That natural curiosity and relationship-building mindset turned out to be the most valuable career tool he had.
Qualify or waste time
Dan also emphasized the importance of understanding who the real decision maker is.
Instead of bluntly asking, “Are you the decision maker?” which can come off as offensive, he’d say: “Totally recognizing that you’re going to be a part of this, but who else, if anyone, would be involved in making this decision?”
Ready to position yourself as the go-to expert in your field?
Listen to the full episode here.
Catch our latest “Be That Lawyer” episode here.
Steve Fretzin is a bestselling author, host of the “Be That Lawyer” podcast, and business development coach exclusively for attorneys. Steve has committed his career to helping lawyers learn key growth skills not currently taught in law school. His clients soon become top rainmakers and credit Steve’s program and coaching for their success. He can be reached directly by email at steve@fretzin.com. Or you can easily find him on his website at www.fretzin.com or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.
Join Steve and three of the top contributors to his latest book, “Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmaker Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice,” for a live virtual event at 1 p.m. EST on July 24. Register here.
The post Selling Without The Sleaze: What Lawyers Need To Know About Modern Business Development appeared first on Above the Law.
Let’s face it, most lawyers hate the word “sales.” But if you’re growing a law practice, you are selling, whether you realize it or not.
In this episode of “Be That Lawyer,” I had a great conversation with Dan Lear, who heads up partnerships at InfoTrack, about how lawyers can embrace business development without feeling inauthentic or pushy.
Here are a few key takeaways:
There’s no room for manipulation when everyone has the same data
Dan shared a story about negotiating for a car and doing the classic walkout move.
Five days later, the dealer came back with a discount. Why? Because they knew exactly what that car was worth, and so did he.
The same goes for legal services.
Clients today can compare you with dozens of other lawyers.
The modern buyer is informed, and your role is to be clear, trustworthy, and helpful, not salesy.
Relationships beat résumés
Dan shared how, early in his career, he quickly realized that sending out cold résumés was a losing game.
What worked instead? Meeting people. Being curious. Listening to their stories and connecting with them on a human level.
That natural curiosity and relationship-building mindset turned out to be the most valuable career tool he had.
Qualify or waste time
Dan also emphasized the importance of understanding who the real decision maker is.
Instead of bluntly asking, “Are you the decision maker?” which can come off as offensive, he’d say: “Totally recognizing that you’re going to be a part of this, but who else, if anyone, would be involved in making this decision?”
Ready to position yourself as the go-to expert in your field?
Listen to the full episode here.
Catch our latest “Be That Lawyer” episode here.
Steve Fretzin is a bestselling author, host of the “Be That Lawyer” podcast, and business development coach exclusively for attorneys. Steve has committed his career to helping lawyers learn key growth skills not currently taught in law school. His clients soon become top rainmakers and credit Steve’s program and coaching for their success. He can be reached directly by email at [email protected]. Or you can easily find him on his website at www.fretzin.com or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevefretzin.
Join Steve and three of the top contributors to his latest book, “Be That Lawyer: 101 Top Rainmaker Secrets to Growing a Successful Law Practice,” for a live virtual event at 1 p.m. EST on July 24. Register here.
