Ad-Spot-#1---AAW---March
Ready Set Scale 770
share TWEET PIN IT share share 0
CLIENT DEVELOPMENT

Fretting a Client Sales Meeting? Talk to Yourself

By Allan Colman

Do you get a sinking feeling in your stomach when someone mentions pitching new business to clients? While selling your expertise and your practice’s services gets easier the more you do it, having a few formulas to rely on can help get you started and calm the jitters, too. Get ready for your next sales meeting with a current client by asking yourself (and answering) a few good questions.

Ask Yourself Some Core Questions

First, assess how things are going with the work you are currently doing for this client.

  • How would you define your current relationship? Is there potential for better communication and interaction? Does the relationship need reinforcing?
  • Is the client satisfied with your work? Are you sure the answer is yes? Is there room for improvement?
  • Who are your relationship contact points—both within your firm and within the client’s business? Do those relationships need to be strengthened in case partners or executives move to other firms?
  • How do you rank yourself on activities considered important to the client?
  • How would the client’s team rank you on understanding their business, on client focus, on dealing with unexpected changes, and on commitment to their overall success?

Now, armed with your answers to the above and before deciding on the best approach to the client, ask yourself these additional questions:

  • What internal pressures on your client might impact their receptivity to additional engagements?
  • Who are the final decision-makers for engaging your firm’s services? Have you met the expectations and criteria important to them?
  • After a review of the company’s recent legal history, requirements, litigation, business activity and new products or services, where are your openings to introduce further work?
  • What other firms has the client used, for how long did they use them, and how does your proposed team compare?

It is much better to scrutinize your client relationships before seeking engagements for new business, rather than engaging in soul-searching after the chance for new work is lost. This process may turn up answers that are alarming or uncomfortable, but it allows you the time and space to improve while the client is still within the fold.

Allan Colman, PhD, is CEO of the Closers Group, a legal sales and business development training consultant and a motivational speaker. He is author of Own the Zone: Dominate the Competition, and co-author of the new book Lead Like a Boss. He is at acolman@closersgroup.com.

Illustration ©ImageZoo. 

Sponsored Links
»Simplify Your Practice: Legal Practice Management in the Cloud
»How I Increased My Billable Time by $2,000 Each Month (and Actually Worked Less)
»Cloud-based practice management software: Free 30-day trial!
»Learn More About the Easiest Way to Get Paid.

Categories: Business Development, Daily Dispatch, Law Firm Marketing, Managing a Law Firm
Originally published January 30, 2013
Last updated July 17, 2018
share TWEET PIN IT share share
Allan Colman

Allan Colman is CEO of the Closers Group, a legal sales and business development training consultant and a motivational speaker. For more than two decades, he has helped law firms generate revenue. By listening to and synthesizing how in-house counsel and business executives make decisions, he has brought in millions of new business and built legal business development structures that continue to perform. Colman is the author of Own the Zone: Dominate the Competition (2012), and co-author of Lead Like a Boss (2013).  You can reach him at acolman@closersgroup.com.

 

More Posts By This Author
MUST READ Articles for Law Firms Click to expand
envelope

Welcome to Attorney at Work!

Sign up for our free newsletter.

x

All fields are required. By signing up, you are opting in to Attorney at Work's free practice tips newsletter and occasional emails with news and offers. By using this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understand our Privacy Policy.