I Hate Selling for Lawyers

I Hate Selling for Lawyers

End the “I hate selling” mantra

I hate selling for lawyers. If you’re like most lawyers you probably can’t stand or even hate selling. Some lawyers declare I hate selling, with a passion. But without consistent business development efforts, your practice has no chance of thriving. New business is the lifeblood of every business. The success of your practice is directly related to how well you sell.

I regularly encounter lawyers who believe that providing excellent service by representing their clients is enough to create a thriving practice. They dig in their heels in and refuse to believe they have to sell their expertise and the value of their practice.

Their mindset and beliefs about what selling means to them, is holding them back. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being in sales; there’s only something wrong with your perception of it. I hate selling for lawyers.

Some attorneys approach sales with a pessimistic attitude, largely because they possess a skewed perception of what it means to be in sales. They think that selling means turning on the sleaze-o-meter and using a bunch of slick sales talk. They mistakenly believe selling involves manipulating clients and acting pushy or aggressive. That fixed mindset causes lawyers to dislike, or even hate, the process of selling. If you think you have to manipulate people to hire you, then you are going about it the wrong way.

I hate selling for lawyers. I have never met an attorney who told me they get excited about business development and eager to go out and find new business. They tell me that law school didn’t prepare them to sell. It’s not surprising that so many attorneys feel resistance when it comes to business development.

Some attorneys I work with have a “love-hate” relationship with business development and sales. They love what a new client means for their practice and “hate” the process of what it takes to retain a new client. These reluctant rainmakers love the law but hate the work to attract and close new business.

A paradigm shift is in the making. Attorneys are finally waking up to the fact that they have to sell. The effort put into sales and business development will feed the lifeblood of your practice. Clients and new business are the only way to keep your practice sustainable.

Many attorneys ask me if I could coach and teach them how to sell without selling. Not possible! I believe that you can sell without being pushy, manipulative and salesy. I believe you can sell without using high pressure and old-school techniques. I don’t believe you can sell without selling. It would be the same as attempting to go swimming without getting wet.

You must be actively involved in business development. I can’t think of a single exception to the rule. The old adage states that in life, nobody gets out alive. In law, no practice survives without new business. You don’t have to be in love with selling; you just have to do it. I don’t love accounting, but I know I have to do it!

Successful business development and sales is not about “closing” people. It is about helping clients close themselves. Create an atmosphere and experience that makes clients want to do business with you over your competition.

Technical legal skill will not suffice in today’s economy. Sales and communication skills are no longer nice to have, they are a must have. You will never grow your practice if you are waiting for referrals or the phone to ring. You must put yourself out there.

The best way to grow your practice is by creating a comprehensive business development plan. There is no one size fits all approach. You create your own rainmaking plan. A plan that leads to a successful, satisfying and sustainable practice.

My sales consulting and training firm creates business development and sales programs for professionals to dismantle the damaging clichés about selling. Through our customized tools, approach, and programs, we show professionals how to go from being a reluctant rainmaker to a revenue producing machine. Once they begin their customized program, they appreciate how much more enjoyable and lucrative business development can be.

Is it time to evolve your skills? Are you ready to differentiate your firm from the competitors? Attorneys who know how to sell attract more clients. They generate more referrals. They create more revenue.

Your next move will determine your success. Don’t let your love-hate relationship with sales and selling stifle your income and success.