The ABC's of Legal Marketing - Q is for Questions

Many business professionals are taught craft and memorize a unique "Elevator Pitch" so that when they meet someone new they can clearly and concisely tell the person the highlights of their career.   While being able to communicate to others what makes you great at your job is important, the amount of attention placed on the elevator pitch mistakenly causes people to lead with their own story when they meet new people.

The problem is that people do not care much about you and what you do before they know you care about them.  Get people to talk about their life rather than hearing about yours in the moments after you meet them for the first time.  When you immediately begin a rehearsed commercial about yourself, it does not necessarily advance the relationship.

Asking questions is important to successful business development.  Your goal is not to pepper clients and prospects with facts and figures about your practice.  Instead you want to discover as much information as you can about their unique situations.  Do this by posing open-ended question and then listening closely to their answers.

Eventually you will get your chance to talk about yourself, but the most successful lawyers know how to gain information before simply reciting a practiced pitch.

Some examples of the types of questions are:

• What is your biggest challenge this year?

• How are you unique from your competition?

• What could happen this month that would positively or negatively impact your business?

• Describe your goals for this year?

• Where do you see you business/career in five years?

• In what ways could the right attorney impact your business?

• Who in our community would you most like to meet?

The answers to these questions can give you the type of information you need to customize your own dialogue about your business services when the time is right.  When you understand what others want and need, and then can find ways to give it to them, you will win more business.  Zig Ziglar famously said "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want."

Have A Great Day

thom singer

 Thom Singer is experienced in legal marketing and business development.  He regularly speaks at law firm retreats inspiring attorneys to embrace their brand and increase their sales.  He also teaches lawyers ways to improve their presentation skills as the firm's secret weapon for business development success.  More information at www.ThomSinger.com.