Mastering the art of asking for the sale close
As an attorney, you excel at many things that make you good at your job. You’re an excellent listener and skilled communicator. You’re organized and methodical in your approach. You’re empathetic and genuinely love helping people overcome their legal issues. And you are surefooted and comfortable talking about what makes you and your law firm stand out amongst your competitors.
But, when it comes to actually asking for a sale and effectively closing a deal, you tend to feel less comfortable. Afterall, you’re an attorney not a salesperson. But when you run a small law firm, asking for the sale and close are skills that are vital to your firm’s livelihood. But how do you become more comfortable and confident with your sale closing abilities? Like most things in life, learning and practicing some solid strategies can make all the difference.
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Be empathetic to prospective clients’ needs
Paint a confident and convincing path forward for prospective clients
Be confident and yourself when asking prospective clients for the sale
Be empathetic to prospective clients’ needs
When prospective clients come to you for help, think about their mindset. They’re facing a lot of uncertainty and are likely feeling stressed and emotional. And the last thing they want, is to feel like you’re trying to force their hand and close a deal. That’s why empathy is so important.
During an initial consultation, practice active listening and really put yourself in a prospective client’s shoes. How are they feeling? What do they need from you? And how can you meet their needs and expectations? Every prospective client is unique and taking the time to understand a bit more about each one’s perspective and personality can help guide your conversation and serve as a guidepost for how to skillfully navigate a sale conversation and close.
Paint a confident and convincing path forward for prospective clients
When it comes to asking for the sale, it can be helpful to paint a picture for a prospective client by outlining the next steps in the process. This can be as simple as saying, “if you’d like to move forward with me, what we’ll do next is XYZ.” Many people respond favorably when prompted to take a logical next step.
And while this approach isn’t overly forceful, it effectively positions you and your firm as the obvious solution to a prospective client’s legal problem. By providing a clear path forward, you can help a potential client feel more secure because you already know what to do next and they’re in good hands when they decide to work with you and your law firm.
Be confident and yourself when asking prospective clients for the sale
You may not be a natural salesperson, but you believe in your skills as an attorney and your firm’s ability to secure a positive legal outcome for clients. Lean into those certainties. Make sure you do more listening initially to really understand a prospective client’s situation and then offer up two to three concrete next steps you’d take to help them.
Steering the conversation this way, positions you as a confident and capable problem-solver and creates an easy and natural transition for you to ask if a prospective client is ready to move forward with this plan. If concerns or objections around the possible duration of a matter, cost of your services, or fears of a negative outcome arise, address these concerns with an understanding and gentle manner and tone. Be forthright and acknowledge that there are uncertainties and costs involved with resolving a legal issue. But also reassure a prospective client that you and your firm will be with them through every step of the process and that you’ll do everything you can to mitigate risks to resolve a matter as quickly as possible.
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