10.30.08
asking for the business – offer your help
One of the issues that comes up most when working with clients is “asking for the business.” Most lawyers are lawyers first and sales people second, or third or close to last. Almost all of the lawyers I know would rather be practicing law than feeling like a sales person.
Asking for business doesn’t have to be about acting like a sales person. Rather, it can be about offering help – help that your potential client would want. Help that you or one of your lawyer colleagues can give.
To demonstrate this point, take a moment right now to think of someone you know (it should be someone who is nice and who seems reputable) who is either a doctor, an accountant, or a dentist. The person cannot be someone who has asked you for their business in the past.
Now, imagine that this person was in conversation with you. Let’s take a dermatologist, for example. What if she said to you, “If you ever need a dermatologist or a second opinion, I would be happy to help you.” Or what if she said, “If you have a dermatologist and some day want to switch dermatologists for some reason, feel free to give me call. I can also give you the names of other doctors whom I know to be highly reputable, if you need them.”
If a dermatologist said that to you, would you be offended or “put off”? Would you feel like she was selling you something? Likely not. Rather, you would be grateful that she would like to help you if the need arises. You probably would walk away from the conversation thinking, “Great. I’m glad to know I have a resource if I ever need one.”
The same is true for lawyers. People encounter times in their lives when they need legal services. You can help them. Or one of your colleagues can help them. (Your competition can help them too, if you don’t ask for the business.)
What if you said to someone, “If you ever need a laywer or a second opinion I would be happy to help you.” or “If you are already using a lawyer and some day want to swtich lawyers for some reason, I would enjoy working with you or I can give you the names of other lawyers whom I know to be reputable.” Do you think the person would be offended or “put off” or feel like they were being sold to? Likely not. Just as with the dermatologist, the person would probably be grateful to know that you would like to help them in any way you can if the need arises.
That’s all “asking for the business is” i.e. letting people know you would like to help them if the need arises. All it takes, is being in that helping mode mindset, which actually comes pretty easily to most women once they view asking for the business from this perspective.
So, the next time you consider shying away from asking for the business, reconsider. See if you can find a way to offer to help your contact either directly, indirectly, or by serving as a referral source. Your contact will likely be grateful that you made the effort to let them know you want to help if the need ever arises.
