At a recent presentation to the Virginias chapter of the Legal Marketing Association, we called attention to an odd paradox. If you think about the partners in your firm, you’ll likely agree that most of them probably have the raw guts to look another human being in the eye and growl, “I’m going to sue your butt off!”

Yet those same lawyers are seemingly too timid to finish a discussion with a prospective client by politely asking, with the kindest intentions for all concerned, “Will you hire us?”