Obtaining new fee income has become an integral part of legal life for every partner and manager. Not only must one be an expert in a chosen field of law, it is also necessary to develop additional sales skills to guarantee a steady stream of new instructions in an increasingly competitive legal environment.
Many law firms have built up experienced teams of marketing and business development experts to plan specific campaigns, secure valuable public relations, host seminars and prepare stunning, eye-catching literature. These are often time-consuming exercises where stringent follow-up and management is crucial to progress the prospect to the next stage in the buying process. However, once the prospective client has been wooed, the next phase of courtship will take the form of a presentation or a one-to-one business meeting. This will ascertain whether one particular person can work together with another in a professional capacity. This requires a fusion of technical capabilities, industry knowledge and personable social skills. As in many facets of life, the required skills can be coached and adopted through relevant sales training.
