Exciting Opportunities When you appear like a salesperson, it's important to take precautions and not make eye contact. Here are some things to keep in mind:

 Exciting Opportunities When you appear like a salesperson, it's important to take precautions and not make eye contact. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Your prospect's sales defenses will go into overdrive if you come across as pushy or pushy-like. Because your prospect will no longer trust you, you are severely handicapped. It might also mean losing out on the chance to acquire that prospect as a customer.

The question of control is central to the distinction between sales-based marketing and marketing that focuses on education. The goal of sales-based marketing is to remove agency from the customer. After that, the salesperson takes control of the conversation by asking pertinent questions that will lead the prospect to make the desired commitment.

Ads that focus on education have the reverse effect. It stops trying to influence the outcome. On the contrary, you should focus on educating the prospect about his problem and then offering services to help him solve it. You should never let a prospect down by making it clear that he is in charge of the hiring decision. Marketing that focuses on education treats potential customers with the same level of respect and decency that you and I expect from others.

If you want to avoid coming across as pushy, follow this list of things not to do.

Don't call potential customers without first establishing a rapport. Clearly, you are a salesperson if you act like this. Is it annoying when strangers call you and try to sell you something? Just because you have a law degree doesn't mean you can't cold call potential clients.

DO: Plan your advertising campaign such that real prospects are easy to spot and contact. To achieve this, craft an instructional message that informs prospects of the issues they are facing and the ways in which you can address them. Advertising, media publicity, seminars, newsletters, websites, cassette tapes, and any other means your prospects find convenient and comfortable are all fair game when it comes to delivering your marketing information. You can put information into your prospects' hands in a number of powerful and effective ways.

Second, unless the new contact specifically requests it, you should not give him your business card. Any time you shake someone's hand and then use your left hand to pass them a business card, it's a dead giveaway that you're a salesperson. At that point, your prospect will know that everything you say is a sales pitch meant to make him do something he isn't necessarily interested in.

DO: It's always a good idea to ask a prospect if they would like a card if they don't ask for one during your conversation. (The prospect is then free to decide whether or not to take your card.) Unsolicitedly giving your card to a prospect is never a good idea. Be patient and wait for him to ask or for him to respond positively to your offer of one before you give it to him.

Thirdly, avoid requiring a face-to-face meeting before disclosing any information. Anyone who uses the tired old sales pitch about "let's get together so we can discuss your needs" is setting themselves up for a sales pitch. When you use the needs approach too frequently, prospects will notice that you learned it in sales school. Your prospect will likely remember a previous encounter with an agent who insisted on meeting in person when you withheld information and demanded a meeting, whether it was with his real estate broker, life insurance company, or someone else. Therefore, your prospect will be suspicious of you when you make this offer. He becomes even more defensive and searches for a reason to call off the meeting as a result of this.

DO: Whether it's over the phone or in person, you should always be prepared to answer questions and give information. When you are honest and forthright with information, you boost your credibility significantly. Actually, it's a good idea to provide your educational handouts to potential customers so they know you have useful resources available to them. Your prospects will see you as superior to other lawyers once they understand that you aren't attempting to conceal anything or control the flow of information. Because he can see that you genuinely care about being of service to him, your prospect reacts positively.


Fourthly, don't hide your prices. Your answer to the fee question will have significant consequences. You get to decide. Potential customers inquire about costs for two main reasons: First, to determine your rates. And two, to find out if you'll be honest with them or attempt to sidestep the problem.

Customers are wise to the fact that vacuum cleaner salespeople, like the vast majority of salespeople, will skirt the topic of price until they are almost at the end of their presentation. The more you juggle your hourly rate, your prospect thinks it will be higher. Furthermore, it demonstrates to him that you have not been truthful in responding to his inquiries, at least regarding this particular instance.

Do what the prospect asks: give him a numerical answer to his question. Give him your usual rate per hour. Your prospect's immediate need to hear you insert a number is satisfied. Next, reassure him that you will provide him with a price range, estimate, or quote once you gather more information about the services he requires. Not only does this make a good first impression, but it also makes a good second impression when you inform him that you will give him a better answer once you have more information.

Avoid asking questions that are meant to trap your prospect (DON'T #5). A three-question close is taught by Zig Ziglar in one of his books. I imagine Ziglar would put it delicately like this: By asking a prospect just three questions, you can demonstrate to him the value of your product or service.

Yes, my friend, you heard correctly. It sounds more like a carnival barker to someone like me, who is sick of salespeople and phone solicitors. A seemingly innocent conversation can be transformed into a jaw-dropping trap that forces your prospect to sign your contract in just 30 seconds by asking three simple questions.

If we apply this strategy, what will happen? First things first: since you managed to catch your prospect, you should be at the very top of his list of people he doesn't trust. Must I proceed any further? In your opinion, is it nice when people treat you this way? Undoubtedly not.

TAKE: A compelling marketing presentation lays out all the information your prospect needs to make an informed decision about hiring you. Then, it stresses that you'll spare no effort in providing your prospect with all the data he needs to make a well-informed choice. By highlighting the dangers your prospect faces if they wait and the severity of those risks, you can make the message seem more urgent. But you should never let your prospect forget that the final decision is entirely up to him; you should also be available to answer his questions, give him information, and guide him toward the best choice, if he so desires.

Sixthly, avoid offering services at a trade show booth. There are already enough issues with the public's perception of lawyers. You definitely don't want to appear like that guy who's trying to sell you a vegetable peeler, slicer, cutter, chop, corer, or cucumber. Remember that your perception is irrelevant, even if you refuse to see a trade show in that light or try to justify yourself out of the comparison. Your prospect's perspective is the only one that counts. Plus, a prospect will automatically think you're trying to sell them something when he sees you standing in a trade show booth. You want to stay away from that look.

DO: One of the most important aspects of marketing that many lawyers fail to consider is the opportunity for interaction that trade shows give. Luckily, there are better and more respectable ways to incorporate interaction into your marketing program. You can, for instance, speak with prospects on the phone, in person, at seminars, over lunch, or even while playing golf.

If you come across as a salesperson, your prospects will likely respond in kind. Their behavior is directed away from you. They view you with suspicion. Not even talking to you will pique their interest. To that end, I contend that attorneys should shun sales-based advertising.

The key to respectfully attracting new clients is education-based marketing, so maintain an educational stance to boost your prospects' trust, respect, and confidence.

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