FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – Following a recent engagement as a marketing keynote speaker for the Beverly Hills Bar Association, an attendee asked me a question about the importance of first impressions in making law sales. For anyone engaged in legal sales or who provides business development presentations, it's hard t deny that the role fo first impressions is the foundation for an excellent question.One of the best answers can be based on Malcolm Gladwell's “Blink.” The book's subtitle – ” the Power of thinking without thinking” – is critical to understnding the value of first impressions as you prepare for first contacts with a new prospect.Whether meeting someone at a conference during a coffee break, sending an email inquiry, responding to an RFPJ, or engaging with a prospect on any level, snap decisions are made within 2 seconds. That's right; the first two seconds can be all it takes for a potential cleint to makie s snap decision about a lawyer, a law firm, or a legal consulting proposal. If the impression is positive, the door will be open and there will be plenty of opportunity to expand on what you have to offer. Overcoming a neutral or negative response, however, requires a great deal of energy and a much stronger legal selling skill set.From our side of the table, it can be difficult to determine what the “ blink” factor is. Therefore, if you are looking for business development training, be sure to focus on training that emphasizes presenting your understanding of a prospect's business within the first moments of any discussioin. Identifying from the start that you want to align interests with your prospect – focusing on asking questions about the prospect's needs and responsibilities to stakeholders – enables you to highlight your (and your firm's) ability and set the right tone for developing business. Allan Colman, the Closers [email protected]

FIRST IMPRESSIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – Following a recent engagement as a marketing keynote speaker for the Beverly Hills Bar Association, an attendee asked me a question about the importance of first impressions in making law sales. For anyone engaged in legal sales or who provides business development presentations, it's hard t deny that the role fo first impressions is the foundation for an excellent question.One of the best answers can be based on Malcolm Gladwell's “Blink.” The book's subtitle – ” the Power of thinking without thinking” – is critical to understnding the value of first impressions as you prepare for first contacts with a new prospect.Whether meeting someone at a conference during a coffee break, sending an email inquiry, responding to an RFPJ, or engaging with a prospect on any level, snap decisions are made within 2 seconds. That's right; the first two seconds can be all it takes for a potential cleint to makie s snap decision about a lawyer, a law firm, or a legal consulting proposal. If the impression is positive, the door will be open and there will be plenty of opportunity to expand on what you have to offer. Overcoming a neutral or negative response, however, requires a great deal of energy and a much stronger legal selling skill set.From our side of the table, it can be difficult to determine what the “ blink” factor is. Therefore, if you are looking for business development training, be sure to focus on training that emphasizes presenting your understanding of a prospect's business within the first moments of any discussioin. Identifying from the start that you want to align interests with your prospect – focusing on asking questions about the prospect's needs and responsibilities to stakeholders – enables you to highlight your (and your firm's) ability and set the right tone for developing business. Allan Colman, the Closers [email protected]