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You Don't Have to Sell to Develop Business

By Chris Fritsch
September 28, 2011

According to industry research experts, every hour spent on business development can yield up to $34,000 in additional fee revenue per year. So why aren't attorneys doing more of it? And why is it so hard to train them to do it effectively?

One reason is that many attorneys are hesitant to focus on business development because they think they will have to become “salespeople.” They likely have some image in their heads of the pushy used car salesman strong-arming some innocent little grandmother, rattling off bells and whistles, overcoming objections and trying desperately to “close” that sale. Their distaste for this type of selling is completely understandable.

More recently though, I have noticed a dichotomy. I've talked with several attorneys who are trying to take control of their careers and who understand that developing business has practically become a prerequisite to partnership. As consummate students, they have read the top books about selling and have come to our meeting full of questions. What do they want to know? How to “pitch” their services or make “an ask.”

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