Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

<b><i>Sales Speak:</i></b> 'Speed-Reading' Your Clients

By Victoria Arnold
April 02, 2015

One characteristic that successful rainmakers share is their ability to quickly establish relationships and close the sale. How do they do it? Many are keen observers, good listeners and have honed their abilities to match their own interpersonal/communication style with that of their prospective clients. They have naturally learned how to “speed-read” people. This helps them increase the probability of smoother sailing through every step of the business development cycle. But one need not be a “natural” to be effective in this arena.

Anyone can learn how to improve his or her abilities to speed-read people, thanks to an ever-growing body of research and assessment tools (Myers Briggs Type Indicator, DiSC, and HBDI, to name a few) that are designed to identify personal preferences and communication styles. Many books, seminars and certification programs are devoted to this topic. One could spend a lifetime delving ever deeper into the nuances of communication. Fortunately, it is possible to focus on several key concepts that can enhance business development efforts. This article highlights a few of these, and draws heavily on the concepts outlined in the Myers Briggs. (Disclosure: the author is certified in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator,' the oldest and most widely used assessment instrument.)

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent Trolls Image

With trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.