Needs & Wants in Sales for Lawyers
Every prospect has needs and wants. The needs are those logical aspects, such as the need for legal counsel for a client’s employment issues. The need to have cases handled professionally. The need to have up to date legal advice in the necessary jurisdictions.
The wants are more emotional drivers, such as wanting to work with a lawyer they like, or wanting to work with a lawyer they see as similar to themselves. Another want might be to be discreet, so that as little press coverage as possible is made of the situation. Needs are the drivers behind the requirement for a lawyer, or law firm. Wants tend to be the drivers behind the choice of law firm and lawyers. Wants are the reasons why a particular law firm is chosen. Not always, because sometimes there might be a logical need behind the decisions, such as to consolidate suppliers, for example. But more often wants are the drivers.
One lawyer’s ability to communicate in a way preferred by a prospect can lead to a business win. That engagement and understanding wins the day.
It is an essential sales skill for lawyers to understand, or get to understand by asking questions, the needs and wants of prospects. Only by doing this can you present your service in a way which is relevant to the prospect, or client.
Which means going into a pitch blind without any preliminary meeting is going to prove very difficult to win.