Fee Earner Training

Associates

Consultative Sales

Why is a consultative sales approach appropriate for associates?

Because it is a style of selling which is more natural with associates and feels less like selling and more like servicing the needs of the client.

What is Consultative Sales?

Consultative sales is where the lawyer positions themselves as an advisor / consultant. This means the lawyer may discuss situations, review business performance and offer advice or ideas not always to do with their services. Whilst there are specific skills involved it is about how the lawyer is perceived by the client. So a conversation might be based 'this is what we are trying to achieve' rather than 'can you handle the conveyancing on this property portfolio'.

Consultative selling is not always appropriate. For example we wouldn't want to go into a sandwich shop and be asked 'how hungry are you today', or would we?

The client fee earner relationship is stronger with consultative sales as the conversations are more in depth and based where the client is going, not just on the details of the current transaction.

Consultative Sales skills

The consultative sales skills covered in a workshop can include:

• High level questioning
• Strategic level thinking and analysis
• Market positioning of your client
• Empathetic listening
• Open question closes

Consultative Selling Relationships

The relationship with a client where a consultative selling style has been established will include conversations about their business generally, forthcoming challenges, business opportunities and market conditions. The client gets value out of conversations as it helps them see things in a slightly different way.

For an initial discussion on Consultative Selling at your firm please email us at info@itd.com or call 0870 777 6734