How to learn to sell legal services. How to sell services to a client: step-by-step instructions. How to sell legal services at a high price

Many sellers have to sell services rather than goods. This area is in demand. Such services are provided in medical, educational institutions, in beauty salons, taxis. They are provided not only by companies, but also by individuals performing certain work. But not everyone knows how to properly organize a business so that it brings stable and high income. How to sell services will be discussed in the article.

Why is this necessary?

Entrepreneurs are often called upon to sell services with goods. Many companies pay more for this. But not all sellers understand why this is necessary. Is it possible to sell services if the business has just opened? This must be done. You just need to use proven methods.

It all comes down to the fact that the service is considered, that is, the profit from it is higher than from goods. For example, the markup on an air conditioner may not be noticeable; during the season, the sale of this equipment often brings a small profit. But if the installation of equipment is ordered, the company will receive a high income, which will pay for everything.

Principles of selling goods

All people have different methods of receiving information: a person can be visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Some remember everything visually, others by hearing, and still others by touching the object. For a full-fledged person, all 3 methods work, but there is always a more comfortable one.

Selling something to visual and kinesthetic learners is difficult. The seller can talk a lot about the product, but if the buyer does not see or touch it, then it will not be easy to sell it. Many customers search for products on their own, so they focus on their senses. So it is important to use sales methods that suit the majority of people.

Features of service delivery

The service is considered a more delicate thing. For the client to like it, you need to learn how to present it correctly. How to sell services? You should rely on proven principles:

• services must be of high quality, otherwise they will not be popular with clients;
• training of sellers plays an important role, since the success of trade largely depends on them;
• it is important to create visualization of services: brochures, leaflets, posters, folders, presentations - this is how buyers perceive information better;
• clients must be confident in the safety, receipt individual approach.

If you take these rules into account, you can correctly sell goods and services. This will help attract customers who may become regular ones. At the same time, it is necessary to improve the work of your company, improve the quality of service and find new methods of attracting customers.

Step by step instructions

What services can you sell? Any, the main thing is to use proven methods:

• it is necessary to choose an implementation method taking into account the needs of clients;
• it is necessary to introduce unique features into the activity that are unlike competitive ones;
• it is important to clearly position the company;
• it is necessary to use flexible pricing;
• you need to create a convenient purchasing process;
• it is necessary to advertise services;
• An individual approach is important for each client.

With such principles, you can promote any services, making them in demand. It is important to choose an appropriate distribution method, for example, by telephone, via the Internet or other media.

Visualization

Consumers need to see the work, so they need to be shown a video or photo. You can provide consultations and conduct trainings. If this information work, then you can submit reports on electronic media, for example, screenshots, presentations.

Consumers need to evaluate performance results, so they should be shown. Facts about the work done have great value. If the consumer is satisfied with everything, he will definitely seek help.

Selling services by phone

This type of sales is considered one of the most difficult. This is how they work now various companies: banking services, Forex. Investments, installation of meters, Internet connection. How to sell a service over the phone? You must adhere to the following rules:

• due to high competition, good sales scripts are needed to help with clients;
• sellers must use sales techniques and also know everything about the services they offer;
• it is important to be able to work with objections and close transactions correctly;
• telephone sales should be carried out using paraverbal communication - intonation, voice;
• it's important to do required quantity calls for a specific period of time.

It should be borne in mind that whatever service is offered, if it is in demand, it is necessary to find a client. This is often done with the help of It is necessary to monitor the work of competitors.

Internet use

How to sell legal services, as well as medical, transport? You must have your own website designed according to modern requirements. What services can you sell using it? Perfect for booking tickets, making translations, consulting in various areas of life.

The site should contain informative, optimized articles. There must be feedback, payment acceptance function, reviews section. It is necessary to take advantage of opportunities social networks, which can be used to create a community. This will allow you to come into contact with customers. You can create advertising on the Internet in other ways.

How to lure clients?

Necessary in business strong people. And if there are a lot of clients, you should not relax. Competitors can lure them to their side at any time. How to sell services so that there are always people willing to buy them? Poaching methods must be used. Now this is practically the only option to increase sales.

Competitors have pros and cons. We should build on the shortcomings marketing policy. It is important to offer more favorable conditions than in other companies. For example, Internet providers offer free connection and setup. Such techniques will help you find many new customers.

Dumping

How to sell services so that it brings profit high profits? You can use dumping - reducing the cost (below the market price). This tactic is needed to oust small firms from the market. Dumping is great for promoting a company.

Just keep in mind that those customers who came for the price can quickly disappear. They will not be permanent, because they are attracted by more profitable options that may appear in other companies.

Competitors' mistakes

How to properly sell services in other ways? You can take advantage of your competitors' mistakes. We need to benefit from this. For example, if a provider has a communication outage, competitors whip up panic using the media. At this time, it is important to offer more favorable conditions.

Secrets of successful selling

You need to focus on the client, not the service. This is the key to success in business. For a client, you need to become a friend who is attentive to his interests. Every little detail is important to service users. You should quickly respond to requests, phone calls, and greet politely. The first impression is important.

The company must be honest with consumers. Therefore, promises must be kept. Only quality services will be sought. If discounts and promotions are offered, then all this should be realistic for the client.

Correct positioning of services is necessary. Consumers rate this based on personal experience. This is how it turns out popular opinion about the work of the company. If one consumer likes the company’s activities, he will offer to use its services to other people. Each person is unique, therefore, with the help of an individual approach, you can form a positive attitude towards the work of the company.

Services in demand

Currently the best selling services are:

• household;
• informational;
• advertising;
• transport;
• specialized.

Home services will always be in demand as people constantly need help in their daily lives. This could be home renovation, cosmetology work, or a hairdresser. Ateliers, clothing repairs, and dry cleaning are in demand. It’s no wonder that many such companies are opening now.

Household services include caring for the sick and children. Some use such help due to lack of time, others - due to lack of skills. Opening a company providing household services does not require large investments, compared to other types of business.

Sell household services You can use advertising, publications on the Internet, distributing brochures and booklets. It is necessary to regularly arrange discounts and promotions for customers, and then they will become permanent.

Information services are in demand. They allow you to receive advice from specialists in various fields: recruiting, searching for clients, auditing, consulting on special issues, collecting information, training courses.

Information services can be advertised through radio, television, newspapers, and the Internet. Each client should be provided with a business card and a brochure with types of activities. An individual approach to each person helps to attract buyers of services.

Advertising services, which are necessary for every company, are popular. You can create banners, organize events, place advertisements. The services of animators and promoters are in demand. Companies need help creating websites and promoting them.

Popular in Russia This can be the transportation of goods, passengers, courier delivery. All types are in demand for this activity. effective advertising. Specialized services include medical, legal, technical, and construction. Each of these areas is promoted through proper sales management.

18/10/2013

The nature of the legal business is that you will always find it difficult to compete on price. Whatever low prices No matter what you offer, there will still be colleagues who will offer legal services cheaper. Competing on price is a dead-end development path legal practice. Why, then, do most lawyers not seek to sell their services at a high price? The following standard objections are encountered:

Customers won't buy;
- competitors are cheaper;
- in our city no one sells services at high prices.

Let's look at how to increase fees in practice without scaring off clients.

Prices for legal services - abstraction

How much does it cost to litigate a criminal case in court? The lawyers I worked with in Russia quoted a range from $1,000 to $50,000 for trial work. Will a $50,000 lawyer provide 50 times better defense than a $1,000 lawyer? Unlikely. Then why can one lawyer charge many times more than another? It's simple. Let us define several axioms regarding pricing:

High fees are technology

Why is one lawyer able to charge high fees, while another is content with significantly less? For me, as a legal marketer, high prices are one of the marketing technologies which everyone can use. Below in the article I will describe methods that will allow you to painlessly raise prices for legal services. But first, let's get the main thing out of the way.

Why is it worth learning how to sell legal services at a high price?

First, the ability to sell services saves your time. A smaller number of cases with high fees makes it possible to concentrate on each of them, thereby increasing the quality of work.

Second, as we have already said, price in the legal business is a measure of quality. If you learn to charge high fees and can justify them to clients, you will give a big advantage to your practice as a whole - clients will perceive you as a better specialist.

So, enough of the lyrics, let’s look at it in practice.

How to sell legal services at a high price?

Let's look at a few simple methods, how to sell your services at a higher price.

Method one. Just raise the price

What happens if you increase the price by 10-20%? Most likely - nothing. As can be seen from my practice, clients do not even notice such changes. In our world, prices are constantly rising, so a small change in price will not be noticeable. Try revising your price list starting Monday and raising prices by 7%. If any of the clients notice, then politely explain that the cost of renting an office has increased, utility bills, contributions to funds, taxes (select the most appropriate option).

Method two. Sell ​​value

A classic statement in marketing is, “Nobody needs drills, everyone needs holes.” Likewise, customers need the value that you provide when providing a service. By entrusting your business to you, the client receives peace of mind, time savings, confidence in the result and other benefits.

I'll tell you an example from our practice. In Krasnoyarsk, the task was to increase sales of subscription services in law firm. We have prepared booklets and presentations that clearly demonstrate how our legal outsourcing saves entrepreneurs up to $11,000. We made an analogy with trips to Thailand. At the same time, the cost of services was increased by 15%. As a result, we talked to the potential client in a language he understood: “If you order outsourcing from us, you will save three vacations in Thailand in a year.” As a result, sales increased by 30%.

Method three. Working on fame

Fame sells. The more famous you are among your audience, the easier and more expensive you can sell your services. Set a goal to publish 12 articles in the media during the year, plus find opportunities to give 12 interviews. Believe me, after this your fame will reach a new level.

Method four. Make your service unique

The more unique the service, the more expensive it can be sold. To make your service unique, analyze the market and find out what your colleagues are doing. Think about what you can offer on your part that will add additional value to your service.

Example: many law firms offer such a service as obtaining Ukrainian citizenship. In Kazan, we did the following - we introduced the concept of opening a “turnkey” business. Along with registration, we offered clients the development of three standard contracts. In fact, they combined two services into one. This move allowed us to raise prices by 50%.

Method five. Surcharge for urgency

As you know, there are clients to whom the service should have been provided “yesterday”. Great! For urgent service, enter a 20% surcharge to the cost of the service. At the same time, explain to the client that an urgent matter requires an individual approach, which is why you will have to slightly “push aside” the cases of other clients. Clients simply love it when others are bullied, at least verbally, because of them.

Method six. Additional payment for working with a managing partner

Are you a leader, but at the same time still a practicing lawyer? You have to pay extra to work with a managing partner! How many? At least 30-50%! The client understands this! For him, you are the most experienced wolf on the team, and he is willing to pay extra for this experience.

Method seven. We introduce options in our services

If you have ever experienced buying a car, then the following situation will be familiar to you. When you look at the price in the price list, it is quite reasonable. But then marketers prepared a surprise in the form of “options”! You choose one, the other one seems to be needed too, and I would like this one too. As a result, you were “conned” for an amount that is 20-30% higher than the initial one!

I propose to introduce this principle into your practice. You work with the client around the clock - plus 10% to the standard price! We are ready to outsource consultation on both personal and production issues - plus 15% to the contract cost!

Method eight. We use chants

In practice, we are faced with the fact that many law firms miss out on their sales for one simple reason - they simply do not offer the client to buy.

Have you been to McDonald's? When purchasing, you will always be asked: “Will you take the pie?” A simple question, but it can significantly increase the company's sales. This technique is called speech. Speech is a standard phrase that is used to invite a client to buy an additional service.

Example. At one bar association in Moscow, we sought to increase sales of the “Support of Enforcement Proceedings” service. A standard speech module was developed for negotiations with a client: “Tell me, will you seek execution of the court decision yourself? We have a service “Support of enforcement proceedings”, our specialists will force bailiffs to work for only 10% of the amount collected... payment upon delivery.” A simple phrase, but it worked about 30% of the time.

Method nine. Introducing a VIP offer

The method is as follows: we introduce into our service, for example, divorce, a VIP package worth $10,000. When a client asks how much it costs, we first talk about the “VIP” service, then about the “Standard” service, which costs $2,000. Is it true that after “VIP” “Standard” already seems inexpensive? The most surprising thing is that approximately every tenth person buys the service at the VIP tariff. In general, you understand the principle.

Instead of a conclusion

I often hear from professionals that a 10% increase in the cost of services (or a discount of the same amount) are little things that should not be paid attention to.

Let's do some math. Let's say you sell your service for $100, the cost of the service is $30, your total profit is $70. What happens if you raise the price by 10%? That's right, you will sell your service for $110 and your profit will be $80, that is, an increase of 14%.

This is only in one go! And you can apply 2-3 techniques right away, increasing your profits by 30-40% without costs.

The main takeaway is this: By understanding how customers perceive your pricing and implementing a few of the techniques described above, you can ultimately increase your profits by 100% or more!

Dmitry Zasukhin - legal marketer, Moscow (RF)

Legal marketing. How to sell legal services? Dmitry Zasukhin

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Title: Legal marketing. How to sell legal services?
Author: Dmitry Zasukhin
Year: 2016
Genre: PR, Just about business, Advertising, Marketing strategy, Law

About the book “Legal Marketing. How to sell legal services? Dmitry Zasukhin

The legal business in Russia is growing rapidly, which inevitably leads to increased competition. The book examines the fundamental instrument of competition - effective sales. The author talks about the strategy and tactics of selling legal services, offers specific techniques and tools that allow you to sell legal services most effectively. The book will be of interest to legal business owners and privately practicing lawyers.

On our website about books you can download and read the site for free online book“Legal Marketing. How to sell legal services? Dmitry Zasukhin in epub, fb2, txt, rtf formats. The book will give you a lot of pleasant moments and real pleasure from reading. Buy full version you can from our partner. Also, here you will find latest news from the literary world, learn the biography of your favorite authors.

For beginning writers there is a separate section with useful tips and recommendations, interesting articles, thanks to which you yourself can try your hand at literary crafts.

Very often at a seminar, lawyers interrupt me and say: “How can I tell the client? Then they will go and do it themselves. Why do they need me?
Tell me, if the same dentist tells you in detail and shows you how to put fillings, will you go and put a filling, even if you have the equipment for your family? The answer is obvious. It’s the same in your practice. And the client who goes to resolve legal issues himself, as a rule, is not your client. You won't get anything other than brainwashing from such self-taught people.
It is important to understand! The appeal of free stuff is deeply embedded in our brains. It is beyond any rational explanation.
If you want to be successful in attracting clients, you will need to implement a free strategy:

2.11. Strategy 11. Decoy services

I have repeatedly said that the consumer is constantly haunted by fear: “Did I choose the right lawyer? Will they help me? These fears prevent the client from easily contacting you and paying you money.
Stepping a little aside, I will say that these fears are quite natural and are present in any human relationship. Take, for example, the relationship between a man and a woman. How does a man meet and establish a relationship with a woman? Does he immediately invite her to spend the night with him? (No, there is, of course, the method of Lieutenant Rzhevsky, but, as you know, you can get it in the face). A man begins with insignificant advances: invitations to a restaurant, a movie, or a walk. This way the man shows: I’m not scary, you can trust me, everything will be fine.
Remember! The main strategy in marketing legal services is not to sell the client on the first touch.
How to put this into practice?
There is a concept in marketing front-end(bait) - a service or product with which we catch our client.
How to build such a “hook” in the legal business? General rule is this: Offer the consumer a low-cost or free service that allows them to interact with your business.
Hook service options for legal business
Free consultations.
Free document preparation.
Books.
Seminars.
Free information products (articles, videos).
Which of these options should you choose? The easiest way is to create a series information products helping the client solve their problem. This could be a series of articles, video consultations, recordings of your seminars.
Remember! Having spent once on recording an information product, you can attract customers for years.
For example, let's say you are involved in divorce proceedings. Make a series of articles on the topic “How to get a divorce, saving nerves and money”, release a video “The 10 most important mistakes when filing a divorce.”
How does this affect the client?
Remember how a man cares for a woman. The same thing will happen to your client: they will come to the office, receive free material, understand that you are a professional in your field, and will pay you money for a legal divorce settlement.
Important note! Such information materials should only contain useful information! No water!
What if the reception doesn’t work?
Let me show you how global brands successfully apply this technique in practice:
Printers: cheap devices - then come expensive cartridges.
Gillette razors: cheap machines - expensive blades.
IT services (telephony, hosting): the ability to use the service for two weeks for free.
Cars: test drives.
For bait services to work effectively, use them as an element of two-step advertising:

2.12. Strategy 12. Customer training

The legal sales paradigm has changed. Every year it becomes more and more difficult for lawyers to break through the barriers of secretaries, executive assistants, and ordinary employees in sales. What is the reason? The reason is that in business schools and books we were taught: the goal of any business is to satisfy the customer's needs. So hundreds of law firms are striving to satisfy this need. All modern sales negotiation techniques are aimed at asking what the client needs and then offering him a solution.
Lawyers are greatly mistaken in thinking that clients clearly understand what they want, what need they want to satisfy. Practice shows that the majority of clients do not have their needs formed. They most likely notice that they have legal problems, but do not attach any importance to it. Formulating a new paradigm for selling legal services, we can say: first you need to create a need among the consumer, and only then move on to satisfying it.
How to start forming needs? There is only one answer: through training clients and increasing general legal literacy.
What do clients want to learn from lawyers?
Clients are more likely to buy your services if you can teach them the following things:
How to run a business more efficiently and profitably using legal knowledge and skills.
How to avoid mistakes when resolving legal issues in business.
What to do if an error occurs. How to act wisely.
Simply put, clients want you to teach them how to do business more efficiently, how to get more value, how to reduce costs by applying your legal knowledge.
The old legal sales paradigm said that clients themselves knew what they needed. New paradigm allows you to get ahead of your competitors by shaping the needs of your customers through their education.
To some extent, sales are transformed into the approach that we have in medicine: the doctor will first educate you, give you a consultation, and then write a prescription.
What benefits will customer training give you?
More attracted clients. First, training is a great enticement service. For example, by inviting a client to your seminar, you will remove the initial fear and be able to move on to more substantive negotiations. Secondly, by training the client, you make him more professional, he begins to understand legal issues more easily and makes purchases easier.

A simple everyday example.
The most striking method of teaching smokers not to smoke is to show them the lungs of a smoker. If you want clients to order, for example, the implementation of a bankruptcy procedure, show them what will happen if the bankruptcy procedure is not launched on time.

More sales to existing customers. When we start training clients, we shape their needs. In practice, we get excellent results and repeat sales increase.
Increased profits. Training may be an independent service for which you will charge money. One of our clients, a criminal lawyer, conducts training at enterprises. He trains employees on what to do in the event of a search. He charges very good money for such instruction.
Conducting seminars, consulting, and training can be a good additional source of income.
Customer retention. It is important to understand that customer education is not only about additional sales. It's also about building relationships with clients, which helps retain them.
Expert status. The person who teaches becomes a priori an expert in the eyes of people.
Important! The introduction of a client training system is a powerful factor in building a legal marketing system.
You are professionals. You understand legal issues better than the client. You will have to teach the client. Customer education is a very effective tool in the competition.

2.13. Strategy 13. Internet marketing

No one will argue with the fact that the Internet is becoming the main means of obtaining information in our time. An important feature of the Internet is its interactivity. People on the Internet not only receive information, but also actively disseminate it. New mechanisms of word of mouth, which are so beloved by lawyers, are emerging. We can say without a doubt: which of the lawyers will better use the mechanisms of the Internet in the 21st century will be more in demand by clients.
If you want to be successful in attracting customers, you will have to learn and implement internet marketing techniques. I’ll say right away, as a professional: you will be bored and uninterested in understanding marketing tools on the Internet. What happens if you don't master them? It's simple: unscrupulous performers will be able to screw you over by getting money from you.
We remember! Internet is strategic resource to attract clients to the legal business!

2.14. Strategy 14. We sell services at high prices

Do you want to sell your legal services at a high price? I have not met a single professional who would answer this question: “No.”
To the second question: “Why don’t you sell then?” – I receive the following answers: “Clients will not buy”, “Competitors are cheaper”, “In our city no one sells services at an expensive price.”
Let's figure it out: if high prices are so attractive, how to sell expensive legal services in practice?
Several axioms of pricing.
Prices for legal services are an abstraction. How much does it cost, for example, to conduct a criminal case in court? The lawyers I worked with quoted a range from 30,000 to 1,500,000 rubles for starting work in the first instance. Will a lawyer for 1.5 million rubles defend you 50 times better than a lawyer for 30,000 rubles? You understand very well that this is unlikely.
Price does not guarantee the quality or quantity of the service provided. Prices depend on many subjective factors.
We don't know how much money the client has. We must admit this. We can guess, but we don’t know the exact amount the client is willing to spend.
The price of a service is a measure of quality. This is how it goes: if we cannot determine the quality of a service, we choose based on price. We settle on the maximum possible amount that we are able to give.
Remember! The worst option in the legal business is to act according to the “Fast, high-quality, inexpensive” strategy. After all, there will always be colleagues who will offer the service even cheaper. They will fall in quality and professionalism, but they will make it cheaper.
The only reasonable option is to strive to sell legal services at a high price!
Why is one lawyer able to charge high fees, while another is content with significantly less? For me, as a legal marketer, high pricing is one marketing technique that anyone can use.
Why is it worth learning how to sell legal services at a high price?
Knowing how to sell services at a high price, you save your time. Fewer cases with higher fees gives you the opportunity to focus on each case, which helps you improve the quality of your work.
You will increase your expert status. If you learn to charge high fees and can justify them to clients, then you will give a great advantage to your practice as a whole - clients will perceive you as a better specialist.

2.15. Strategy 15. Well-built sales system

You will be surprised, but just attracting customers is not enough. They also need to professionally sell the service. But professional sales suffer greatly in legal practice.
Why does your legal business need professional sales?
To beat the competition. The client has long wanted a professional approach in everything. Not only when the service is directly provided to him, but also when he is sold. When you sell professionally, you can feel it. You clearly explain to the client what he is buying, saving him time and effort. Clients appreciate this.
To be able to sell your services at a high price. Are you chosen based on price? You may be to blame for starting a price war. A professional approach to sales, when you know how a client buys and how to sell your service to him, allows you to sell your services at a higher price.
To have financial stability. More clients - more profit– more stability. You clearly formulate your budget, which will allow you to achieve the most important things.
To gain confidence in the future. Chronic search for money, chaotic sales of legal services to clients - all this does not have the best effect on the quality of legal services provided. You simply cannot take care of a client's problems when you have no money to pay your employees.
What is professional selling?
Systematic approach to sales.
Understanding the psychology of sales.
Active interaction with the client.
Professional negotiations with clients during the sales process.

Chapter Summary

The key to being able to work successfully with clients is the comprehensive implementation of the following actions:

Homework.
1. Fill out the table (for the services you provide):

2. Come up with bait services for your clients.
3. Make a brochure for businessmen “7 mistakes of an entrepreneur that end in court.” Promote your brochure.
4. Prepare a guide (5-7 pages) for your clients that addresses the problem they most often come to you with. Tell us in it how to prepare for its solution.

Chapter 3. Formation of strategy in marketing

In the previous chapter, we looked at basic marketing strategies. Now let's figure out how to formulate an overall strategy.

3.1. Strategic Marketing. Your practice in five years

3.2. How to formulate your competitive advantages?

3.3. Choosing a Specialization

End of free trial

The legal business in Russia is growing rapidly, which inevitably leads to increased competition. The book examines the fundamental tool of competition - effective sales. The author talks about the strategy and tactics of selling legal services, offers specific techniques and tools that allow you to sell legal services most effectively. The book will be of interest to legal business owners and privately practicing lawyers.

* * *

The given introductory fragment of the book Legal marketing. How to sell legal services? (Dmitry Zasukhin) provided by our book partner - the company liters.

BASICS OF SALES IN LEGAL BUSINESS

In this chapter, you will learn what professional selling is and what skills you need to succeed in it. We’ll also talk about what sales stages clients go through before leaving money in your cash register, and we’ll find out what motivates them to purchase legal services.

1.1. WHAT IS PROFESSIONAL SALES?

First, let's figure out what professional sales are and how they differ from the artisan approach. Test yourself if you agree with the following statements:

1. Sales is a technology. Sales today is a fairly well-studied applied science that anyone can master at an intermediate level. If you realize this, you will begin to improve your sales skills and over time the number of successful transactions will magically increase.

For some, sales come naturally.

Why am I explaining all this to you? It’s just that at my seminars I often hear from lawyers and attorneys the opinion that the ability to sell is almost a gift from God, which is not given to everyone. Sales now are like arithmetic: yes, you may not have become a great mathematician, but you can count the change in a store without any problems.

2. To sell successfully, you need to hone your skills. It is not enough to read a book on sales. You still need to constantly hone your sales skills. Remember when you learned to drive a car? At first it was incredibly difficult, but by not giving up and honing your skills, you began to drive a car without much difficulty. It's the same in sales. You must constantly apply your skills and monitor the results. At some stage, your sales skills will become automatic.

3. You constantly need to update your knowledge in the field of sales. Everything flows, everything changes. If you want to be successful in sales, then at least sometimes you should update your knowledge. Buy literature, take part in trainings - all this will allow you to be on your toes. For example, I have been in sales for 10 years, but now, while working on this book, I am rediscovering the process of selling services. To some extent, writing a book allows me to defragment my knowledge into a clear system. Live forever and learn.

4. Even the sharpest memory is dumber than a simple pencil. Sooner or later you will learn how to sell legal services and you will have to pass this skill on to your employees. They, unfortunately, will not be as motivated and diligent in learning as you. In this situation, various instructions and scenarios will help you. Based on my experience working with the legal business, I will say that the average specialist at a law firm can be taught to sell at a “B” level if you give him competent instructions on what and how to tell clients. Having mastered sales technology, you should pass it on to your employees, using this book as a basis when creating instructions.

Important! If you understand that sales is a technology and, moreover, very important for your legal practice, then very soon you will be able to master such a technology. This will allow you to market your services professionally.

1.2. REQUIRED SKILLS

What is a car? This is a set of systems (engine, suspension, chassis) assembled together. What is sales? It is a set of skills that allows you, by practicing each skill individually, to achieve success. Why is it so important to understand what skills you need to work on? It’s like in sports: to become successful, an athlete must work on different groups muscles.

Let's take a closer look at what skills sales skills consist of.

The ability to listen to your interlocutor. When I ask at seminars what is the most important thing in salesmanship, all the lawyers talk in unison about eloquence. This, gentlemen lawyers, is where the dog is buried. The most important thing in the sales process is the ability to get your interlocutor to talk and listen to him. Listening is the most important skill in sales. What's so difficult about it? The problem is that almost everyone can hear, but listen...

Most lawyers love to talk, but very few know how to listen to their client. I recently happened to attend a meeting between a lawyer and a client. The lawyer literally did not allow her potential client to get a single word in edgewise. She kept telling and telling... In the end, the client said: “I’ll think about it,” and left. He never returned.

Why is it so important to be able to listen? In fact, everything is simple: when we let our interlocutor speak, we establish deep psychological contact, the person begins to trust us. Trust is very important factor in negotiations on the sale of legal services. The client comes to you for a solution to a problem, so you must communicate in the most confidential tone; it is very important to give your client the opportunity to speak out. By the way, this is why we remember so much the cliche of psychoanalysts from films: “Do you have a problem? Do you want to talk about this?

The ability to draw with words. It is very important in sales to be able to “tastefully” describe objects and events. Did you study criminology at university? There is such a thing as a verbal portrait. There is a whole technology for creating verbal portraits. In much the same way, if you want to masterfully sell your services, you must be able to write them verbal portraits. Or, to put it simply, you have to paint beautifully with words. Let's examine this thesis with an example. Below you will see two descriptions of the same accident:

1. Two people collided at an intersection vehicles and both received significant damage.

2. Today in the city, next to the drama theater, near the city park, a chic blonde girl in a red Ferrari did not have time to brake and collided with a black Land Cruiser.

Two descriptions of the same event, but which gives you more information? Of course, the second one. A “picture” immediately appears in our head, and it is easier for us to imagine the current situation. You ask: “It’s clear about the traffic accident, but why colorfully describe the legal service?” A person is designed in such a way that most of the information is perceived through the organs of vision. Our brain is accustomed to operating with graphic images. This makes it easier for us to perceive information. That is why it is very important to be able to describe your services in a tasty way.

Ability to argue.“Why should I work with your law firm?” - “Well, that’s... well, because.” These are the answers we hear from lawyers when we begin negotiations on cooperation. Most of you lack a sales argument. But we need to convince clients, and if the client is great, then conduct multi-stage negotiations, during which we convince clients to work with you. In this book you will find some recipes on how to convince a client. For those of you who want to dig deeper into the science of persuasion, I highly recommend studying the works of Nikita Nepryakhin. He is deeply immersed in the science of persuasion, his recipes are quite simple and understandable to master.

Public speaking. I have written many times that public speaking is an excellent legal marketing tool. People who come to your seminar see you as an expert, and it is easier for them to buy your services. This is why it is extremely important to have public speaking skills. It is very profitable to sell your services at seminars and conferences, and do it in bulk.

Unfortunately, modern system legal education does not focus on developing public speaking skills, as it did in pre-revolutionary Russia. I highly recommend reading the works of Radislav Gandapas. His simple and clear advice will allow you to significantly improve your public speaking skills.

The ability to lie. Let's be honest: if you want to be successful in sales, you will have to learn how to lie effectively. Let's not play around and moralize, but admit that we all lie and lies are an integral part of our lives.

I can’t say that professional sales always involve lying, but in some cases the ability to lie is simply necessary. For example, in this book we will get acquainted with sales techniques for VIP clients. When you sell your services to a high-status audience, sometimes, to put it in concrete terms, you have to “show off” and bluff. What is this if not a lie?

In this book we will not consider the technique of lying (I will leave this point for you to study on your own). I will only say that while working on the book, I was surprised to find that in the specialized literature there is a minimum of information on how to lie professionally. Therefore, the serious reader will be faced with a distinct academic hunger when attempting to study this issue.

Ability to visualize. It's better to see once than to hear a hundred times. We have already discussed the issue that we humans receive most information through vision. We use this fact very often in sales, visualizing information.

Many of you will say that you don't know how to draw. But no one expects you to artistic masterpieces, however, you need basic skills to visualize information. Nowadays there is a lot of popular literature on visualization. At least go through it - and the process of communication with clients will reach a new level.

I have only one request for you: take pen and paper to negotiations with your client. Try to explain to the client specific examples, depicting them on paper.

Ability to explain. What does it mean “We will liquidate your business” or “We will settle the conflict out of court”? To sell something, you need to explain to the client the essence of your offer. Why do many lawyers have big problems selling their services?

They simply do not know how to explain the essence of their service. Yes, you understand what “representation in courts of general jurisdiction” means. And look at the same problem through the eyes of your client. Many of you do not know what a trial is, as this is your first time encountering it. This is why we must learn to chew information for our clients.

Understand a simple thing: concepts such as enforcement proceedings are obvious to you. For clients, this is sometimes a dark forest. And our task is to help them understand the essence of things. This will make it easier for the client to buy your legal services.

Let's face it: the client has the right to be legally illiterate. If clients understood the law as well as you, then why would they contact you?

Ability to write persuasive texts. It's no secret that sometimes we have to negotiate with a client not only sitting at the table, but also via the Internet. For example, we at the Legal Marketing Laboratory conduct most of our negotiations remotely.

With this type of work, it is very important to be able to convince clients during the correspondence process. In our marketing professional activity writing advertising and presentation texts has long been highly valued and has even developed into a separate direction - copywriting.

By the way, look at how copywriting skills work using the example of crime:

It seems to me that after this example, comments about why you need to be convincing in the text will be unnecessary. In this book you will find a separate chapter dedicated to selling texts.

1.3. SALES STAGES

To effectively sell legal services, you must understand the stages of sales. I will not delve into the theoretical jungle that abounds in sales books, but will tell everything very simply.

The sales process can be broken down into stages, or phases. We must understand what stage the client is at in order to select the appropriate tools for this stage.

I will illustrate this theoretical thesis with an example. Imagine that you saw a gorgeous girl (for female lawyers: you saw a guy) at a bus stop. She is simply your ideal, and you are ready to meet her. You can approach her and say: “You’re great, let’s sleep together?” Of course not! The likelihood of continuing the relationship after such an acquaintance will be zero.

Why? It’s simple: you have chosen the wrong tool for communication, which does not correspond to the stage of communication at which you are.

Let's look at the stages you will go through with a girl. You will go through exactly the same stages with your clients.

1. Establishing contact. First you need to make contact. Remember the phrase from the film of the same name “Where is Nophelet?” This is a classic tool for establishing contact.

In sales, we also use blanks, which we will consider further. The rapport building stage ends after the first few sentences. What then?

2. Clarification of needs. So, you met a girl at a bus stop. For example, her name is Marina. If you want to continue a relationship with her, then you will begin to be actively interested in her, that is, ask questions about where she is from, what she does, what kind of music she likes.

The purpose of this stage is to find out the person’s needs in order to formulate our proposal.

3. Formulating a proposal. You found out that Marina is a student and really loves croissants with tea. This information is enough for you to propose to Marina and invite her to a cafe to drink tea.

4. Dealing with objections. This last stage establishing relationships. Marina can easily tell you that she is busy and cannot go have tea with you. Congratulations, you have encountered objections. This is quite normal and, as you can see, is a natural phase of establishing relationships between people.

We have looked at the stages of establishing a relationship. Sales of services unfold according to the same scenario. First, you establish contact with the client, ask questions and delve into the essence of the problem, then you make your proposal and, quite possibly, you have to respond to objections.

1.4. WHAT DO YOUR CLIENTS REALLY WANT FROM YOU?

There is a good saying in marketing: “Nobody needs drills, everyone needs holes!” Simply put, people want to buy from you not the service itself, but its result.

Sales theory goes one step further and here we look at needs. When we sell something to someone, we satisfy their needs. For example, when we buy bread, we satisfy nutritional needs. With needs, not everything is so simple: they are obvious and hidden.

Let's look at this situation with an example. Imagine that you have a neighbor who bought himself the latest Land Cruiser. Why did he do this? He will tell you that this is a large, safe car and that he will feel comfortable driving it. Is everything right? Yes, a person shares with us his obvious needs. But let's look at the problem a little deeper: why did he buy such an expensive car?

By studying hidden needs, we can assume that a big car is prestige, it is the envy of others. A person who was able to spend 3.5 million rubles is considered successful. This car is a clear superiority on the road. All of the above is a strong motivator for purchasing, but it is very unlikely that a person will talk about it openly. The thing is that these needs are hidden.

So, a person is driven to purchase by satisfying needs, which are of two types: hidden and explicit. You may ask why you need to know about some hidden needs. The fact is that marketing and sales specialists have long determined that if sales and advertising are based on satisfying hidden needs, then the likelihood of a purchase increases. This is why expensive cars are sold as prestigious ones. And cosmetics are sold to women as a miracle cure for youth and attractiveness.

Remember! If you want to be successful in selling legal services, you must appeal to the satisfaction of his hidden needs in negotiations with the client.

Let's look at what hidden needs a legal service can satisfy.

By working in legal marketing and communicating directly with your clients, we have been able to identify the following hidden needs. Simply put, these are the motivators that drive your consumers to purchase legal services.

Safety. Many legal problems result in a loss of control and a sense of security. For the average person, this is extremely stressful. The people who sit down with you want to hear from you how you are going to keep them safe.

For example, we recommended to one Moscow lawyer that during negotiations with clients he talk about how often he will visit them in a pre-trial detention center and how safe it is to work with him. Another criminal defense attorney provided his clients with a separate cell phone that was used exclusively to communicate with the attorney. No one knew the number, so the chance of wiretapping was reduced to a minimum. The clients were incredibly grateful and happy to work with him.

Comfort. People who turn to lawyers want to maintain a sense of comfort. We have repeatedly heard from your clients that even the word “court” gives them an unpleasant feeling. It must be admitted that for many ordinary people, court and trial are not the most pleasant pastime and they are ready to do everything to avoid this discomfort.

In selling legal services, we appeal to comfort when we talk about how our work is streamlined in such a way as to reduce client intervention in the process. It’s great when, for example, a lawyer focuses on the fact that he can protect the client by taking full participation in the process. We even used this tactic when selling cases in arbitration courts. A good argument for the client is that your business processes are streamlined in such a way that you will carry out the process without the participation of the principal. This works for clients, although we understand that the participation of the client in the arbitration process is rarely required.

Taking responsibility. Clients want to feel that you are taking responsibility for their destiny. They want to know that you have a clear plan of action. Negotiations with you should instill confidence and calm.

Imagine if you are lying on the operating table and the doctor says: “Well, you know, I’m actually not very sure. You are only my third patient...” How will you feel? Unfortunately, we hear such phrases more than once from many lawyers.

I want to immediately warn you against overplaying. Some lawyers take the “I’ll push away the clouds with my hands” tactic. That is, we will promise the client everything, even three boxes, just to buy it. You say: “What's wrong with that? It works!” Yes, it works, but this is no longer a sale, but a sales pitch. In this book, we will deliberately not consider the technologies of selling, or, in scientific terms, manipulative sales. I am deeply convinced that if you are committed to long-term cooperation with your clients, then you cannot sell your services. Smuggling is a deception, a path to nowhere.

Attention and sympathy. You need to understand that people turn to you not only as an expert in legal matters, but also as a person who will understand and support. In sales, we often use active listening methods: they allow us to build trusting relationships with clients.

Money. According to statistics, most processes in Russia are of a property nature. Simply put, lawyers help the population earn (save) money using the rules of the law. This is a natural process, since we have taken the capitalist path and are unlikely to turn away from it.

When negotiating with clients, you need to talk about money and do it as specifically as possible. Provide examples from your practice that show how you have helped clients earn or save significant money. Disclose the details of your tactics regarding how you are going to resolve a particular property dispute. All this will allow you to negotiate with the client as substantively as possible. Clients will feel your professional attitude and understanding of the essence of their issue.

Time. Why do people turn to lawyers? One reason is that you save people time. Professional lawyer will win the argument much faster. You need to understand that time is key factor for clients. Therefore, give examples of successful cases related to time. Talk to the client about time as an important component of the job.

One funny thing about the legal business is that clients don't always want services to be provided quickly and thus problems resolved quickly. For example, when selling arbitration disputes, we often encounter requests from clients to delay the legal process. Once, a client directly answered the question “Why do you want to delay the trial with your counterparty?” He said: “It’s stupid to laugh.” You, in turn, must feel what request is coming from your client, and thereby adopt the optimal negotiation strategy with him.

Revenge. Sweet word “revenge”... Revenge is the strongest motivator not only in sales, but also in life. You need to understand that many people turn to lawyers because they are looking for a sense of justice.

In our practice, there was a case when a woman paid 700,000 rubles for a divorce, but only on one condition: the lawyer must help her make a little show out of the process.

As a marketer, I have had to help more than once law firms implement so-called judicial PR. Its purpose is not only to win a legal dispute, but also to damage the reputation of the counterparty.

If you see that your client is set on revenge, then you need to conduct the dialogue in the appropriate manner.

Once we were negotiating with a large client who wanted to entrust my partners with a major arbitration dispute. We analyzed the case and came to the conclusion that the prospects are zero, which we honestly stated to the client. The client said: “I liked your honesty, so we’re working.” We asked him: “Why do you need to sue if there are zero prospects?” The client’s answer was simply discouraging in its sincerity: “In order to torment the one with whom I will sue longer.” The client simply wanted to annoy his counterparty and exhaust him with the legal procedure.

A small task. Hidden needs are the universal motivator of all people. Everyone has them. Try to guess what hidden needs you could satisfy in your children? Spouses? Parents? Friends?

Let me tell you a little secret: by starting to satisfy the hidden needs of your loved ones, you will take your relationship with them to a new level.

LET'S SUM UP

The key idea that I want to convey to you is that clients come to you not only for a solution legal issues, but also for something more.

If you understand that clients need something other than solutions to purely legal problems, you can sell legal services more effectively.