Asking a Friend for Business in the Red Zone
When you find yourself in the Red Zone – that legal sales area in which lawyers are directly in front of their clients and prospects – you’ll need to have the right strategies. It’s essential to have a plan for dealing with all of the people you may encounter.
During our business development training workshops and one-on-one advisory, coaching and strategy sessions, one of the most frequent questions that I am asked is, “I have a friend who could introduce me to their counsel. How do I ask for an introduction without risking the friendship?” The answer is quite simple.
For law business development, the recommendation that we give is to address your friendship directly and ask if you can make contact. You can approach your friend by simply saying, “I really value our friendship. Would it be alright if I call you in your office next week to set up a meeting?”
Every single client who has followed this advice and asked for a meeting has had a positive result. Better yet, after you’ve done it once, your comfort level for attorney selling will grow! Just ask.
