First Impressions and Business Development
Following a recent engagement as a marketing keynote speaker for the Beverly Hills Bar Association, an attendee asked me a question about the importance of first impressions in making law sales. For anyone engaged in legal sales or who provides business development presentations, it’s hard to deny that the role of first impressions is the foundation for an excellent question.
One of the best answers can be based on Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. The book’s subtitle – “The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” – is critical to understanding the value of first impressions as you prepare for first contacts with a new prospect.
Whether meeting someone at a conference during a coffee break, sending an email inquiry, responding to an RFP, or engaging with a prospect on any level, snap decisions are made within 2 seconds. That’s right: the first two seconds can be all it takes for a potential client to make a snap decision about a lawyer, a law firm, or a legal consulting proposal. If the impression is positive, the door will be open and there will be plenty of opportunity to expand on what you have to offer. Overcoming a neutral or negative response, however, requires a great deal of energy and a much stronger legal selling skill set.
From our side of the table, it can be difficult to determine what the “blink” factor is. Therefore, if you’re looking for business development training, be sure to focus on training that emphasizes presenting your understanding of a prospect’s business within the first moments of any discussion. Identifying from the start that you want to align interests with your prospect – focusing on asking questions about the prospect’s needs and responsibilities to stakeholders – enables you to highlight your (and your firm’s) ability and set the right tone for developing business.
