The Red Zone: New Business Development and the Art of Listening
Monday, March 8th, 2010In the NFL, the Red Zone is the final 20 yards before the goal line – the area in which the defense needs to be strong and where the offense must take advantage of practiced skills and sharp thinking in order to score. For the Closers Group, our Red Zone approach is part of what sets us apart from other business development consultants. When we talk about the Red Zone with our clients, we’re referencing the time that they’re meeting with their prospects, one on one, and using the closing skills they’ve developed to win a new engagement.
One of the most important closing skills that attorneys can bring to the Red Zone is the ability to listen carefully to what prospects and clients say. This directly relates to the importance of understanding client needs (and being able to react to them) when it comes to winning contracts.
Most lawyers are great at talking and good at asking questions, but only fair at listening. For new business development, whether you’ve just made contact or you’re at the one yard line and about to seal the deal, the importance of listening cannot be stressed enough. The art of listening should permeate legal sales training, be a part of every firm’s marketing plan, and be a strategy used during every concerted law sales opportunity.
When lawyers meet with a prospect, they should focus on creating at least a 60/40 breakdown: during any business development meeting, get your prospect or client talking 60% of the time and make sure that you’re listening to and acting on what he or she says. Listening and responding to a client or prospect’s needs are imperative if you want to move through the Red Zone and score.

