First Tier Soft Sales Techniques (Part 2): Soft Sales Techniques for Specialty Law Firms
Lock Horns and Hobnob
Make use of past opponents for long-term business development and network development.
The world of specialty law is a small one. Throughout your career, you will encounter the same attorneys you have once argued against. Take advantage of a prime opportunity to get on friendly terms with an attorney you observed to be a good advocate for his/her client.
Note which executives participated in the case; they can also be very good sources of future legal business.
Don’t Lose Touch
After an acceptable time has passed and your opponent has had a chance to lick his/her wounds (or vise versa), reach out. Congratulate the fellow attorney for stellar representation of his or her client, them invite them out for coffee.
Keep in touch by email. Send the acquaintance copies of articles they might be interested in. Inquire about upcoming conferences or seminars you might both attend.
Keep in mind that future new business opportunities may come from referrals, even former opponents.
As I mentioned, business executives are also good contacts. Try a subtle approach to continual law firm marketing. If you service a company on a project basis, such as a merger, invite inside counsel and executives in direct contact with you out for social events or to conferences to deepen (and perhaps solidify) the business relationship.
