Sales coaching & training for partners and lawyers
What sets us apart
- 1In the legal industry since 2004Law Business has worked exclusively with law firms and patent attorney firms since 2004. The content is tailored to the working reality of fee earners, not to selling in other industries.
- 2Serious SalesIn our work with law firms since 2004 we see that a serious, transparent offer with an immediately understandable benefit works best. We call this approach Serious Sales. Methods along the lines of "Don't take no for an answer" do not belong in the legal market.
- 3Group training or individual coachingWe work in groups or one to one, depending on the sales situation. References include seminars for the German Bar Association (DAV), the Austrian bar academy AWAK and the International Bar Association.
- 4From pricing to closingThe coaching covers the full chain: strengths and weaknesses, pricing and price negotiation, preparing client meetings, the sales conversation and cross- and up-selling. We also structure the activities in a plan.
What we do
The very qualities that make a good lawyer make selling harder: you are trained to examine the risk in every situation, while selling puts the opportunity first. In our experience from working with law firms since 2004: experienced sellers think from the route to a solution, good lawyers from the risk. Partners face the added difficulty of being fee earner and manager in one person, which makes business development hard on time alone. We set up structured sales processes with you and improve individual selling skills in a targeted way.
Strengths and weaknesses in selling
A baseline as the starting point- In conversations and training sessions we establish your strengths and weaknesses in selling.
- We then work on the points that make the biggest difference.
- We examine which sales situation calls for which improvement.
- A presentation requires different skills than the actual sales conversation.
- The findings feed directly into the further training modules.
Pricing and price negotiation
Fixed price, flat fee or hourly rate- We clarify when a fixed price, a flat fee or an hourly rate makes sense and when the total effort is named.
- Based on the experience we have built up since 2004 we determine which service should be billed at which rate.
- We address the question of what your working hour is actually worth.
- You learn to sell your services fairly without creating emotional barriers on the buyer's side.
- The guideline is: soft on people, tough on facts.
Presentations and delivery
Speaking situations lawyers face- A presentation that looks convincing on screen can be far more demanding when delivered.
- Presenting can be learned, regardless of any natural inclination to speak in front of a room.
- We prepare you in group and individual training for the different scenarios.
- This covers lectures, sales presentations and opening and closing arguments in court.
- Practice scenarios and feedback improve these situations noticeably.
The sales conversation
Preparation, conduct, conclusion- We show which steps at the point of sale lead to a conclusion — and how to withdraw properly.
- The basis is Serious Sales: a serious, transparent offer with an immediately understandable benefit.
- You receive clear guidance on preparing a sales contact and on conduct during the conversation.
- You learn to formulate a convincing offer and to present it accordingly.
- Cross- and up-selling is part of it: existing clients are the best new clients.
Sales plan and support in the team
Structure instead of ad hoc action- Without structure, even good training and individual measures fizzle out.
- We avoid measures born of haste and time pressure — they rarely work and can damage how the firm is seen.
- We prepare an action plan that you work through step by step.
- We show how secretarial and support staff can usefully support business development.
- The plan is cut to your time budget, not to an ideal.
Selling via LinkedIn
Visibility that leads to mandates- In our work, LinkedIn and comparable networks have proven to be strong sales channels for law firms; their strength lies in reach. Our own network now comprises almost 16,000 contacts in the legal industry.
- A half-heartedly maintained profile has the opposite effect and suggests unprofessional communication.
- We plan sales and marketing campaigns and implement them with you.
- We define the right content and messages for each target group.
- Private client or employment work require different channels and strategies than capital markets.
Frequently asked questions
Can you name references for your seminars?
Yes. We have held sales seminars for the German Bar Association (DAV) and for AWAK, the Austrian lawyers academy. On the topic of LinkedIn and social media we held a seminar for the International Bar Association. Further feedback can be found in our client quotes.
Do you offer individual coaching or group training?
Both. Which format makes sense depends on the sales situation you want to work on. For speaking situations we use group and individual training, for price negotiations often one to one. The formats can be combined.
How do we avoid ad hoc action in business development?
By following a plan rather than the calendar. Measures born of haste rarely work and can damage how the firm is seen. We therefore prepare an action plan that you work through step by step and show how secretarial and support staff can help.
How do you approach pricing?
We first settle the open questions: fixed price or flat fee, when the total effort is named and what a working hour is actually worth. Based on the experience we have gathered since 2004 we tell you which service should be billed at which rate. We then train how to sell those services fairly without creating emotional barriers.
How do you help with cross- and up-selling?
During the sales conversation you keep in view the additional services that are genuinely useful for the client. Existing clients are the best new clients. In preparation we define the signals to watch for in a meeting and train the self-control that avoids over- and underselling.
What does Serious Sales mean?
A selling approach that fits the legal market. In our experience a serious and transparent offer, whose benefit is immediately clear, works best. Approaches along the lines of "Don't take no for an answer" are out of place here. Instead we show how to take the right steps at the point of sale or withdraw properly.
Which speaking situations do you prepare for?
The ones that actually occur in legal practice: lectures, sales presentations to prospective or existing clients and opening and closing arguments in court. All of these improve considerably through practice scenarios and feedback. Even those who consider themselves poorly suited to speaking in front of a room can learn it.