“I love having sales conversations!” said almost no lawyer, ever.

And if you’re in the small group that does in fact love it, then we congratulate you!

Because sales are a necessary part of running a business. In fact, they are the most essential part. Without clients, you’re not really in business.

But here’s what usually prevents brilliant lawyers like you from communicating the value they can provide to their clients in order to make more sales:

• You are not trained a sales expert – you are a lawyer. Many solos stumble over their words and end up sounding unsure of themselves, instead of developing a script or agenda, as a professional salesperson would do…
• You get so worried about what the PNC is going to think about you that you avoid saying anything that feels too sales-y or desperate, which can lead you to…
• Speaking too much and ending up talking yourself right out of a job, because you gave away too much information and talked all about how the sausage gets made!

Sales conversations don’t have to be an uphill battle or a part of your business that you dread. In fact, there’s a special secret, a special truth, that most non-salespeople love to hear.

Ready?

You can sell more by talking less.  

That’s right. Most people actually make it harder on themselves by thinking they have to do all the talking! Isn’t it a comfort to know that the most effective sales strategy actually involves less “selling” than you thought?

There is a peaceful path to take a prospect from curious to committed. Here are four ways to use the DOVE method of client enrollment: (Get it? Because doves are peace symbols?)

Dilemma and Dream

Obstacles and Objections

Vision

Enrollment

1. Get your prospect talking. You want to hear two things. Their dilemma and their dream outcome. Stick with open-ended questions. Ask them, “More than anything, what do you want to see happen? What’s your best-case scenario?” Be silent and listen. Let them lean into the emotion of their situation. What happens here is the person on the other end starts to feel heard and supported and you get to start qualifying them and determining if they are in fact your idea client. And if they are, move on to step 2.
2. Find out why they think their best-case scenario might not happen.  This is the part of the conversation where they will share every possible objection, every fear, every obstacle, everything they can think of that might go wrong. This is good info. Say nothing and listen. They are telling you the exact problem they want you to solve and the exact words they need to hear from you to feel confident that you are the best choice.
3. Paint the picture of the ideal outcome. Repeat their best-case scenario vision back to them and illustrate how you can help them achieve it. They will see that you “get it” and are the best person to turn to. This is the ONLY part of the conversation where you speak more than they do.
4. Enroll. You simply say, “Do you want us to help you?” Give them a minute. If you speak again before they do, you lose the upper hand.  Most of the time, if you’ve listened well, they don’t hesitate to sign on.

That’s it.  Four steps, very little talking on your end, win/win scenarios and a full client roster!

For more information visit www.howtomanageasmalllawfirm.com/appointment