How to "pitch" your legal services: The preparation factor
Decision-makers are also more receptive to a presentation that is well-researched and customized to their unique needs and wants. To craft an effective pitch, you need to unearth and use intelligence about your audience, your competition and yourself.
First of all, research the prospective client. Find out who will attend the presentation and conduct an Internet search to find out more about them. Your firm’s resource department/librarian can be a valuable partner in this effort. In addition, find out if someone at your own firm or in your network can provide more background.
“Research the prospect’s business and industry,” said O’Connor. “Determine its strengths and weaknesses so that you can present a plan to enhance the former and alleviate the latter.” It is also important to research your competition – other law firms the prospect is using or has used in the past, as well as other law firms currently vying for the same business.
Finally, research your own practice, brand and unique selling points – and be ready to use these in your presentation. “Spell out how what you offer exactly matches what the prospect needs and wants,” said O’Connor. “Clearly differentiate yourself from the other lawyers or law firms that might be pitching for this same business. If you can’t differentiate yourself, then the decision will be based solely on likability.”
When your research is complete, focus on the actual content to be presented. “It is important to craft your pitch in advance, and include no more than three main points,” said O’Connor. “A pitch is about more than information-sharing; it is about persuading the client to work with your firm. The points you make should build a case that demonstrates how your firm can meet the client’s needs and wants.”
Content and word choice in a presentation should be vivid, powerful, concise and concrete -- not bland, weak, rambling and abstract. Make good use of statistics, rhetorical questions, analogies, case studies, testimonials, humor and stories, which are all tested ways of maintaining interest and improving memorability. Use these tools to start strong, end strong and vary the flow of your presentation every five minutes or so.
In addition, presenters should anticipate all of the questions a prospect might ask – including negative questions -- and prepare answers in advance.
Practice is an essential part of preparing for a successful presentation. “Only during a dry run can you (or your helpful colleagues) detect the weaknesses in the pitch,” said O’Connor. Are the main points discernable? Do you go beyond informing and also persuade? Is the content compelling and vivid? Is it clear that you want the business? Is it convincing that you are the best candidate?
“I’ve heard of the phenomenon in law firms where the attorneys return from a pitch convinced that it was a success,” said O’Connor, “only to learn otherwise when they don’t get the business. This could happen because we are programmed to remember things that are congruent with success.
“Even if you delivered your pitch flawlessly,” said O’Connor, “that does not mean it contained anything the prospective client wanted to hear. Don’t fall victim to this disconnect. Do substantive advance research. Think through your likability, rapport, delivery and resilience. Include a clear, sincere ‘ask.’”
Part three of a three part article. For the full article:
How to "pitch" your legal services so that clients will "catch"
