BD Tips: Beyond the brass balls

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The Question

What can lawyers learn about selling their services from Alec Baldwin’s famous “brass balls” speech?

Alec Baldwin on Brass Balls

What?

As Mr. Baldwin tactfully communicates, successful salespeople need brass balls (i.e. a solid set of testicles). Presumably, he is suggesting that effective sales requires a lot of aggression and pressure tactics. But, is this approach the right one for lawyers? If not, what type of balls do lawyers need?

Welcome to the X Balls Club?

Imagine that you are an in-house counsel and you have a law firm lawyer who really, really wants to work with you. This lawyer is calling you day and night explaining that his firm is the RIGHT firm for your company, and more importantly, he is the RIGHT lawyer for you. Are you going to be impressed by his set of balls?

No, of course not. In-house counsel are never going to be comfortable with outsiders trying to push them into a service-buying decision. More importantly, they don’t need to be pushed because they have all the leverage. In most cases, they can choose from a tasty platter of quality law firms and lawyers, all of which are going to be sufficient for their matters.

Beyond Balls, Hello Ears

If lawyers shouldn’t be focused on awkward parts of their anatomy, then what should they be focusing on? Once again, let’s consider the perspective of our corporate clients.

If you are sitting in an in-house role, you have that wonderful platter of law firm options. But, all of the items on that platter look, sound, smell, and taste almost exactly the same. All of the firms are selling something that reads like “client-oriented, business-friendly, sufficiently-diverse solutions” provided by a group of men and women with either serious gazes or mild smiles on their faces. In other words, the in-house teams are being forced to choose from a surprisingly sad set of options.

If you don’t want to be yet another addition to the boring law firm selection platter, then I recommend that you start focusing on your ears. In particular, turn them on and try listening to clients. In particular, listen for the following bits of information:

  • Are they really asking for the standard solution described in your marketing materials? (If not, why are you wasting time on this stuff?)

  • What are their frustrations? What are the frustrations of their management? (You can use this information to not only suggest solutions but also differentiate yourself by showing actual, human empathy).

  • What are their main interests and goals? (You can use this information to build a truly customized solution for them.)

  • Why do they have the above interests and goals? (You can use this information to build an even better customized solution for them.)

  • What are their main concerns with engaging an external firm for this matter? (You can use this information to structure your proposed services in a manner that will make your firm look more trustworthy than other firms.)

By simply listening and gathering the above types of information, you can craft a pitch that is more precise and powerful than any of your competitors. (And, you don’t even need to be annoying in the process.)

Learn More

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of using your ears, check out the following book: "Just Listen" by Mark Goulston. This book is a compelling guide that delves into the art of effective communication and building connections through attentive listening. You can rely on the books techniques to not only sell your services, but also enhance client relationships and more effectively conduct negotiations.

You can also learn about how to use effective listening to stand out in your client pitches by joining us for our Precision Pitching course.