Top qualities that make a solicitor a good salesperson

Have you ever noticed someone's face light up when they're talking about something that they're passionate about? It could be the latest supercar, getting a personal best at a sporting event, or just being proud of something their child has achieved.

Now, think about when you've seen that same spark when a solicitor talks about something in a professional situation. It doesn't happen very often, does it?

Of course, this isn't to say that solicitors up and down the country should be pumping the air with their fists every time they win a case, or high fiving their client when they finish drafting a will. It's not the 'done thing' for a reason '“ it's just not professional.

However, every solicitor knows that to keep the work coming in they either need to have a fantastic following, a well-established client base, or someone who consistently feeds them work. Solicitors can't just rely on their law firm's marketing methods to get them the work they need. This means that lots of solicitors need to network, carry out their own marketing, or simply sell their services, for themselves.

This is where enthusiasm and passion about their profession comes in. Yes, professionalism needs to be maintained at every point of any conversation, meeting, or event. However, how a person says things and what their face conveys, is really important in sales. A solicitor's main selling tool is being able to look, sound, and actually be passionate about the legal service they offer.

Handling pressure

I would be surprised if there is a solicitor working within any specialism, who can say they don't experience pressure. Clients are understandably demanding much of the time '“ they're often paying a large sum of money for something they need, but don't necessarily want. There's also pressure from senior management over billing targets.

However, when it comes to getting new clients in, there can be pressure just to make time to speak to them over the phone. Then there's following up on the price quoted or arranging a time for them to come in, which fits with the solicitor's already busy calendar.

Letting one lead slip here and there won't have too much impact, but consistently not replying to website enquiries or insisting a prospect leaves a voicemail rather than give them some information over the phone, can mean that word spreads of how unhelpful a solicitor is. It also dramatically slows down the entire sales process, which means they're more likely to go with a competitor who has been able to move their enquiry along more quickly and smoothly.