We all know that careful listening is a good thing. My wife reminds me of that often—and she is undoubtedly right. And in terms of Business Development, listening isn’t just a “nice to do”; it’s a critical competency. Why? Because Business Development is all about adding value for our clients, and great listening equips us with the understanding of how we might do that.
Here’s part of the problem: As lawyers, when we are talking with clients, we are typically listening for something specific. For example, a threshold bit of information such as the extent of our client’s insurance coverage, a filing status or other formal status, a number of shareholders or an administrative date or detail that might lead us to recommend a particular course of action. We listen for certain things because our experience has taught us that these details matter.
But when we listen for something important to us, we might be missing what’s most important for our client, or potential client. We might also be missing legal needs that are not in our particular areas of expertise, and therefore missing opportunities for valuable referrals.
How can we listen more effectively?
1. As you listen to your client or potential client, ask yourself: What is most important to this person? Is it the timing of some event, the relationships between people involved in a transaction, understanding a legal or business issue, losing customers, etc.? There will be time later to talk about what you think.
2. Remember that these conversations are about the client and not about you. When you talk with them, they may have no idea how or why they might retain you or your firm. That’s fine. The purpose is to learn about this person and his/her business.
3. Demonstrate interest in the person and in what he/she wants to talk about by effectively using strong listening skills/behaviors, including:
a) Maintaining eye contact (if checking your Blackberry is more important than engaging in the conversation, then stop the conversation).
b) Remaining present with the person. A famous US Navy admiral was legendary in making people feel that he and the other person were the only two people in the world when they were talking. Is that how people feel when they talk to you?
c) Reflecting back what we hear (for example: “that upcoming meeting sounds very important to you” or “that seems like a tough challenge—tell me more about that”).
d) Asking probing questions (not the same as cross-examination) that will help you more fully understand the client’s reality. For example, “who are your partners in this endeavor and how long have you been working with them?”, “what are your goals for expanding that part of your business?”, “tell me more about your business model”.
e) Allowing time. The best listeners are people who never rush you. Would you want your clients to think you didn’t have time for them?
4. Finally, remember that effective listening is not about planning your response or your strategy. As a mentor of mine once said, listening is not re-loading. There will be time later for you to clarify your thoughts about what this client might need and how you might help.
Listening better means the client will feel respected and understood. You will be demonstrating the type of attention you’ll provide if/when they become a client. You’ll also be learning about their priorities, so that when you go back to the client with your observations and recommendations, you’ll be better informed and therefore more likely to satisfy their needs. What’s more, they’ll probably enjoy spending time with you—and that’s always a positive element in strong relationships.