Two Ears, One Mouth: To Win New Work, You Need To Be Listening
Noise is often seen as being a defining factor of business development: who can pitch best, write the slickest proposal, deliver the most polished presentation, or bombarded the client with the most up-to-date newsletter on recent legislative changes. But the truth is, the best business developers are not the best talkers; they’re the ones who listen the most.
For this BD Tips Wednesday post I’ll be looking at why Listening Wins Trust – and as we know by now, trust is everything in business development!
Listening Wins Trust
Simple really, you feel the same way: When clients feel heard, they feel understood. And when they feel understood, they trust you.
As trust is the Holy Grail of business development, listening skills are they key to unlocking that trust.
However, too many partners and firms go into meetings with an agenda: to tell their story, what they want to hear - their great credentials, their innovative process, their track record.
Here’s a secret: the client already knows. That’s why you are in the room. What they’re looking for now is whether you get them: their pressure points, their KPIs, their constraints. Above all else, they want to know they’ll like working with you; because people work with people they like working with!
Listening Turns BD into Strategy
When you listen deeply, you start seeing patterns. You hear recurring themes about what clients value, what frustrates them, and – importantly - what makes them change providers.
Those insights feed directly into your strategy:
Product and pricing improvements
Messaging and positioning
Talent and culture
Client-service processes
Listening is the cheapest and most effective market research tool you’ll ever have. Which begs the question: Why don’t more law firms have client listening programs? Go figure!
The BD Discipline of Listening
To turn listening into a competitive advantage, make it a system not an accident.
Have a client listening program.
Debrief after every client meeting.
Share client insights (including news from newspapers and magazines).
Keep a record of every client interaction and what was discussed.
Use listening questions: “What’s driving this project?” “What would success look like for you personally?”
And if you really want to be cutting edge, introduce a client account management program!
Takeaway
Winning business isn’t about talking louder, faster, or more confidently. It’s about listening with precision, empathy and intent.
Because in business development, the person who listens best…
…wins.
Further Reading
Conversations, not presentations: where business development really happens
The Most Underused Business Development Tactic: Walk and Talk Meetings
Need Help With Your Business Development?
Get in touch if you want to talk about any of this. We also offer a very affordable BD Audit and Training package.
