Do you have passion for the eggplants in your law practice?
So first let's define eggplants in terms of your law practice. According to marketing guru, Seth Godin, "Most people are afraid of eggplant. They won't buy it. They need to be sold it." In your law practice, eggplant may be preventative services that will keep board members of your corporate clients out of jail or in a private client practice it may be ensuring that a proper estate plan was in place before an unexpected death.
Many great lawyers I have practiced with or consulted to love to sing this old refrain: "if I had wanted to be a salesman, I would have been a salesman".
But just a cotton-pickin' minute: Don't we cherish the doctor who "sold" a loved one on the idea of quitting smoking or exercising to lower blood pressure?
I believe that clients love being sold what is genuinely beneficial to them, provided with integrity and offered for a fee that represents good value.
OK - now I think you are ready to assimilate Seth Godin's message in his blog today titled: Hard sell at the farmer's market.
If you are a managing partner I hope that you will help your lawyers see that Seth's punchline applies to them:
Salespeople who sell properly sell stuff people wish they would have bought in the first place. It's a huge service... I'm pretty sure we need more good salespeople, not less.
Perhaps there are other lessons for lawyers at the farmer's market.
Great comments that bring Seth's thoughts to the level - good stuff. Bottom line - regardless of your line of work - selling is required. The sooner folks realize this fact, the better their life will be.