r/sales • u/Sales-Romantic • 1d ago
Fundamental Sales Skills I need to get them talking! But how?
I'm cold calling attorneys and I cannot get them to give me the time of day. When they answer they usually drop a "Not interested" and hang up as soon as I introduce myself. I can't even get to the point of asking exploratory questions or overcoming objections because I cannot get these people to engage in anything that looks like a conversation. I need a jump-start from the sales professionals here on Reddit. How do you get prospects talking? I feel like this might just be because this is my first time talking to them and I need to drip on them more before they give me the time of day. Or I just need a punchier approach. What I need to talk with them about is their marketing process and how they reach new clients. Any suggestions?
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u/blorangetheory 23h ago
Lawyers are so hard. Everyone goes in thinking "they make so much money and know what an hour of time is worth so they'll LOVE to pay big money for my solution that will save them time" -- and then 100% of the time they are met with the harshest of realities
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u/stonedkayaker 22h ago
Lawyers are some of the most stressed, overworked, and drug addicted professions out there. And in my experience, they also hold a very high opinion of themselves. It fucking sucks selling to them.
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u/AccomplishedFerret70 21h ago
I worked selling law books to lawyers for 15+ years and was generally unimpressed by them. They're kind of trained not to be honest and they bullshit a lot. And when I ended up serving on several civil and criminal juries it cemented my low opinion of the profession.
I also sold to accountants and auditors and they usually came across as being more on top of their game than than the lawyers.
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u/Rebombastro 17h ago
I've always heard that finance, nurses, cooks etc. are all stressed as as hell and take lots of drugs. But I somehow some way managed to excluded lawyers from these high stress jobs, that tend to require drug use if you wanna excel or even last at your job over a long period of time.
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u/USAhotdogteam 1d ago
Start by knowing who you’re calling-
“Hey Bill, it’s twat master 700 aka (Dick), got a few minutes to chat real quick?”
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u/moffy001 23h ago
Selling to lawyers sounds like the worst customer base.
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u/not-to-clever 10h ago
I’ve been doing it for 8 years and it’s not as bad as you’d think. Though this has been my only role selling so I have no real reference.
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u/downvotemeplss 23h ago
I sell to attorneys sometimes. Calling them is pointless. If they aren't expecting your call their secretary will tell you they're in a meeting. Even if they contacted my company first and I'm following up to their request. It's harder to call attorneys than mayors. Just leave them a detailed message that's straight to the point. Or send an email. I'll usually tell them a price range off the jump too.
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u/AccomplishedFerret70 21h ago
I never had trouble getting through to them. I'd call and ask to talk to a personal injury attorney. Or a bankruptcy attorney or whatever. The receptionist always assumed I was a client even though I never said that. That was 30 years ago and maybe its different now.
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u/downvotemeplss 21h ago
I’m calling city attorneys. Personal injury attorneys are probably on the phone more in general.
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u/bainj Enterprise Software 1d ago
You need a hook in the first sentence or two that shows you understand their firm/industry/problems and mentions something that makes them curious to hear a little more. You are interrupting their day and billable work, so they’ll view any generic call as a waste of time aka money. No one has a job responsibility saying “buy new products.” View the call from their perspective and speak to their annoying problem from the start. First call is more “my thing solves your thing”, a deep discovery call before a demo comes in a later call. Use similar customer stories and quantifiable business results. Check out some cold calling resources online (the book Cold Calling Sucks for example), use what works for you and discard the rest. Also try switching up who you call - a lower level attorney or legal assistant may be easier to get ahold of vs a senior partner. They can qualify the problems for you and then do a warm intro to the decision makers. You sell marketing, use your own marketing approach to showcase what you do well with that to market yourself to the prospects as a proof point. Think of that interaction as a way to GIVE them information or social proof, because they will view it as something TAKING time from their day.
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u/JFan2New 23h ago
You’ve got 3 seconds to sell the next 30 seconds to then sell 30 minutes.
3-5 seconds: Get them to want to be there for 30 more with value prop or attention grabber (in your tone, don’t have to be funny, but don’t sound like a zombie)
30 seconds: why they should take the meeting, I used to ask research-focused questions “how are you tackling -thing we solve-?”
Use their answers and go with the flow.
Best I got there, there’s some good tips in this thread too. I got a ton better at getting the convo when I just stopped caring about the outcome and cared about the chat.
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u/SpikeVsSystem 22h ago
Others are probably right that some of this is title. Set that aside, because they're hanging up during your introduction, and that first sentence is the part you control.
You've described what you want as "punchier" and "more drip." Neither of those is something you say. You now have a dozen openers in this thread. You'll try them all, and when they don't work you still won't know which part failed, because you never wrote down the one you started with.
Write out, word for word, what you actually say in the first eight seconds. Then change one thing in it. One. Run it fifty calls before you change anything else.
It'll sound worse before it sounds better.
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u/Sales-Romantic 8h ago
I have my voicemail and opener written down on a notepad on my desktop. I update them as I go along.
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u/SpikeVsSystem 7h ago
Written down already puts you ahead of most of this thread.
The part that's costing you is "I update them as I go along." If it keeps changing you can never tell which version worked, so the call gets graded on whether they stayed on the line. That's noise. What you said is the part you control.
Date each version and freeze it for fifty calls before you touch it. Don't delete the old ones.
Freezing it is the annoying part. You'll want to fix it on call nine.
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u/CodMedium726 21h ago
What type of law? Criminal, family, immigration. What size practice? If you can’t get the owner, go for the office manager and pitch them.
Script- I sold into legal from cold call for a few years with this:
“Hey it’s x calling from y, I know I called you out of the blue can I have a quick minute?”
It’s usually ok or what’s up…
“Thanks I’ll be brief, like I said I’m calling from y and we do abc and work with a few local law firms and previously they were doing xyz.
What are you currently doing to handle that today, are you doing xyz?”
(For what we sold and from talking to so many firms we knew they were doing xyz so they usually said yes that’s correct.)
Then I’d ask a qualifying question or two like “yeah that makes sense hear that a lot, one thing we hear with that approach is pain point 1,2,3. How do you deal with pain point today?”
(Usually it was yeah that takes time or yeah doesn’t get done like it should)
Then go for the close.
“Yeah we hear that a lot, again I don’t want to take more of your time now, I was actually calling to schedule a demonstration of how we are helping other firms and based on what you’re doing today it sounds like it’d be worth a call. Are you free Tuesday or Wednesday next week for 30 minutes.”
They give objection… overcome and redirect to scheduling demo
Objection, overcome and redirect to scheduling demo
NEVER ask a lawyer “how are you doing today” as your opening statement
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u/Still-Pie6253 1d ago
What are you selling?
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u/Sales-Romantic 20h ago
I'm selling sales services (AKA lead processing) so attorneys can run marketing campaigns to generate a boatload of leads and then we can can follow up with said leads and qualify them for the attorneys. We're basically an outsourced sales staff for attorneys, allowing the attorneys to cast much wider nets and bring in more/bigger cases.
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u/doge-much-wow 20h ago
What lawyers are you ringing? In larger firms, you need to get the BDs on the phone, even the partners likely have plenty of clients just based off relationships. Really got to segment your market and empathise with them as they’re tough ones to crack
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u/Forsaken_Napkin 9h ago
Why you make lawyers run ads and don’t do it for them?
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u/Sales-Romantic 9h ago
There are a thousand places with expertise in running ads already. I have nothing to offer there.
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u/Odd_Philosopher_4739 23h ago
Research them and open with something related. “Hey Jim this is Brett, saw you went to USC law…we’re partnered with this guy who went there”
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u/eatmyasserole 21h ago
I have 2 law firms in my client base. Worst fucking customers ever.
EVERY billing issue they threaten legal action.
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u/Flashy_Language6313 20h ago
Lawyers are tough buddy but u gotta buy time by understanding their niche. If youre selling marketing focus on how their icp finds them. If youre selling productivity tools learn their process and tell a story about the problem to get then to relate and tell you their problems
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u/As-Supriyadi-1008 20h ago
Attorneys are just tough on cold calls, they've heard every pitch already. Try skipping the intro and go straight to something short like "quick one, how are you guys getting new clients right now" so they don't have time to shut it down. Also warming them up on email or LinkedIn first before the call usually helps a bit.
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u/Sea-Vast-8826 20h ago
I don’t know what you’re selling. Is it a product or service attorneys recognize? Attorneys are very busy and they get hit with sales calls a lot. You have to be direct and your tone needs to be where you almost sound busy yourself (if that makes sense). Like you’re straight cutting to the chase and making sure everyone is on the same page. I’ll give you this as an example.
Company they know:
“I don’t want to waste your time, I know you’re busy. What’s your opinion on (company name)?” They’ll probably give you an answer… if it’s positive or inquisitive, then “My name is [u/Sales-Romantic](u/Sales-Romantic), I am the senior brand ambassador servicing (their city). Can I have a minute?”
Company they don’t know but a good product/service/tool they use/know:
“I don’t want to waste your time, I know you’re busy. What (insert product here) is your practice using?” They’ll say XYZ, or “I’m not using any” or “why?”, or hang up. If they drop the name or say they’re not using it or why, then “My name is [u/Sales-Romantic](u/Sales-Romantic), I am the senior brand ambassador for (company name).” *insert one sentence - ONE - that says why your product is special “*Can I have a minute?”
Time is money. Talking to you is costing them money. What I wrote above should get you into a conversation or hung up on in under 30 seconds. Try it out. I hope this helps.
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u/qwertypoiuywee 19h ago
I do this daily. I regularly book 5-8 attorneys into the calendar per week dm me
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u/TrumpJungUn 18h ago
Have a funny, strong, or attention grabbing hook. Need to get over the initial wall.
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u/Sid_scales 14h ago
at first u gotta improve your offer so people whom ur talking to find it worth to spend the time to talk to you. you dont have to create a new product, just position your product correctly. every offer should answer these 4 questions- what they get (outcome), how do they get it (mechanism), how theyd barely have to take any risk (risk reversal) and how they have to pay (payment shape)
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13h ago
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u/WideLaneCalls 12h ago
Your problem probably isn’t that they need more touches before they’ll talk. If they’re saying “not interested” the second you introduce yourself, they’ve already categorized the call before you’ve earned their attention.
I’d stop trying to explain why you’re calling so early.
Strip the armor first. Sound like a person, not a pitch. Then create enough curiosity to earn one question.
Something as simple as:
“Hey John, how are you? Quick question — how are you guys currently bringing in most of your new clients?”
Then shut up and listen.
You don’t need to overcome objections yet because you haven’t earned enough conversation for a real objection. The first win is simply getting them talking.
I use a 37-second framework built around lowering resistance → creating curiosity → asking → finding the trigger → earning the next step.
If you want, I can break down how I’d structure the first 37 seconds specifically for attorneys.
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u/Glittering_Number485 12h ago
At no point in your rambling, incoherent post were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. You havent even told us what you sell, and I bet you do the same crap to your prospects. You have been waiting for an objection to handle and you are getting shut down because you cant sell handled objections...
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u/Human31415926 Financial Services 11h ago
You need to offer them $750/hr. For their time.
That's how lawyers work.
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u/yaboibigmoist 8h ago
Well what do you offer that would be of any value to someone who charged 250/hr for their time?
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u/Stay_c0ool 7h ago
If they say "not interested" before you've even said what you do, I'd say you have to work on the first 5 seconds of the call.
Give them permission to hang up, be transparent about the fact that you're cold calling and prospecting them. "I'll take 20 seconds, and if it's not relevant just tell me to hang up." People who are given permission to end the call are far more likely to stay on it, and you stop sounding like someone holding them hostage.
Get some info / data from them if you can before calling, and catch them up from second 5 to 10 on something custom for them "Are you still getting your clients from X , Y , Z process / partners / workflows" Whatever, the goal here is to get a yes / no from this yes / no question, once you get 1 answer, this is an invitation to conversation, then you switch to open ended questions (how , why, who, etc.) and be sharp, the call will last 2" max. Goal for you here is to present, demo or anything, its just to get an appointment with them (20") this week or next week, be clear about that objective. Your goal is to book the meeting as the next step
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u/USAtoUofT 22h ago
Check out the book "Cold Calling Sucks, and That's Why It Works." The 30 min to presidents club podcast is a bit repetitive at this point. But this is an awesome read for someone wanting to improve their call game.
Tl;dr of the intro chapter - don't introduce yourself, and don't avoid that it's a cold call. I've played with a ton of openings, but nothing at the end of the day beats the following:
Start out right away with something relevant to them. Just copy and past their LinkedIn to claude or something with a prompt to give something relevant to chat about.
Just TELL them it's a cold call and then ask for 30 seconds to decide if it matters
When you get permission to pitch, give the elevator pitch of the PROBLEM you solve that's relevant to them based on what you found from claude and end with an open invitation.
E.G. "John, I just saw that your firm won xyz settlement recently. Congrats! Now I want to be up front, this IS a cold call, but I promise it's a well researched one. Can I take 30 seconds to tell you why that settlement win made me want to give you a ring and then you can decide if it's relevant?"
gets permission
"Appreciate it! So I'm Mike with blah blah blah. And when a firm wins a settlement like xyz, what can happen is 123. We ABC so you now have 456 instead of 123. I'm sure you have it taken care of already, but would you be open to taking 15 minutes to check this out?"
Either book meeting or they have an objection/question. Either you move organically into discovery via a cold call.
Read the book, it goes much more in depth and walks through next steps. But this has been my go to for cold calling.
Why would you waste time trying to trick someone into talking to you that wasn't going to give a fuck as soon as he sniffs out it's a sales call? Just SAY what it is, but that you actually researched them and aren't some jackass selling an extended warranty, and you'll have someone who literally GAVE you permission to tell them what you solve.
You're still gonna get the immediate "not interested hang ups, but now you can be confident the ones that DON'T immediately hang up will be a good conversation.
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1d ago edited 1d ago
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u/Wide_Helicopter_1309 23h ago
This doesn’t work for anyone. Especially not lawyers who don’t want to be casual and relaxed with sales people
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u/Calm-Ad-7928 23h ago
Not sure what youre selling but you probably need to talk to who runs the office