Last week I wrote about legal vendors and the need to start changing the negative connotation within the legal vertical. An email from Brad Blickstein, of the Blickstein Group, made me stop and reflect on how we (vendors) need to take responsibility, and become part of the solution. Here’s what Brad had to say:

“… your blog entry on “vendors” …got me thinking. I think a major part of the problem is that “vendors” use salespeople while consultants and law firms let their professionals sell their services. This leads the clients to feel more like they are being “sold to” as opposed to “advised,” and that assumes that the salespeople are acting professionally and smartly. (You and I both know that’s not always the case.) I think if you’re going to hire a sales force who are separate from the folks actually providing services – and I’m not sure there’s a choice – you are going to deal with some fallout. Clients do not get 5 calls in an hour from people they’ve never met at various consulting firms saying, “I’ll be in Chicago on the 23rd, can I stop by your office?”

Much has been written and spoken about ‘Consultative Selling”. Interestingly, BusinessDictionary.com offers the following definition:

“Personal selling in which a salesperson plays the role of a consultant. He or she first assists the buyer in identifying his or her needs, and then suggesting products that satisfy those needs.”

At first blush, this is a rather cynical definition, but it makes sense. Playing a role or acting like a consultant interested in the buyer/prospect’s needs is an insult. While I’m not implying that every, or even most, salespeople are uncaring product shills, we need to re-examine our sales and communications strategies.
As Vendors we need to start by taking stock of our sales strategies. Are we:

• Too focused on short term results?
• Building long-term trusted relationships, or renting rolodexes and role playing?
• Communicating our value propositions to the proper market, or taking the shotgun approach?

These economic times are difficult for everyone. Long-term success will only be realized through the hard work and patience required to build open and honest relationships.

If we’re going to change the negative view of vendors in the legal industry, we need to make the first changes.