If I could ban one word from the vocabulary of every lawyer engaged in business development, it would be “pitch.” Have you noticed how ubiquitous it is? “I’m preparing to pitch a new client” or “Who will be at the pitch?”

But if you look at the dictionary definition of the word “pitch,” you might think twice before using the word again in the business development context. Merriam-Webster defines “pitch” as “to present, especially in a high-pressure way; to utter glibly and insincerely.” The American Heritage Dictionary defines “pitch” as a “noun used in the sense of ‘a talk,’ or more literally, a throwing of words at one. [Slang; late 1800s].” 

Not a very attractive image, is it?

But even more problematic is the mind-set that underlies these definitions. It conjures up an image of a client sitting passively—perhaps listening, perhaps not—while the lawyer spews forth information about what he has to offer, which may or may not be helpful or relevant to the listener.

An effective way to market? Not in my book. Legal services are far too costly—and the relationship between attorney and client requires too much trust—for a “pitch” to be the best way to land a client.

What is effective? Recognizing that “telling is not selling.” Realizing that the first order of business in a sales conversation is discovering what a potential client needs, not talking about what you have to sell.

The primary way to discover what prospects and clients need, of course, is to sit down one-on-one and ask specific, thoughtful questions about the challenges they and their companies are facing. And then listen carefully to their responses.

Other ways to learn about your clients’ or prospects’ needs:

• Visit their offices or operations.
• Talk to other professionals who also serve them so you can better understand key issues facing their industries.
• Invite them to present a “reverse seminar” for your team about their company’s most pressing concerns.
• Ask about the issues they are grappling with so that you might address them in an article you’re writing.

These approaches are the opposite of “pitching.” They demonstrate that you’re sincerely interested in learning more about your prospective clients, their world and their concerns.

Lawyers often tell me that “asking for business” is one of their biggest business development challenges. But if you turn your focus from “pitching” to discovering needs, it’s not such a daunting undertaking. Once you clearly understand a prospect’s real needs (not just what you imagine those needs are), asking for business can be as simple as saying, “I think I now understand the problem you’re facing, and I think we can help you deal with it. Here’s what I suggest ….”

So consider banishing the word (and, more importantly, the concept) “pitch” from your sales initiatives. It just might make you far more effective in your business development efforts.