Being a great lawyer and having success running your own practice do not always correlate. The skill set required to handle the business aspect of a law firm is different than that of practicing law.

It is crucial that lawyers learn how to sell. It's a skill that needs to be developed and polished over time. I think that often times sales has a negative connotation attached to it. However, we need to be able to sell our legal services or our practice won't survive.

These are 5 sales basics that I think every lawyer should know:

1. Taking Orders Isn't Selling - It would be a wonderful world if clients walked in your door and asked how much they should write the check for. Unfortunately, this isn't how things play out. Potential clients are in all different stages of the "buying cycle". Some are looking for answers to legal questions, others are shopping around, some aren't even sure if they need a lawyer or not. Your job is to convince them why retaining your services is their best option. The key is that many will need to be convinced…not simply sign up with you.

2. Listening Is Key - Many people think that being a skilled salesman is having the gift of gab. The reality is that listening is the key to successful sales. In order to Understand the concerns, questions, emotions, and needs of a client you need to listen, not talk. You can best solve their problems when you understand what they are.

3. What Are You Doing To Solve Their Problem - It boils down to the simplest of things. What will you do to fix their problem? The better you are at concisely and effectively communicating your ability to solve their problem, the more clients you will have. Talking about yourself and your firm incessantly will not achieve this.

4. Build Your Referral Base Through Networking - One of the most important aspect of successful sales is the ability to network and build a referral base. Referrals are the best leads whether it's a recommendation from a fellow attorney or a past client. It takes effort, planning, and a lot of work to properly network. However, it's an aspect of sales that can't be ignored.

5. Plan Out Your Sales Process - Taking the time to plan out your sales process at your firm is crucial. Consider all the aspects of the client's interaction with your firm. How do you handle and new prospect? Who handles the intake interview and how do you go about it? What is the process for following up with a prospect? How do you keep track of all of this? Make sure you layout your game plan ahead of time.

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