Background

Merlin Law Group has established itself as a national leader in representing policyholders in property insurance disputes. The firm’s trial strength and thought leadership are unquestioned. However, as the landscape shifts with increased competition, client education needs, and pressure to generate business earlier - there is a strategic need to arm junior attorneys with the confidence, tools, and frameworks to support the firm’s long-term rainmaking capacity.

Unlike traditional sales training, this program acknowledges the sensitive nature of legal services sales - especially in the emotionally charged world of insurance claim disputes (post-hurricane, fire, flood, mold, water damage, etc.). This is not about being “salesy” - it’s about helping attorneys earn trust, communicate value, and stay top-of-mind with referral partners and decision-makers in a way that aligns with Merlin’s credibility-driven brand.

Program Breakdown

Phase 1: Discovery & Alignment (Pre-Training)

• Leadership Strategy Calls (x2)

  • Define what successful BD looks like for a young Merlin attorney

  • Clarify tenure and promotion expectations tied to origination or visibility

  • Confirm key target audiences (e.g., public adjusters, contractors, P&C brokers, HOA managers, real estate developers, municipal leaders, high-net-worth homeowners, attorneys with overlapping client bases)

• Firmwide Questionnaire: “How You View Sales”

  • Gauges attorney comfort in real-life scenarios (e.g., at a conference, after a deposition, during intake)

  • Asks for current client acquisition stories - who introduced them, how it unfolded

  • Captures BD blind spots (e.g., fear of rejection, unclear value proposition)

• Cohort Touchpoints (up to 4 groups)

  • Four 30-min virtual sessions

  • Safe space to articulate BD concerns and field-specific scenarios (e.g., “What do I say to a claims adjuster I run into at a seminar?” “What I want to learn around BD”, examples of lost opportunities, etc.)

Phase 2: Full-Day In-Person Training in Tampa

9 AM – 4 PM | Customized Workbook & Worksheets included

Session 1: Identifying True Targets in Insurance-Centric Fields

• Understanding who really brings in the case (public adjusters, roofers, real estate lawyers, even HVAC companies)

• The difference between referring parties vs. decision-makers

• How to vet a “promising” contact at a conference

• How to avoid wasting time on the wrong person

Session 2: Confidence in the Courtroom - AND the Cocktail Hour

• Translating deposition poise into casual environments

• What to say at an event when someone asks: “What do you do?”

• How to introduce yourself without listing your résumé or over-explaining law

Session 3: Your Role in a Claim Story: Telling the Narrative with Impact

• Moving from legalese to layman’s explanation: What do you actually solve for clients?

• How to explain your firm’s success stories (e.g., denied fire claims, hurricane insurance disputes) in a client-focused way

• Using visual storytelling to make the client the hero - not the firm

Session 4: Sales Mindset Without the Sleaze

• Reframing “sales” as advocacy, justice, and education

• Why clients and referral sources want a confident attorney - especially in high-stakes claim disputes

• Managing fear of seeming opportunistic

Session 5: Event & Conference Strategy: Before, During, After

• What to say when walking into a networking room

• Body language of credibility vs. desperation

• Follow-up strategies that don’t sound pushy (text/email examples, drip campaign ideas)

• Leveraging lunch-and-learns and CLEs as strategic client attraction, not just education

Session 6: Handling Common Objections

• What to say when someone says “We already have a firm we use”

• Navigating price-based pushback (“You guys sound expensive”)

• How to stay in the mix when someone says, “We’re not ready”

Session 7: Mocks, Roleplay, and Real-Life Scenarios

• Simulated conversations at conferences, after speaking panels, and during client debriefs

• Breakout rooms for real-time feedback

• One “brave volunteer” round: pitching the firm in 60 seconds

Phase 3: Optional

• Post-Training Virtual Office Hours (up to 2 sessions)

  • Zoom-based Q&A and reinforcement

  • Recap of the most-used tactics and breakout practice

Outcomes

By the end of this program, participating attorneys will be able to:

• Confidently introduce themselves in both legal and non-legal environments

• Identify and prioritize high-value relationships

• Develop a long-term follow-up strategy using their own style

• Communicate Merlin Law Group’s value in a way that resonates with real-world decision-makers

• Begin the track toward origination - faster

Program Fee & Inclusions

Total Investment: $25,000
Includes:

• Two senior leadership alignment meetings

• Custom pre-program survey and analysis for 10–12 participants

• Up to 4 virtual cohort-based discovery sessions (30 mins each)

• One full-day, in-person training at Merlin’s Tampa office (9 AM – 4 PM); max 25 people in the session

• Custom training workbook and printed materials

• Post-Session Sales Manual tailored to the firm’s specific challenges, language, and BD scenarios based on live discussions and participant input

• Recording of Core Training Segments (captured live or re-recorded) for internal future training and onboarding

• Travel expenses (airfare, hotel, local transport, meals) for lead facilitator

• Up to 2 post-training virtual sessions, 4 people max per session

This is a turnkey engagement designed not only to activate business development in your current team but to leave behind lasting tools for continued internal use.