When you have a new client in the office, what do you say to him about referrals? Anything?
Do you give him anything to pass out to people he knows, to make referrals easier for him?
Perhaps you give every new client three extra business cards. That’s good. But when you do that, what exactly do you say? (It makes a difference.)
Most lawyers don’t have a well thought out referral system in place. They haven’t planned what they will give clients, what they will say, or when.
For most lawyers, referrals happen, when they happen. Or they don’t.
Spend some time today thinking about, and writing down, your system. What do you say (orally or by email or letter) to new clients? Current clients? And former clients?
What do you give them or send them?
Right now, if your system consists of giving new clients three business cards and saying, “Here are some of my cards, in case someone you know needs my help,†fine. Write that down. That’s your system. And any system is better than no system.
But you can do more.
Start thinking about what else you might do the next time they are in the office. Or what you might mail to them or include in your “New Client Welcome Kitâ€.
Write down all of the times during the case or engagement that you could do something or say something that might bring in more referrals.
Start with new clients, on their first appointment. Then consider what you can do at the end of the case or engagement.
After that, write down ideas for communicating with “old†clients.
Having a system for new clients, end of the case, and old clients, will probably put you way ahead of where you are right now, because you will have a better system than you do now.
Systems save time and make things easier. They produce better results, too, if for no other reason than they prompt you to do something on a consistent basis.
No doubt you get referrals now, but do you get as many as you want? As many as you think you could get?
If not, it’s time to create or update your referral system.
