In my last post, I talked about 3 keys to getting more referrals, the essence of which is teaching clients and prospects and business contacts about you and your work. The more they know about how you help people, the more likekly they will be to identify who they know who would make a good referral for you, and better equipped to tell them about what you can do for them.

Educating people about yourself and your work makes repeat business and referrals more likely. 

But there’s something else that does that. In addition to educating people about what you do,  educate yourself about your clients and the people in your target market.

Study your clients’ industries, businesses, and cultures. Learn all you can about what they do and what they want and need. Not just their legal issues. Everything. Because the more you know about the people you want to hire you, the better able you are to show them why they should.

The simplest way to get people to know, like, and trust you, the simplest way to show them why they should choose you instead of another lawyer or firm, is to help them see that you understand them better than other lawyers do.

Study your clients and prospects. Learn what they know and do. Find out who they know and why they associate with them. Learn what makes them tick.

Become an expert in their world. 

Because effective marketing is more than merely telling people what you can do for them, it’s as much or more about showing them that you understand them and their world.

If you target business people, start by reading their blogs and listening to their podcasts and interviews. Sign up for their newsletters, follow them on social, sign up for their seminars. 

But just as important as studying the content they create is to study the content they consume. 

Read what they read. Follow who they follow. 

If you target consumers, pick a niche and do the same thing. 

Yep, homework. And lots of it. But worth it. Because you’re more than a professional who provides services, you’re an expert in the people and businesses and markets for whom you provide those services. 

And when people know that, you’ll get all the business you can handle. 

Get my best marketing tips and ideas in my free newsletter

Referrals are the lifeblood of every professional practice. They’re good for your ego and your bank account and should be the mainstay of your practice-building efforts. 

To get more referrals, there are three things you can do.

First, you can start by being more referable. 

That means getting great results for your clients, of course, but it also means making sure they see and appreciate your effort. Copy them on everything, explain why you did what you did, and encourage them to talk to you if they need or want more information. 

Keeping your clients informed will go a long way toward getting repeat business and referrals, even if you don’t always deliver remarkable results.

Being more referable also means making it easier for people to refer. 

One way to do that is to give them alternatives to providing your name and number to their contacts and recommending they call you, something they might resist doing. Something as simple as giving them articles you’ve written that they can share with their contacts could be a “gentler” alternative for both your client and for the prospective referral. 

And for you.

The second thing you can do to stimulate more referrals is to solicit more feedback. 

Talk to your clients and professional contacts, take them to lunch, send them quarterly surveys, ask them to fill out a form on your website, and find out what they like about working with you and what they think you could improve.  

Don’t be shy about it. Ask for feedback, listen to what they tell you, and take action to fix any problems, improve your workflow and client relations practices, and otherwise make the experience of hiring you (and referring you) easier for everyone. 

The third thing you can do to get more referrals is to ask for them. 

Many clients don’t know you want referrals. They think you don’t need them or you’re too busy and don’t have room to take on new clients. Other lawyers and referral sources might think the same thing. 

Make sure everyone knows that not only can you handle more clients, you want more referrals because the more referrals you get, the more you can reduce your other marketing expenses and amortize your overhead, something that benefits all of your clients.

Finally, consider that the number one reason your clients and contacts don’t refer you as much business as they is probably because they haven’t thought about it. 

Which means the simplest thing you can do to get more referrals is to stay in touch with everyone and help them think about it.  

It’s simple. You get referrals by giving referrals. Send clients or customers to your business clients and contacts and they’ll do the same for you. 

I’m sure you do this when the opportunity presents itself and you “think about it”. I’m suggesting you think about it regularly and go out of your way to find referrals to give.

It starts by getting to know your clients and contacts beyond their legal profile or situation. Learn about their business and industry, find out what they do, for whom do they do it, and why they do it better or differently than their competition. 

And then, promote them. Tell people about their business, practice, or organization. 

And do it proactively. 

Don’t wait until you hear that someone needs their products or services, pass out their flyer, brochure, or business card or do the equivalent online. 

Talk about their business to everyone. Ask if they know someone who might need what they offer. Consider featuring them in your newsletter or blog.

If you’ve hired them yourself and liked what they did for you, write or record a testimonial for them.

Be an ambassador for their business. 

They’ll get more clients or customer, sell more products or services, and the people you refer to them will get products or services they need and want. 

You? You get the gratitude of both of them and, eventually, a lot more referrals.