Referrals Archives - Page 2 of 26 - The Attorney Marketing Center

Size doesn’t matter

May 24, 2024 by David M. Ward

I’m talking about your list of professional contacts. It’s the quality of your contacts that count, not the quantity. A list of 10,000 people who might recognize your name (or might not) isn’t nearly as valuable as a list of 100 who will take your phone call, reply to your email, or smile when they see you.

You know, people who know you.

Because if they know people who need your services, or know people who know people who do, you’ve got it made. Even if it’s not a big list.

Because it’s not who you know. . . it’s who THEY know. (And will introduce you to).

Do you know a professional or business executive who is influential in your target market? Do you know them well enough to ask for a favor?

Great! Ask them to introduce you.

If you know the name of someone they know you’d like to meet, ask them by name. “You mentioned you know Jack Bigtime. I’ve heard good things about him and would love to meet him. Would you be silling to introduce us?”

If you don’t know anyone they know by name, ask by category: “Do you know anyone who (describe the kind of contact you’d like to meet).” If they say they do, ask for a detail or two to get them thinking about them, maybe ask how they know them, and then ask if they would introduce you.

If they ask why, tell them the truth—you want to expand your network. Just an introduction. Not marriage. One professional meeting another, the way it’s done every day.

You may have to talk to a few people to find someone who knows someone who would be a good fit for you and will introduce you (or let you mention their name), but all you need is one.

Because one will lead to two. And that can lead to dozens.

Yes, you could play the “quantity-leads-to-quality” game most professionals play, work like crazy and eventually meet someone who’s a good contact for you. But the “quality-leads-to-quality” game is much more fun, and productive.

Here’s how to do it

Filed Under: Networking, Referrals, Relationship marketing

Can you rely solely on repeat business and referrals?

May 15, 2024 by David M. Ward

Yes, you can; many lawyers do.

They have a client base that trusts them and have enough legal work to keep them busy, and they have friends and business contacts they can and do refer.

Nice, isn’t it?

They don’t advertise, network, blog, do presentations, or do any other marketing. They can if they want to, and sometimes they do, but the growth of their practice doesn’t depend on anything other than doing good work for their clients and serving them well.

It takes awhile to get to that point, so if you’re a new lawyer or don’t yet have a big enough practice to generate a steady stream of business, you’ll need to do other things until you get there. I did that when I started practicing. It was hard and took a good five years, but it was worth it.

Hold on. It’s easy to screw up.

Clients and their businesses die, you mess up and they leave, the economy throws you under the bus, laws change, competition steals the show, overhead can eat you alive, and other factors can change everything.

So, never take anything or anyone for granted. Assume the best, but be prepared for the worst:

Continually strengthen your relationships with clients, prospects, and business contacts.
Ask for testimonials, reviews, introductions, and referrals, because they may not think to provide them if you don’t.
Create a website that tells people what you do and how you can help them and let it do most of the selling for you.
Build a list and stay in touch with everyone.

Finally, continually look for new ways to bring in business and increase your profits, because you never know what the future has in store.

How to talk to clients about referrals

Filed Under: Referrals, Relationship marketing

Business development leapfrog

May 1, 2024 by David M. Ward

It’s all about networking. Meeting people who know people you’d like to know. High-level decision makers, General Counsels, CEOs, advisors, business owners, and other influential people in your target market.

Your job is to identity people you’d like to meet and work backwards to identify people they know who can introduce you. Eventually, you identify someone you already know or can easily meet because they belong to a group you belong to or know people who do.

Start with “categories”—types of advisors or professionals or decision makers in your target industry or market. When you know you’d like to meet a financial advisor, General Counsel or manager of medical groups (of a certain size or specialty), for example, it makes everything easier.

Create a profile. Then, identify “candidates”—actual advisors or decision makers you’d like to meet. Then, talk to your clients and existing business contacts and ask if they know these people, or know someone who does. If they do, ask them if they would introduce you, or if it would be okay for you to mention their name when you talk to them.

And yes, it is as simple as that.

You don’t have to score a home run every time. A single or double here and there may be enough to get you face to face with someone who wants to know more about what you do and how you can help their company or their clients.

If you “only” meet one or two of these top-level decision makers per year, it can lead to a lot of business.

It’s all about networking. But you don’t have to attend a single networking event.

Because the people you already know, know people you’d like to know, and you can leverage your relationship to meet them.

Here’s what to do, step-by-step

Filed Under: Networking, Referrals

Are you attracting the wrong clients?

April 17, 2024 by David M. Ward

You don’t want to attract people who can’t afford to hire you. You also don’t want to attract clients who have gone through several attorneys before you and “can’t seem to find the right one”.

But you also don’t want to attract prospective clients who are completely happy with their current firm and not looking for anyone else.

You want to attract your “ideal” clients, those with the right combination of needs and wants and temperament, who are looking for the help you provide and are willing and able to pay for it.

You may occasionally work with a client who isn’t ideal, i.e., tolerate them, but you shouldn’t target them.

You should target your ideal and focus on them in your marketing.

Start by taking inventory of your current and former clients. Make a list of positive attributes you want to attract, i.e., attributes exhibited by clients you’d like to clone if you could, and another list of negative ones you want to avoid.

Create a profile of your ideal clients’ industry or market, their problems and goals, their financial strength, and other factors that define what makes them ideal.

You want more clients who are like your best clients; this is what they look like.

What then? How do you find them?

The best way is via referrals. People tend to associate with people much like themself. People in their market or industry or neighborhood. People in their age group or who have similar interests. People they know, like, and trust.

And the businesses and professionals they work with or patronize.

Whatever it is that makes your ideal clients ideal, referred ideal clients makes them better.

Because they come to you pre-screened and pre-sold.

Yes, there are other ways to find ideal clients, and they may provide you with bigger numbers. Advertising in a trade publication, for example, might generate a lot of leads who fit the profile you seek. But there’s no easier or more profitable way to bring in ideal clients than through referrals.

How to get more referrals

Filed Under: Referrals

How do you know what prospective clients really want?

April 11, 2024 by David M. Ward

Sure, you can ask them. During a meeting or consultation or over coffee. You can also look at their website or blog, read their book, listen to their presentation or interviews, or send them a survey or questionnaire.

The problem is, people often don’t tell us what they really think or want.

Some don’t know what’s possible or have trouble articulating what they need
Some tell you what they think makes them look intelligent, more successful, or a better person
Some tell you what they think you want to hear
And some play everything close to the vest and don’t tell you much of anything

If you really want to know what people want, we’re told to watch what they do. What do they purchase, who do they hire, what do they invest in? But even this can be misleading or give you an incomplete picture.

One of the best places to find out what prospective clients really want is to watch what they do on social media.

See what they talk about, comment about, or ask. See what they’re excited about or complain about. Yes, there is a lot of pretending on social, but people often get emotional about things they want or don’t want, let down their guard and reveal what’s really on their mind.

But perhaps the best way to find out what prospective clients really want, and one of the simplest, is to talk to the person who referred them to you. There’s a good chance they know.

Which is yet another reason why you should prioritize referrals as a source of new business.

How to get more referrals from your clients

Filed Under: Communication, Referrals

I’d like to buy you dinner

March 27, 2024 by David M. Ward

Client appreciation dinners are a great way to recognize your best clients and thank them for their loyalty. Basically, you invite them to a free dinner where you present awards and gifts, introduce them to other clients in their niche, and enjoy a good meal.

You might have guest speakers who may be willing to co-sponsor the event. You might invite your clients to bring guests. Or you might keep the evening information-free and pitch-free and just have a good time.

A Facebook friend of mine, a Realtor, mentioned his firm’s upcoming “Top Referring Client Appreciation Dinner.” I thought that was a smart variation on the idea because his clients have to do something to get invited to the dinner.

There’s a little competition involved. Clients hear about the event and want to come. After the dinner, they see photos on your website and do their best to get invited the following year. Those who do attend will work hard to make the guest list again the following year. They’ll also talk about the dinner to their friends and colleagues.

Of course, it also allows you to promote the subject of referrals to all of your clients by simply talking about the dinner in your newsletter.

When you recognize good behavior (referrals), you reinforce that behavior and it tends to be repeated. When you recognize that behavior publicly, many of those who didn’t get recognized (invited) will change their behavior so they can be included the next time.

The bottom line is that you get more referrals, not just from those who make the grade as “top referrers” but from all of your clients. Your top referrer may send you ten clients, but you may have 100 clients who send you one or two.

If you can’t or don’t want to do a client appreciation dinner (criminal defense lawyers, I’m talking to you), how about a dinner for professionals? Invite your best referral sources and recognize them for their efforts.

If a client or referral source appreciation dinner isn’t in your budget, consider a breakfast or luncheon. Or, invite your best referring client or referral source out to dinner, just the two of you, to say thank you for their support throughout the year. Next year, you can invite a few more.

Here’s another way to get more referrals

Filed Under: Marketing legal services, Referrals Tagged With: client dinners

“My secretary made me stop”

March 19, 2024 by David M. Ward

You may have noticed that I continually preach the value of staying in touch with clients and prospect via a newsletter. No, this is not another reminder to do that.

Instead, this is a reminder about the value of staying in touch with clients individually.

It’s a simple concept, as old as the hills, and even more powerful than a newsletter.

In a nutshell, every week, schedule a few minutes to connect with at least one of your clients or former clients. Call them, not to talk business, but simply to ask how they’re doing and catch up.

Ask about their business or family, their hobby or their golf game. Ask about their latest project or cause.

No selling or promoting. Just you connecting with people who are important to you.

But while you’re not calling to talk about (your) business, a funny thing happens when you call. Clients will tell you about another case or legal issue or question they have or a friend or business contact who does, and you get more business.

Many lawyers I’ve encouraged to do this have reported amazing results. One lawyer told me he got so much new business, his secretary said she couldn’t handle all the work and told him to stop.

For the record, this kind of thing doesn’t happen as much when you email. There’s something magical about the human voice. Especially when it’s your voice, not an assistant’s.

I’m not saying don’t send email (or regular mail) or stop your newsletter.

Just make sure to call.

Call your current and former clients, referral sources and business contacts, and (if you want to) even prospects you’ve spoken with. Everyone you know professionally, or want to know.

There’s another benefit to doing this besides strengthening relationships and bringing in more new business. It’s an opportunity to learn more about your clients’ industry, business, or market, which will help you do a better job for your clients and better market to their niche.

All you need to do this is a calendar and a list. And maybe another secretary or assistant to help you with all the additional work.

Filed Under: Client relations, Referrals

How to kill a referral source

March 7, 2024 by David M. Ward

I asked a web vendor for help with a problem I was having on a website. She couldn’t help me and referred me to a web developer she worked with. I went to their site, filled out a form, told them what I needed (and who referred me). I received an automatic confirmation email, and… never heard from them again. And yes, I contacted them a second time.

Were they ill? Swamped with work? Not interested? (It was a small job.)

I told the vendor who referred them what happened. She contacted the developer on my behalf, but also got no reply. So, she referred me to someone else who did respond and will probably get the job.

What happened to the first referral? I don’t know. But there’s no excuse for not responding to an inquiry from a prospective client. Even if you have a good “excuse”.

So, they lost the job. And won’t get any more business from me. Or referrals from me. Or, I suspect, referrals from the original vendor.

Ouch.

No matter what line of work you’re in, building a successful business or practice doesn’t require you to be the best at what you do, offer more value or charge competitive fees.

But you have to be someone people trust.

Which means you can’t ignore referred clients or you won’t get any more.

If you’re busy or ill, have an assistant contact the prospective client on your behalf.

It’s weird saying that. Everyone knows that, don’t they?

Apparently, not.

Filed Under: Referral sources, Referrals

People lead you to people

February 27, 2024 by David M. Ward

Some people can hire you. Some can’t. Or won’t. Some people can send you referrals. Some can’t. Or won’t.

Here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter what someone can or can’t do. They know people you don’t know and can lead you to them.

Your new client might know no one who needs your services. But their boss, accountant, neighbor, or friend might. It’s not who you know, it’s who they know and can lead you to.

You still need to be refer-able. You still need to get introduced or have your contact give them your card or a link to your website. But it gives you a path. A modus operandi. When you meet someone new—online or in person, through formal networking, speaking to a new client or prospect, or chatting with a stranger in line to get coffee, your job is to find out who they know.

Emblazon it on your brain. “Who do they know?” (Or “Whom…” if you were an English major.)

If they mention they work at a certain company, find out what they do there and who they work with. Do they know any of the executives, directors, vendors, or shareholders? Do they know anyone who does?

You might start by asking if the company has in-house counsel or works with an outside firm. It would be good to meet those lawyers. Even if they are your direct competitor, they might have a conflict or otherwise be unable to represent a client or take a case (e.g., too big, too small, wrong industry, etc.) and might refer them to you.

NB: get to know other lawyers.

What if your client or contact doesn’t know the in-house counsel or hesitates to introduce them? Pick up the phone, call that lawyer, tell them you have a mutual business contact (the employee at their client’s company) and want to introduce yourself and find out more about what they do. (Psst, and who they know).

It works the same way with everyone. When you sign up a new client, find out the name of their insurance broker, accountant, financial planner, or attorney.

More people you want to know.

As a friend of mine used to put it, “Don’t look ‘at’ them, look ‘through’ them—because it’s not who you know, it’s who THEY know.

My guide to Lawyer-to-lawyer referrals

Filed Under: Networking, Referrals

“I didn’t know you did that”

February 2, 2024 by David M. Ward

Yeah, that’s something you never want to hear. Because if a client or professional contact doesn’t know that you (and/or your firm) do a certain type of work or handle a certain type of case, you shouldn’t be surprised when they hire someone else.

Yes, they might ask if you handle X or can help them or a friend with Y—but you shouldn’t count on it. People get used to your being a (type) of lawyer or representing a (type) of client. It might not occur to them that you might do something else, and they’re busy and won’t bother to ask.

So… the first rule for getting more repeat business and referrals is to make sure everyone you know knows what (else) you do.

What if you DON’T do anything else? Great, this gives you the opportunity to remind people that you “specialize” in your field. Since clients and the people who refer them prefer hiring or referring a lawyer who specializes, it gives you an advantage over other lawyers who don’t.

But. . . you also want them to know that you know lawyers in other fields and might be able to refer them, and they should call you about any legal matter.

Not just because you want to serve them by introducing them to someone who can do a good job for them. But also because it gives you more referrals to give to colleagues who might think of you when they get a case or client they don’t handle (but you do).

Ya with me?

One more thing. Tell them this often. Tell them again (and again) what you do and that they should call you for any legal matter.

Tell them often, because people forget what you told them before, especially when they haven’t heard from you in a while.

Stay in touch with the people in your world, because the only thing worse than hearing someone say they ‘didn’t know you did that’ is hearing them say they don’t remember your name.