Search results for: referrals

Well, that might be an overstatement; but a three-part series by Mary Lokensgard on Attorney at Work presents a good outline of an effective referral system to follow.  If you do so there is a good chance that you will be guaranteed referrals. They are not automatic and they require work, but if you’re serious about getting new business remember that one of the best sources his referrals (either from clients or other friends and contacts).

In a nutshell the suggestions by Lokensgard cover three aspects:

1. Who is likely to refer to and how to ask.

  • Make a list of lawyers who do not do what you do, as well as a list of those who do and are likely to refer to you (and you to them) when there is a conflict or other reason;
  • List other non-lawyer professionals likely to have clients that could use your services (and vice versa);
  • Let your clients know that you welcome referrals to serve “other great clients like them”; and
  • Inform all appropriate contacts of your willingness to refer clients to them.

2. Rules when getting and giving referrals.

  • Suggest to referral source that the potential client, for ethical reasons, make the first contact. Subtly remind referrer if you don’t hear from the person;
  • With the new client’s permission, let the referral source know the referral succeeded;
  • Thank the referral source for the business repeatedly – by email AND handwritten note, and consider a token gift as a thank you; and
  • Let the referral source know how things are going with the matter ONLY with the client’s knowledge and consent.

3. Care and maintenance of your referral network.

  • Continue to broaden referral network by raising profile by educational and nonprofit activities;
  • Stay in constant contact with existing referral sources;
  • Look for opportunities to make referrals;
  • Show appreciation by entertaining referral sources.

Building a referral network takes work, but can pay big dividends if done efficiently and effectively. Check out Lokensgard’s three-part series for more details.

 

 

The vast majority of new legal work for lawyers comes from referrals, whether they be from clients, former clients, or other people who, know like and trust you. Often called word-of-mouth marketing, primarily new work comes because of what other people say about you. (One exception obviously is plaintiff’s work, which is basically garnered through advertising).

I have written many posts over this blog’s 10 years on the subject of referrals. And I have included links to 10 below, and invite you to breeze through them for tidbits you might find helpful.

But today I will list, with no further explanation needed IMHO, seven tips I am convinced will guarantee you referrals. So here goes:

  1. Do excellent legal work
  2. Dress professionally
  3. Beat deadlines
  4. Respect clients
  5. Never (unfavorably) surprise a client about anything
  6. Charge reasonable fees
  7. Be a nice person

That’s all folks.

….

Except for other of my posts on referrals (I apologize in advance for broken links, as some no longer are available):

 

Building a network of referral sources isn’t easy. In fact it’s harder than passing the bar. Why would I say that? Because I see it every day… lawyers, bright and knowledgeable in their practice areas, that have few relationships that send them work. So the logical conclusion… it must be harder than passing the bar! Wouldn’t you agree? Well, maybe it doesn’t have to be so hard. Maybe it’s just your point of view, your attitude and your perspective that are holding you back.

Referral sources… who are they? They are your colleagues, your co-workers, your friends, your fans and sometimes even your opposition.

Where do referrals come from? From human contact. From the art of asking. And most importantly trust… trust that it is the human condition to want to help one another.

Watch this TED Talk by the performing artist Amanda Palmer and think about how this could apply to building your network of legal referral sources. (Okay… autographs may not be appropriate in your legal practice!)

If you haven’t figured it out by now… my focus the past few posts is, planning for 2012. Yes, I want you to focus… focus… focus! And I’m not about to let up anytime soon! Why? Because I believe PLANNING is critical to business development success. (Actually, any success… no matter what the endeavor.)

Today, I want to discuss referrals: HOW and WHY to make them, then let’s plan what to expect in 2012. First, there are many reasons why you recommend a lawyer… 

1. To help your client… it’s good client service.

2. In hopes that you will get referrals in return… referrals are currency.

3. To let that lawyer know that you think highly of them… you respect their work and want others to receive the benefit of that expertise. 

4. To earn a referral fee… plain and simple, "money makes the world go ’round!

If these are the reasons you make a referral you have to ask… "Have I communicated it CLEARLY?" Chances are the answer is NO. Not so much. Most lawyers tend to be a bit loose and casual about it. Well, referrals are an extremely important part of how the legal profession works… (Or doesn’t work for some.) So, let’s look at our list again…

1. IF… it’s good client service… are you following through? Do you call your client to touch base and find out how things are going? Do you show your concern for their situation? This is an opportunity to show how much you REALLY care, since you aren’t billing them.

2. IF… referrals are currency. Wouldn’t it be better to pay out before you receive? You bet!

3. IF… you respect a lawyer’s work and want others to know how good they are. Are you saying it clearly, to both parties? If you would trust this lawyer with YOUR life… tell them both that!

4. IF… you earn a referral fee… make sure you show your appreciation. Most often it is the person paying out the fee that is saying thank you for the referral… but are you not thankful that they did a good job on the case and made you look good? Say so!

There is no doubt that referrals are the life-blood of just about any legal practice. Make sure yours are doing the job that is intended… follow through and say what you mean, as clearly as possible.

Now that you are maximizing your referral sources… let’s do some planning. Look at your list of referral sources and project what you might get from them in 2012. To get a good read on it, analyze what you got in the past two years, one year doesn’t always tell the story. Ask yourself if they are still in a situation to encounter the kind of cases they could send your way? Now, assign a dollar value. Could it be a small, medium or large case? Granted… this is just a guess… an educated guess.

Be bold… think big! Why not? If you enter 2012 with a big far reaching goal chances are you will be on the look out for just such an opportunity. You will recognize the opportunity when it presents itself. It’s up to you… what do you want your referral sources to send your way next year?

 

 

Most lawyers understand the referral adage "give to get." It’s pretty simple really. If you refer potential business to others, most will refer work in return, if for no other reason than they’ll feel an obligation to do so. Not everyone does, but most will.

Unfortunately, many of us are regularly guilty of not proactively seeking opportunities to refer clients/customers to others. Often times it’s because we don’t listen to the needs of people we encounter, and thus don’t uncover opportunities to make referrals. Stephen Seckler tells just such a story on his CounseltoCounsel blog   involving a lawyer and a financial planner. The story goes that the financial planner found that when it comes to referrals “lawyers are the worst.” Seckler was sure the planner was wrong, so he stopped an estate planning lawyer he knew and asked him about that. The lawyer’s response was that he didn’t have opportunities to make such referrals because, as Seckler reports, “his T&E clients never ask for a referral to a financial planner.” And, it seems pretty obvious that he never asked them either.

I am sure that is not always the case, and I know of estate planning lawyers who do work on referrals from brokers and financial planners. However, the point is a good one, as I’m also sure that a number of lawyers do not proactively looking for opportunities to make outgoing referrals.

Seckler’s example points out why lawyers should talk with, and listen intently to, their clients and others to uncover needs beyond pure legal representation. But, this would require proactive listening in order to learn about the needs of others. That way you could give more referrals, and increase your chances of getting more in return.

There could be a number of reasons that clients might bad mouth your firm. As the saying goes, an unhappy client/customer will tell up to 10 people how dissatisfied they are with a product or service. For a lawyer, that can be the kiss of death, since anywhere from 71% to 80% of new matters come from referrals. The reasons may have nothing to do with the ultimate outcome of their legal matter.

In a recent blog post Jamie Field points out the need for creating realistic expectations to avoid negative word-of-mouth damage from clients. Her suggestions include better communication (asking the client by what manner, how often, and when they would like communication during their matter); what the lawyer will realistically do for the client; and what outcome options – “both good and bad” – can be expected.

Actually, there are more concerns to be considered in order to avoid unhappy clients, who may “bad mouth” you or the firm. They include:

  • Amount of the fee, irrespective of the result;
  • How they were treated by the lawyer and staff;
  • Whether there were any unpleasant surprises of any kind;
  • Failure to keep client informed of the status of their matter; and
  • Shown a lack of respect as a person.

It is the lawyer’s fault if a client has unrealistic expectations, or is treated poorly. Accordingly, it is critical to have a meaningful discussion upfront as to what the scope and objectives of the representation will be, as well as what they can realistically expect. That includes not only the possible outcomes, but how they will be treated, and what the matter is likely to cost. In today’s world that is increasingly important in managing a legal project. It also can help avoid bad mouthing by disgruntled clients.

Getting referrals from happy clients – better still raving fans – is a much more effective business development strategy.

I often find myself counseling clients who have trouble committing to organizations. In fact, if I had a dollar for every client who joined the local Bar Association and then called it a day I would be…well, I’d be a wealthy consultant. One of my main goals in working with a new client is to sit down and understand how we can make networking and building a referral base a natural part of their life. Part of that is looking at the organizations that fit into their daily life and seeing where they can benefit and create opportunity. Check back on Thursday for some examples.

Question of the Week: Where have your best referrals come from…professional or personal membership?
 

Where have your best referrals come from?online surveys

Okay, the holidays are over. Time to focus on business. And the best source of new business is from existing clients (either in the form of new matters or referrals), and other referral sources. I have talked about this several times before. But don’t just take my word for it.

Paula Black had a post on her blog In Black & White earlier last month that I thought was too important to get lost in the holidays. So, I made a note to cover it early in the new year. She talks about two marketing strategies relating to referrals that individual lawyers and law firms should consider.

She conducted a survey of her readers, and learned that 65% of referrals came from "existing clients or other attorneys." Actually, if you include referrals from former clients, the percentage jumps to eighty; which matches exactly the number I was able to track at two of my firms when I was an in-house marketer.

Paula’s two strategies are both basic and simple to implement:

  • Work on generating more referrals by building up client relationships by improving listening, responding quickly, communicating more often and effectively, sending information of interest, and making (key) relationships more personal; and
  • Respond appropriately when receiving a referral by making sure to thank the referrer with a telephone call, a card (with handwritten note) and/or a small gift, and remembering to reciprocate.

Pretty basic I’d say — work harder at your client and referral relationships. Remember to thank all who make referrals, and send referrals in return. This will assure your getting more of them in 2010.

In my early lawyering days as an assistant attorney general in North Carolina, I had the privilege of having one of the best, most efficient secretaries possible. (I even tried to get her fiancée a job in town, so they wouldn’t move out of state after the wedding. He “suggested” nicely that I mind my own business.) I had one problem with her, however. Whenever I would use the word “we”, she would kid me by saying something like “what do you mean we kimosabe? It’s your job, and I’m just here to do your typing” (on a real typewriter, if anyone remembers what they looked like).

I got that flashback when I saw the article over on Automatic Referrals suggesting the use of “we” over “I” when seeking referrals. Man, did old Silver rein in on that one.

The point is a good one, however, especially when I think about lawyers I know who are shy, and would hesitate to do anything so bold as to ask someone to refer work to them. The article states that a lot of professionals don’t ask for referrals because they don’t want to appear desperate for work, or unsuccessful, or needy.

So, the article suggests using “us”, “our” and “we” (as in your law firm can do or offer…) in ways that “takes the emphasis of the conversation off of you…”

But, “we” need to keep this to ourselves. I’d hate for my former secretary to think I didn’t learn my lesson after all these years.

In March I wrote a post about a client of mine who admitted being timid when it came to asking clients for work (or friends as I recall). There are also many lawyers who are shy when it comes to asking for referrals. One reason is that they don’t want to appear “pushy” or come across as a snake oil salesperson.

Today I ran across a post on Automatic Referrals that mentions the “no-pressure referrals” that Judith Cane talks about on Advisor Radio  (unfortunately, not being a financial professional, I couldn’t figure out how to register free as the post suggests – hey, I was on vacation last week and my mind hasn’t fully reengaged). Notwithstanding, I wanted to make a point about asking for no-pressure referrals without scaring off the referral source.

One option involves offering educational opportunities for potential clients to learn more about the dangers in your area of the law. On these occasions, you can outline the benefits to them by getting professional help without directly asking for their business. This can be done via newsletters or seminars.

So, let your referral sources know about the availability of such resources; and ask them if they know of anyone that might benefit from such information. In effect, this is an indirect referral since your contact is only providing the name of a “potential” client who may or may not benefit from information you are willing to share.