Last month we covered:
Referral Rule: The Magic 60%…
Firm Culture that Values Referrals…
The Preeminence Theory…
The Grandmother Test…
You Must Give to Receive…
Transparency and Follow-through…
Now let’s continue…
Three Practical Referral Take-Aways
I want to share with you what I think are the top three strategies for increasing client referrals: Keep in mind the underlying premise: You need to stay on the top of your clients’ and former clients’ minds, so that whenever anyone in their circle needs a lawyer, your name will be the first name that pops into their heads.
1) Client Advisory Board: Whether you are a solo practitioner or a 20- lawyer firm, establishing a Client Advisory Board works. It is not complicated, and I’ve laid out step-by-step directions for implementing the Board in your PILMMA Members Toolkit. Time and again members tell me that when they take time up front to implement this simple referral strategy, they are amazed at how well it works. The key is to be consistent, and present at these meetings and host them regularly, every three to four months.
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2) Newsletters: Once again, if you go to your PILMMA member Toolkit, you will find simple swipe and deploy newsletters ready for you to use. You can also enlist outside vendors to take care of the details at a reasonable price. Whether you use our forms, create your own, or outsource, the import-ant thing is to start sending out monthly, bi-monthly or at least quarterly newsletters to all your present and former clients immediately. With so many options out there, lack of time is no excuse. I can’t drive this home enough: this kind of basic grassroots marketing really works to help you develop relationships with your clients, and to ensure that your firm stays on their radar.
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3) Write a Book: Writing a Book is one of the best and easiest means of obtaining referrals. Without a doubt, even a short book establishes you as a legal expert in the minds of your clients and potential clients. If you don’t have time to write the book yourself, you can contact us, and we will license a book for you, assuming your market is available.
You can use an outside vendor like Michael Delon, www.PaperbackExpert.com to help you get it done quickly and with minimal time and effort.
Having a Book with your name and picture has far more staying power than a business card. Give your existing and new clients 2 or 3 copies and tell them that when they see someone that’s been hurt and needs your services, to give them the book and say, “This is the lawyer I use.”
Remember, 60 % of your clients are apt to refer others to you if they know how to do it! You want to make it as easy as possible for them to do so and handing a friend or family member a book is about as easy as it gets. So, make sure that you give your clients several copies at the beginning of your representation along with those simple but important instructions, and then again when they come into your office at the end of the case.
Once you start thinking with the mindset of encouraging referrals, there are many small things you can do to keep the ball rolling: I suggest having stickers made that say, “We love Referrals!” and place them on every piece of mail that goes out of your office to vendors and present clients.
You can also add a tag to your email signature stating “A Referral is the best compliment you could ever give our law firm. If you know someone who needs our services, please don’t hesitate to tell them about us.”
In summary, the keys to maximizing Referrals is creating a firm-wide mindset and culture of Preeminence and Exceptional Client Service and then making it easy for clients to make referrals.
And remember to thank each and every client that makes a referral with a personal, handwritten Thank You note, so that they know how much you truly appreciate these referrals. An unacknowledged referral source will soon dry up if you don’t make sure that their efforts are both acknowledged and appreciated.
While we are always looking for the latest cutting-edge marketing strategies, there will never be a substitute for Referrals. They remain one of the most powerful marketing tools you will ever find.
