The Rainmaker Blog : Law Firm Marketing and Business Development : The Rainmaker Institute : Stephen Fairley : Professional Legal Marketing

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The best way to stay in touch with your referral sources is to automate the process as much as possible, utilizing Internet technologies to help you keep in touch. 

First, rank your referral sources based on specific criteria so you know how to allocate your time keeping in touch:

A = Referral sources who have the exact same target market as you and have already sent you at least 1 great referral. Spend most of your time cultivating these relationships.

B = Referral sources who have a very similar target market and have great potential to send you great referrals.

C = Referral sources that have some potential, but may serve a different market and have not referred anyone to you yet.

Here are 10 tips for staying in touch with your referral sources:

1. Send them an email immediately after each meeting with them. Send it the same day whenever possible. In the email express thanks for meeting with you, add any points you discussed, remind them of what makes a good referral for you: “I help (who your clients are) to (what your solution is or how you solve their problems”) and close with any action items or next steps.
2. Send them a handwritten thank you card or form letter two to three days after your initial meeting.
3. After your initial meeting, put a “to do” or task item in your Outlook for approximately 6 to 8 weeks later. Have your staff contact them to set-up another time to get together face-to-face. Make your next meeting more about the relationship than business. Perhaps meet at the golf course, over drinks or in another casual environment.
4. Use your press releases. Each time you write and submit a press release, send them a copy. It’s easier if you use PRWeb (www.prweb.com) because they will automatically convert your release into a PDF file, which you can email, or print and mail.
5. Send them a copy of your published articles. As attendees to the Rainmaker Retreat learn, there are dozens of online article directories that will publish your articles for free. When one of your articles is published, print off several copies and send them out with a note.
6. Send them a holiday card, but not on the major holidays like Christmas. Instead, visit www.holidayinsights.com, which lists a lot of minor and just plain fun holidays.  For example, today is Compliment Day...a perfect time to drop your sources an email complimenting them on something.
7. Set-up a Google alert for a topic of interest to your referral sources. For example, “tax law changes” for CPAs or “Los Angeles commercial real estate market update” for a commercial real estate broker.  (www.google.com/alerts)
8. Ask them if they would like to receive your monthly newsletter or e-newsletter. Use www.ConstantContact.com to manage and send out your monthly electronic newsletter (e-newsletter). Send a copy to your referral sources (with their permission, of course.)
9. Invite them to connect with you on LinkedIn. This powerful social media tool is a great way to stay connected to referral sources. Be sure to set-up a free account, fill in your profile information, and update your status. You can connect with me at www.LinkedIn.com/in/StephenFairley. Just click the button “Add this person to your network” and I will accept your request. Also, be sure to check out the various groups for attorneys you can join. Use the “status update” to keep in front of people.
10. Invite them to connect with you on Facebook. What started out as a college phenomenon has quickly grown into a marketing tool for small business owners. Set up a profile (it should be more personal and a little less professional than your LinkedIn profile) and start to add friends. “Friend” me at www.facebook.com/fairley.

For more information on building your referral network, visit www.therainmakerinstitute.com/referrals/.

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Are you looking for specific marketing strategies you can use in your law firm?

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Some of the information and strategies you will learn include:

The 5 Immutable Secrets to Building a 7 Figure Law Practice:
How to create an automated marketing system to transform your law firm from a practice into a business. Stephen has studied best practices in law firm marketing and shares with you the 5 unchanging secrets they use to build a multi-million dollar law firm.

Secrets of Building a Referral-based Law Practice for Busy Practitioners:
Every lawyer wants more referrals, yet for many the steps to get there remain an elusive secret. Listen in and watch as Stephen lays out his 8-step proven system to triple your referral sources in 90 days or less!

The Top 6 Most Powerful Online Marketing Strategies for Attorneys:
Internet marketing is one of today's fastest growing and most powerful marketing tools for lawyers. Yet much of how to generate more business and attract more clients online is still a mystery. Watch as Stephen pulls back the veil and walks you through the core concepts and key principles every attorney must understand in order to dominate their competition online and build a powerful Internet presence on a shoestring budget.

Action, Accountability and Next Steps:
Knowledge is power. The most difficult part for most attorneys is putting that knowledge into action. In this DVD you will discover an 8-step system for creating your law firm marketing plan and how to take action immediately.

This program includes a data DVD, which includes the PowerPoint slides for all 4 presentations.

To order this information-packed set click here.