Law Firm Marketing: Make Getting More Referrals Your New Year's Resolution
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When it comes to the different kind of leads that attorneys can generate for new business, referrals are the gold standard. They come to you pre-qualified and ready to “buy” from a source they trust – and with a trust transference to you that is built-in.
If you do nothing else with your law firm marketing this year, make a resolution to cultivate more referrals. Cultivating referrals is low-cost and high-reward, and should be at the top of your list when it comes to new business development for your law firm.
Consider the following as you build your base of referrals this year:
Categorize – there are two categories of referrals for attorneys: current clients and strategic partners. Comb through your client list and identify those clients who already refer, those most likely to refer (happy with your services) and those that will need some special attention to become a good referral source. To develop a list of potential strategic partners, examine that client list again and see if you can find some commonality among other professional service providers that your clients also utilize – other attorneys, accountants, CPAs, business coaches, etc.
Educate – your referral sources will likely need to be educated about the kind of referrals you are seeking. Teach them about who your ideal client is so they won’t waste their time and yours referring potential clients that are not a good fit for you.
Motivate – look for ways to incentivize and reward your referral sources for sending you potential clients. Maybe it’s a free consultation or a gift card to a favored store. Be creative about it.
Follow Through – one of the worst things you can do is not follow through with potential clients who are referred to you. This will dry up your referral pipeline faster than anything. Let your referral sources know how you plan to follow up with the people they are referring, then do it. Keep your sources up to date periodically on the new relationship and be sure to thank them again.
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Free Report: 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys From Building A Referral-Based Practice
Referrals are the lifeblood of many law practices, and building a good referral program takes a proven process. Stephen Fairly unveils the 4 Myths That Keep Attorneys from Building a Referral-Based Practice in his new free report. Read and discover:
How to determine the best source for your referrals
How to explain your ideal target market to a referral source
How to get referrals from other attorneys
Whether online directories are a good referral source
How to network effectively
And much, much more!
Click here to get your free report today.
Law Firm Marketing: Give Yourself the Gift of More Referrals This Holiday Season
The holidays provide an excellent opportunity for attorneys to rededicate themselves to cultivating referrals for the upcoming year. Interestingly, many attorneys fall short when it comes to cultivating referral sources as part of their law firm marketing efforts.
Below are six proven steps you can take in your law firm marketing and referral strategy to build a large referral base and to catalyze multiple, repeat referrals from each contact.
All are designed to keep your name and your reputation top of mind with your contacts and to reward and recognize them appropriately to encourage referrals short-term and long-term as part of your overall law firm marketing strategy.
1. Get Contacts Thinking Referral: Don’t assume your contacts are thinking about referrals for you. Let them know your practice relies on referrals and how much you would appreciate them passing your name along.
2. Immediate Appreciation: When a contact does refer you, call or send a thank-you note the very same day.
3. Reward: Within the next two days, send your referral source a small gift of appreciation like a gift card to Starbucks.
4. Recognition: Once you’ve successfully scheduled a meeting with the potential client, e-mail your referral source to let them know you have scheduled that meeting and that you will update them again.
5. Reward and Recognition 2: When the referral becomes a new client, send a “level 2 gift” to your referral source. A level 2 gift should be something your referral source will really value. However, be aware of dollar-amount gift limits your referrals are able to accept. Also, be sure to include a personal note that tells your referral source the positive outcome of their recommendation.
6. Stay Top of Mind: Even when your referral sources haven’t referred, stay top of mind. Send a note to your contacts 1-2 times per year to your entire contact list thanking them for past and future referrals. The holidays provide you with the perfect opportunity to get back in touch.
Implement these six simple steps, and you will see a sharp increase in referrals while adding to the positive reputation you strive for in your law firm marketing efforts.
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Want to Learn More Marketing Techniques for Attorneys? Attend a Rainmaker Retreat in 2012!
If you are interested in building a lifestyle law practice through effective law firm marketing, then come to one of our upcoming Rainmaker Retreats:
January 27-28, 2012 – Las Vegas, NV
February 10-11, 2012 – Orlando, FL
If you want to learn more about the Rainmaker Retreat and why it is a proven legal marketing system that has helped over 8,000 attorneys find more and better clients, then register now for one of our one-hour complimentary teleseminars:
Thursday, December 8
12pm PT | 1pm MT | 2pm CT | 3pm ET
Thursday, December 15
11am PT | 12pm MT | 1pm CT | 2pm ET
Tuesday, December 20
1pm PT | 2pm MT | 3pm CT | 4pm ET
Join us and learn why the Rainmaker Retreat is the one law firm marketing boot camp you cannot afford to miss!
Law Firm Marketing: How to Build a Referral System That Delivers Results
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While you may get an occasional referral from a former client or someone you know, if you want to take your legal marketing to the next level, you need a referral system. How do you build a referral system that will bring you the results you need?
You start by developing relationships with potential referral sources and generate consistent referrals from them. These sources may include accountants, investment advisors, business leaders, or anyone who has influence with your target market. Depending on your practice area, your referral sources will vary.
Developing a relationship is a two-way process. It can’t just be you asking them for referrals when you see them. It requires regular contact and you showing as much concern for their business as you are asking them to show for your practice. Ask them how you can assist them in achieving their goals.
Another key component of your law firm referral development plan is to create a system for connecting with prospects, clients and referral sources on a regular, consistent basis. This should include:
Monthly newsletters – keep them apprised of what your firm is doing, new employees, and content that is beneficial to them.
Annual Client Satisfaction Survey – find out what your clients think about the service they have received from your firm.
Keep In Touch letters – on a regular basis, every 2-3 months, send a letter to referrals, prospects and clients just to touch base. This top of mind awareness is crucial for generating referrals.
Referral Education System – your referral sources need to know what kind of prospects you are looking for. It does no good for them to refer prospects to you who are not looking for what your firm offers.
Keep your referral sources updated on your practice areas and any changes in your firm if you want to receive high-quality referrals.
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FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book
In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.
Get your complimentary copy online here.
Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.
We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too.
Law Firm Marketing: How Social Media Accelerates the Referral Process
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Social media has become a fundamental shift in the way we communicate and find information -- or rather, the way information finds us.
When you consider the overwhelming number of people who are now using social media, the question you should be asking is not, are my prospects, clients, and referral sources using social media? The question you should be asking is, which network are they using most often?
A recent survey by the American Bar Association's Legal Technology Resource Center found that 56% of attorneys are already using a social network! This means for you skeptics out there, if you are not maintaining a presence on at least one social network you are already behind the curve. Of those networks, LinkedIn is the most popular at 83%, Facebook is second with 68% and Plaxo is third with 18%.
However, for attorneys who are looking to connect with consumers (versus business owners), like criminal defense, personal injury, bankruptcy, estate planning, and family law just to name a few, Facebook should be your primary focus because of the sheer number of people that can be found there (over 750 million registered users and growing).
Depending on the demographic of your clientele, you may have more success with one social media platform compared to another -- but it is important that you have a presence on them all. For example: Business oriented attorneys, like business litigation, securities, and intellectual property, should focus more of their efforts on LinkedIn. However, LinkedIn also has the highest number of attorneys who use the network so it's a little more difficult to stand out as compared to Facebook or Twitter.
What many people fail to understand is how people are starting to use social media. Social networks are more and more being used as personal search engines mainly because Google has become too generic and they often don't trust what they find there.
This trend is especially true in the under-30 age group. In fact, many social media experts are starting to point to Facebook as the new Google! Tens of thousands of searches are conducted every day on Facebook for resources and reviews of products, services, and service providers.
As Bob Burg points out in his excellent book, Endless Referrals, all things being equal, people buy from people they know, like and trust. By extension, people trust their personal networks to point them in the right direction more than a generic Google search.
When you think about it, this is common sense. When you are looking for a recommendation, who would you trust more-a Google search or one of your friends who personally vouches for a specific service provider?
This long-time phenomenon of asking your friends and colleagues for a referral has simply gone viral and online. Social networks are quickly multiplying the number of connections a person can ask when seeking a referral to a trusted advisor.
Smart law firms are starting to see the importance of "fishing where the fish are" instead of trying to drag them to their office or by using interruption-based marketing like television ads or billboards.
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FREE REPORT: How to Use Blogs as a Secret Weapon in Your Online Arsenal
One of the secret tools of Internet marketing for attorneys is the power of having a targeted blog. In a new report on the influence of blogs, eMarketer.com found that in 2010, 51% of Internet users in the U.S. (that’s over 91 million people) read blogs, and they project that usage will go to 60% (150 million) in the next four years!
Still think blogs are a fad?
Here’s what you’ll discover when you read this report:
- Why you must have a blog in order to stay relevant
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Law Firm Marketing: How to Help Your Referral Sources Keep Making Referrals
According to a recent ABA survey, 46% of those surveyed say they go to a trusted source like a family member or friend to find an attorney. That certainly comes as news to no one. Referrals continue to play a huge part in new business for attorneys because they are based on trust, and trust is based on the customer experience.
I'm convinced one of the biggest reasons that attorneys don't receive more referrals is because they don't take the time to inform and remind their clients of the various services they offer. Most clients immediately put their attorney in a box and believe the only service the lawyer offers is the one they used.
I remember a conversation I had with an attorney who practices business law. He was upset because a former client, whom he'd helped set up an LLC three months earlier, referred a competing law firm to a friend looking for representation in a multi-million dollar lawsuit.
When the lawyer explained that this was precisely his specialty, the client was shocked and said, "I'm sorry, but you really need to do a better job informing me of what you do and what kind of cases you want because I don't know."
How much business have you lost because your clients simply aren't aware of the various services your firm can provide?
Another way to increase client referrals is to make certain that your clients can accurately explain your ideal target market:
Your ideal target market is the person or company most likely to hire you initially, repeatedly and at the highest profit margin. With so many attorneys struggling to define their ideal client, it's no wonder if your clients don't know whom they should refer to you.
Remember that memory is elusive and just because you wowed them once and they sent you a referral - doesn't mean they will ALWAYS remember. So don't take referral relationships for granted. Finding a high-quality lawyer is easy and it takes more than quality to make an impression - it takes a relationship.
Just like any relationship, you need to be connecting with your current and former referral sources every four to six weeks to ensure the health and longevity of the affiliation. In my E-newsletter last month, I wrote about keeping in touch with referral sources - it is full of great suggestions.
Rainmakers don't wait for the door to knock or the phone to ring or the referral to come in. They take the initiative, stay in touch, and focus on serving their referral sources.
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Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money
Feel like you don’t have time for marketing? Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.
Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.
After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.
There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm. Click here to download, and start using these proven strategies today!
Law Firm Marketing: The Top 10 Reasons You Don't Get Referrals
If you have more referral business than you can handle, you are obviously doing something right. But if you want and need more referrals and they aren’t coming to you, maybe you are doing something wrong.
Here are the Top 10 Reasons You Don’t Get Referrals:
No goal. Have you set a specific goal for a specific number of referrals as part of your law firm marketing plan? If not, you’re just going down the same old road with no map.
No gratitude. Have you thanked your referral sources and kept in touch, just to say “hi?” Do you thank people online who say nice things about you?
No response. Have you been tardy about responding to a referral? Or worse yet, not responded at all? If so, why would your referral sources continue sending people your way?
No engagement. Are you engaging potential referrals on your social networking sites, or do you just leave sales messages? Your goal is to engage, not to sell.
No reaction. If someone comments on your blog, do you respond? You should then follow-up with an email to further the discussion.
No participation. Don’t just join the social networks, participate. Comment on other people’s posts and encourage a conversation.
No request. If you don’t ask for a referral, chances are pretty good that you won’t get one. Encourage everyone you communicate with through email or e-newsletter or on your social sites to tell a friend about you and your services.
No staying power. Keep in touch with past and current clients, even if they are not currently shopping for an attorney. You never know when they may need you, so staying top of mind is important.
No reciprocity. When it comes to referrals, do you give as good as you get?
No personality. Let your true self shine through in everything you do. People do business with people they like and trust.
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Becoming a Rainmaker: Business Building Strategies for Lawyers
Based on Stephen’s highly successful seminar series by the same name, this 3-audio CD program covers dozens of practical recommendations and step-by-step sales and marketing techniques for solo practitioners and small law firms.
More than 7,000 attorneys from law firms all over the country have experienced powerful results from attending the Becoming A Rainmaker seminar. It has been sponsored by more than 22 of the largest state and local bar associations.
In this information-packed audio program, you will discover:
- How to generate more leads by using education-based marketing
- The relationship between credibility, visibility, tangibility, and consistency
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- The importance of being perceived as a specialist
- Why most advertising is a waste of your money
- What to expect from a Yellow Pages ad
- The 3 marketing strategies that will produce 80% of your results
- How to influence the Know, Like and Trust factors
- Common marketing mistakes lawyers make and how to avoid them
- How to answer the question, "Why should I buy from you?"
- Specific ways you can set yourself apart from low-cost lawyers
- What to do with the 15% of the population that always buys on price
- Ways to attract your Ideal Target Market
- The 6-stage sales process you must follow for maximum success
To order yours now, click here.
Law Firm Marketing: How to Ask for Referrals Without Embarrassment
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A member of our marketing team was discussing with me a problem that I find a lot of our clients have: asking for referrals without feeling embarrassed. We know that many attorneys build a good portion of their practices on referrals – yet, why is it so many feel almost ashamed to ask for a referral?
I believe that these attorneys are not looking at referrals in the right way. They see them as asking for a favor, when in fact you should regard it as extending a favor. That’s right. You are not asking to get a favor, you are asking to bestow one.
The secret to getting lots of referrals is to make it about them, not about you. Think about what benefits you offer your referral sources and what problems you may help them solve. When you help someone help a friend, family member or colleague, you have done them a favor.
Think about how referring you can make your client’s life better, and you will never be embarrassed to ask for a referral again.
Attorneys who rely on referrals for new clients also have to have a referral mindset. Always look for those moments in your relationships with others to create referrals – when you have won a case for a client, when you have helped someone avoid litigation, when you have provided a referral – all opportunities for you to generate referrals.
You also need to make it as easy as possible for people to refer you. Provide them with a written document that outlines the characteristics of your ideal client. Create white papers or give seminars that solve problems their clients may be experiencing and co-brand them, so your referral source benefits.
The real secret to feeling comfortable about generating referrals is to think give, not take. And to implement a system that creates a referral mindset throughout your organization.
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Free CD: Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices
Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice!
Discover:
- How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
- 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
- How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
- The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
- 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
- How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days
To obtain your free CD, click here now.
Law Firm Marketing: The Truth About Referrals
Rummaging through the tickler file today, I can across this article that I bookmarked last year by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing that explains why businesses that rely on referrals (like attorneys) should take a more proactive approach to the process of getting referrals instead of leaving things to chance.
I’ve blogged about that subject many times, but John does a nice job of synthesizing the truths about referrals. I’ll summarize:
Truth #1: People Make Referrals to Build Social Capital. Most people enjoy making referrals to their friends and associates as a way of building social capital. If you believe the way you practice law benefits your clients, then you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable about having clients refer you to others who may benefit as well.
Truth #2: Mitigating Risk is Important. All referrals involve risk – if you refer a business and it under performs, you feel badly that you made that referral. Attorneys who count on referrals for business generation need to take necessary steps to mitigate this risk with communication, education and stellar follow-up.
Truth #3: People Refer Great Experiences. People who have had great experiences with a product or service tend to refer it to their friends and colleagues. Which is why cultivating a culture of great client service is a must for gaining referrals.
Truth #4: Referrals Require Trust. Even if someone raves to a friend about you, that referral is likely to search for you on the Internet. If the referral can’t find good content, reviews or social network participation, they will be less likely to proceed with contacting you.
Truth #5: Referrals Require a System. Attorneys need to create a referral strategy that includes a process for making referrals happen, a way to educate referral sources and a solid follow-up program. Once that is in place, you just need to operate the system.
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Stop Wasting Precious Time and Money
Feel like you don’t have time for marketing? Let us show you how to make a plan that runs on “autopilot” – one that attracts new and lucrative clients while you focus on your practice.
Learn how easy it can be to create an effective law firm marketing plan that performs by getting our Free Guide: 5 Easy Steps to Create Your Law Firm Marketing Plan.
After working with many ultra-successful lawyers we found five common threads in their marketing plans. This guide outlines these shared elements to provide insight into strategies that work and how to make them work for you.
There are two versions: one for Attorneys in Solo Practice and one for Attorneys in a Small Firm. Click here to download free, and start using these proven strategies today!
Law Firm Marketing: 10 Tips for Staying in Touch with Referral Sources
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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:
- 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.
- Send them a handwritten thank you card or form letter two to three days after your initial meeting.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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)
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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?
Then order the Rainmaker in a Box 5-DVD set!
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.
Law Firm Marketing: How to Find Referrals Through Formal Networking
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One law firm marketing tactic that consistently helps most law firms get new clients is referrals. There are several different ways to get those referrals: initiating a strategic referral development program, informal networking and formal networking.
“Formal networking” involves attending an organized group event such as industry trade shows, bar meetings, rotary clubs, special interest groups, political groups, etc.
Here are 7 tips for finding new clients through formal networking:
Join the right groups: Not legal groups or groups where a lot of attorneys gather (unless you get a lot of your business from other attorneys). You need to go where the decision makers meet, not the gatekeepers.
Join elite groups: Groups that cost several hundred dollars a year are better than cheap groups; groups that require a member to sponsor you are even better.
Use an “audio logo”: An audio logo is an idea or statement that clearly and succinctly tells who your intended audience is and what you can do for them.
Most people want to talk about what interests them. They don’t want to talk to someone who’s only interested in how to get their business. So you can use an audio logo to attract attention. Be prepared to give case examples of how you have helped others.
Here is an example of an audio logo: “I help (who your clients are) to (what your solution is or how you solve their problems.)”
Remember your primary purpose: Remember your primary purpose in going to networking events is NOT to get new clients. Your primary purpose is to BUILD A RELATIONSHIP with potential referral sources and to offer yourself as a referral source to them. If you’re going to networking events to get new clients you are not only wasting your time, but you are also coming across as either pushy or desperate to the people you’re meeting.
When you understand the real reason for going to networking events, it takes all the pressure to perform off and keeps you focused on a more productive purpose—building relationships with people you could help and who may also be of help to you.
Ask open-ended questions: Use the 80/20 Rainmaker Rule when you meet them. Ask open ended questions like:
- What do you like best about the work you do?
- What are the biggest challenges your industry/company/profession is facing?
- Where do you find most of your clients?
- Who is your target market?
- If one of your prospects asks what makes you different from your competitors, what do you say?
- How would I know if the person I’m talking to would be a good referral for you?
Be intentional in your follow-up: It does absolutely no good to go to a bunch of networking events, talk to people, collect business cards, and not follow-up. You must have a plan and reasons for following up with people you meet. Your primary reason is to learn more about their business and see if you would be a good referral source for them.
Track your efforts:
- Contact’s name and full information.
- Follow-up method used—phone, email letter.
- Date of 1st follow-up.
- Dates of each additional follow-up.
- Date of first face-to-face meeting.
- Follow-up efforts.
- Results of efforts.
- Notes.
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Free CD: Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices
Get your free CD on Insider Small Law Firm Marketing Practices by #1 Best-Selling Author And Nationally Recognized Law Firm Marketing Expert Stephen Fairley, and listen as he reveals A Proven System To Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice!
Discover:
- How 1 piece of simple technology in your practice will drastically increase your communication with prospects, clients and referral sources – resulting in a major revenue boost
- 5 ways to market and position yourself as a recognized expert
- How 2 Attorneys promoted their law firms to over 100,000 people for less than $100 in 2 hours
- The 1 item you must absolutely have to create a Million Dollar Law Practice (hint: Not having this will almost guarantee your failure!)
- 6 BIGGEST secrets to generating more and better referrals
- How to create a proven network of 30 new Strategic Referral Partners in the next 90 days
To obtain your free CD, click here now.
Law Firm Marketing: Make 2011 The Year of the Referral
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When it comes to the different kind of leads that attorneys can generate for new business, referrals are the gold standard. They come to you pre-qualified and ready to “buy” from a source they trust – and with a trust transference to you that is built-in.
If you do nothing else with your law firm marketing this year, make 2011 the year of the referral. Cultivating referrals is low-cost and high-reward, and should be at the top of your list when it comes to new business development for your law firm.
Consider the following as you build your base of referrals this year:
Categorize – there are two categories of referrals for attorneys: current clients and strategic partners. Comb through your client list and identify those clients who already refer, those most likely to refer (happy with your services) and those that will need some special attention to become a good referral source. To develop a list of potential strategic partners, examine that client list again and see if you can find some commonality among other professional service providers that your clients also utilize – other attorneys, accountants, CPAs, business coaches, etc.
Educate – your referral sources will likely need to be educated about the kind of referrals you are seeking. Teach them about who your ideal client is so they won’t waste their time and yours referring potential clients that are not a good fit for you.
Motivate – look for ways to incentivize and reward your referral sources for sending you potential clients. Maybe it’s a free consultation or a gift card to a favored store. Be creative about it.
Follow Through – one of the worst things you can do is not follow through with potential clients who are referred to you. This will dry up your referral pipeline faster than anything. Let your referral sources know how you plan to follow up with the people they are referring, then do it. Keep your sources up to date periodically on the new relationship and be sure to thank them again.
For more information on building your referral network in 2011, visit www.therainmakerinstitute.com/referrals/.
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FREE "Top 10 Mistakes Attorneys Make and How to Avoid Them" E-book
In a newly revised e-book, legal marketing expert Stephen Fairley outlines 10 of the most common marketing mistakes attorneys make that can lead to the failure of their business, and provides specific strategies and proven principles for avoiding these deadly errors.
Get your complimentary copy online here.
Regardless of your specific situation, this free e-book will help you examine how you are currently finding new clients and recommend specific steps you can immediately start using to grow your practice.
We have helped thousands of attorneys achieve their goals of creating a financially successful and personally satisfying legal practice. In this e-book you will discover specific principles and tools you can use to grow your practice, too.
Law Firm Marketing: Dispelling the Most Common Myths About Referrals
Attorneys know when it comes to law firm marketing, referrals are the best way of finding new clients, but there are 4 common myths I would like to dispel about referrals: 
Myth 1. Clients are the best source of referrals. This surprises a lot of attorneys when I tell them this is a myth. Clients are simply the most obvious source of referrals, not often the best source.
There are simply too many variables you cannot control when trying to get more referrals from clients:
- Do clients know all the different services your law firm offers?
- Can they accurately explain who your ideal law firm clients are?
- Are they able to give a clear and compelling reason why someone should hire you?
- Will they remember you when they meet someone who needs your services?
- Did they just receive a large bill from you and don’t feel especially “good” about your law firm at this moment?
Myth 2. Most legal referrals come from other attorneys. Actually, studies show that only about 25% of an established legal professional's practice comes from referrals from other attorneys, so logically about 75% of your law firm clients will come from other sources (this may vary greatly by practice area).
A simple marketing tip is to set up an easy tracking system as part of your client intake file and then review on a quarterly basis to identify where those leads came from. There are also some legal software products that can be customized to track that information automatically.
Myth 3. Online legal directories can produce a lot of referrals fast. There is some indication that consumers are starting to use online legal directories as a screening mechanism and they may even view attorneys who are listed in the directory as “more qualified” than attorneys who are not, but this is far from conclusive.
Generally speaking, local and state bar directories are more effective, but most non-bar-affiliated online directories have become the equivalent of online yellow pages and do not offer any more benefits than advertising in a telephone book.
Myth 4. Formal networking is a great way to get more referrals. Over the years of helping thousands of attorneys build million+ dollar practices, we have found that formal networking events (like trade shows and chamber of commerce, etc.) work exceptionally well for a select group of attorneys— and not at all for most legal professionals. Here are a few reasons why:
(1) Attending the wrong kind of group—one filled with peers, not prospects. Unless your target market is another attorney, I can't recommend spending much of your valuable marketing time hanging around other lawyers. Go where your prospects are, especially the decision makers, not the gatekeepers.
(2) Going to a networking event to find new clients is like going to a bar looking for your soul mate. While it may happen, the odds are stacked against you. The best way to look at a formal networking event is to go there for two reasons: first, to build relationships with potential referral sources (people you have identified that have a direct connection with your target market) and second, to find out how you can be a referral source to other professional service providers.
(3) Lack of a follow-up plan. When you find a potential referral source, you have about 48 hours to follow up with them or they will likely forget about you. Have a plan for calling them, emailing them, or both the day after the event for the purpose of determining if they are interested in getting together face to face.
So what is the best source of referrals? Strategic Referral Partners (SRPs) are the best source of new referrals. SRPs are people who already have a relationship with or already do business with the people you want to reach.
How to cultivate those SRPs is something we teach at every Rainmaker Retreat. Not just theories, but actionable strategies so you can start building your SRP network the minute you get home.
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Looking for more Rainmaker Institute wisdom?
Then sign up for a complimentary Law Firm Marketing Strategy CD. It contains information that will enable you to Generate More and Better Referrals, Find New Clients Fast, and Fill Your Law Practice. The CD is free, so sign up now!
Referrals are the lifeblood of law firm marketing
I have been talking about the law firm marketing system that every law firm needs to have in order to be successful. Today’s post wraps up that discussion with referrals, the lifeblood of any successful law firm marketing plan.
Referrals don’t just happen. They must be cultivated. Sure you may get an occasional referral from a former client or someone you know, but if you want to take your legal marketing to the next level, you need a referral system. How do you do build a referral system that will bring you the results you need?
You start by developing relationships with potential referral sources and generate consistent referrals from them. These sources may include accountants, investment advisors, business leaders, or anyone who has influence with your target market. Depending on your practice area, your referral sources will vary.
Developing a relationship is a two-way process. It can’t just be you asking them for referrals when you see them. It requires regular contact and you showing as much concern for their business as you are asking them to show for your practice. Ask them how you can assist them in achieving their goals.
Another key component of your law firm marketing plan is to create a system for connecting with prospects, clients and referral sources on a regular, consistent basis. This should include:
- Monthly newsletters – keep them apprised of what your firm is doing, new employees, and content that is beneficial to them.
- Annual Client Satisfaction Survey – find out what your clients think about the service they have received from your firm.
- Keep In Touch letters – on a regular basis, every 2-3 months, send a letter to referrals, prospects and clients just to touch base. This top of mind awareness is crucial for generating referrals.
- Referral Education System – your referral sources need to know what kind of prospects you are looking for. It does no good for them to refer prospects to you who are not looking for what your firm offers. Keep your referral sources updated on your practice areas and any changes in your firm if you want to receive high-quality referrals.
There are a number of systems that are vital for your law practice to be successful. But your law firm marketing system is the one that drives the traffic in the doors. Don’t skimp on your legal marketing system if you want to achieve the level of success that you dream of.
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Unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat?
If you are still unsure about attending a Rainmaker Retreat, sign up for one of our complimentary teleseminars. These free one hour calls give you valuable law firm marketing and business tips that you can implement in your law practice right now. Don’t miss this opportunity to preview something that can revolutionize your law practice!
