Building a strong referral base should be a top priority for every law
firm, every year. Below are seven proven steps you can take to grow your
referral base and to catalyze multiple, repeat referrals from your contacts.
All are designed to keep your name and reputation top of mind with your
connections 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. Educate Your Contacts About Referrals: Don’t assume people are actively thinking of
whom they can refer to you. Let them know your practice relies on referrals and
how much you appreciate them passing your name along. Educate them on what
makes a good referral; what does your perfect client look like? The more information
you can give them, the better chances they will remember you when that person
calls them on the phone.
2. Immediate Appreciation: When a contact does refer you, call or send a
thank-you note to both parties the very same day.
3. Reward: Within the next two days, send your source a
small gift of appreciation like a handwritten thank you card or perhaps even a
gift card to Starbucks or Amazon.com.
4. Recognition: Once you’ve successfully scheduled a meeting
with the potential client, email your source to let them know you have
scheduled that meeting and that you will update them again if the referral
signs up.
5. Reward and Recognition 2: When the referral becomes a new client, send a
“level 2 gift” to your source. A level 2 gift should be something your source will
value and appreciate. However, be aware of dollar-amount gift limits your
referrals are able to accept and be sure not to run afoul of the fee splitting
prohibitions with non-attorneys in your ethics rules. Also, be sure to include
a personal note that tells your source the positive outcome of their
recommendation.
6. Stay Top of Mind: Even when your referral sources haven’t
recently referred, stay top of mind. Send them a monthly newsletter or a note
periodically thanking them for past and future referrals. The holidays provide
you with the perfect opportunity to get back in touch, but too many attorneys
focus all their keep-in-touch efforts around this busy season. To make sure you
stay top of mind, you need to stay in touch regularly throughout the year.
7. Rank Your Referral Sources. Here is the criteria I recommend so you know
who you should spend more time with:
1.
Referral sources who have the same target market as you and have already
sent you at least one great referral. Spend most of
your time cultivating these relationships.
2. Referral sources who have a very similar target
market and have good potential to send you great referrals. Consider holding a
joint marketing event or seminar to assist them in making the referral to you.
3. Referral sources who have some potential, but
may serve a different market and have not referred anyone to you yet.
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