December 14, 2007
Law Firm Marketing Solutions
Guiding your practice to increased revenues while reducing your work hours.
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December 2007, Issue #19
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In this issue:
Asking For Referrals From Clients In Attorney Marketing
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Asking for referrals from clients is not as hard as some attorneys may think. If you have thought through the process a bit, have a map of the terrain, practice a bit and take action in the real world it should be no problem. In this article I am going to help you think through the process and give you the map. The action will be up to you. Success in this aspect of law firm marketing is the closest thing to the holy grail of guerrilla marketing. If you build your referral network you will be invincible and the mightiest of guerrilla marketers. In order to be able to build this referral network you first have to have the right mind set. Just what is the necessary mind set to become successful in asking for referrals? Read on.
The first way to think is your satisfied clients will not make referrals to you naturally so asking for referrals is required. You need to facilitate the process and be proactive in making it happen. The second way to be thinking is if someone knows you, likes you, trusts you finds you credible and has a relationship with you then it is highly likely they want to make a contribution to you. For heaven sakes let them make that contribution to you. Yes, a few may reject you or say no and don’t let that stop you from the commitment. Most people by far want you to be successful and prosper. By asking for referrals from them you are enabling them to do what comes naturally. The third way to be thinking is these same folks want to make a contribution to their friends, family and colleagues so let them do that by referring them to someone they know, like, trust and find credible - you. Referring them to you is going to make them feel good and look good as well. Let them do that by asking for referrals. The fourth way to be thinking is people already know you are in a referral business. You don’t have to be afraid they might think you want referrals. They already know at some level in their minds you want referrals. Of course you don’t want to come across as desperate when asking for referrals even if you are desperate. The last way to be thinking is you need to be asking for referrals from clients more than you think you need to be asking. With existing client referral sources as opposed to new clients it is not so much about asking for referrals as it is thanking them for referrals in a way that reminds them of you.
With the right thoughts what is next. When is the best time to ask for referrals? You need to ask many times, in many ways both subtle and direct over the beginning, middle, and end points of service delivery as well as beyond. In the script you use in talking with prospective clients you can mention how you prefer to work with referrals or you work mostly with referrals. Tell them your commitment is to create with each client a long term relationship that makes them feel like they want to refer their family and friends to you. In asking for referrals you might say something like: “I am really happy person’s name gave you my number to call. He/she probably did not tell you that I generally only work with clients who are referred by trusted clients and referral sources. If the person is calling in on the phone and has no referral then tell them they are an exception by saying something like: “I usually work by referrals only from someone I know. I will make an exception for you since your situation is one I have particular expertise in and I have some open time in my schedule for you.”
In asking for referrals your client service agreement is another opportunity. In your client service agreement you can mention how much you value your relationships with your clients and always appreciate their referrals since that is acknowledgement of their confidence in you.
At points in the service delivery, asking for referrals may be appropriate since there is a natural opening for the request at times. Do be looking for those types of opportunities. Drop in a comment to plant the seed or nurture the seed you planted earlier.
At the end of service when the benefit has been delivered asking for referrals is beyond a doubt the best time since the person is likely to be the most happy with you. You might say something like this: “Person’s name, it has been a real pleasure working with you on this issue. I hope we can work together more in the future. I hope I have earned your trust and I am someone you can tell your family, friends, neighbors and colleagues about. As I have told you when we first met, I usually only work on a referral basis so I would hate it if someone you referred called leaving me a message and I did not know they were referred by you. If you could let me know to expect their call ahead of time, I would appreciate it. You can count on me to take very good care of your referrals.”
Oh, we are not done yet as post “file closed” we keep on going like the Energizer Bunny. You are going to send out a client satisfaction questionnaire in 30 to 90 days and that form will be reminding them about referrals. Not finished yet, if you have a database marketing system (and you should) in place then you will be reminding them in emails, newsletters, etc.
Finally, you are going to be calling them (OK, so maybe not everyone, but you will be calling some) every 3 to 6 months to check in on them. In that conversation you will be asking for referrals as well. After having a good conversation on something of interest to them (that you have put on your database in the notes section like hobbies, memberships, place of work, family names/ages, etc.) maybe saying something like: “Well, person’s name, always good to talk with you. I do work on a referral only basis so, who might you know at XXXX (insert where they work for example) that needs my services (pause here to see if they have some names – if they do continue with). Great, please do be sure they mention your name when they call me. I would hate to not know they came from you and not take the call.”
If a client does refer someone you need to call them and thank them for the referral. Maybe even send an appropriate gift – not too large so it looks like a bribe and not too small so it looks petty. Earlier I said you would be calling some people regularly and asking for referrals. The clients who have sent you referrals are the ones you will be calling regularly even if it has been a few months since the last referral. You may even what to take them to breakfast, lunch or dinner sometime. Even invite them out with you and your significant other or over for dinner at your home. You want to keep you in the top of their mind all the time. You also need to call those who you think have a high potential to be “client referrers” at the least.
Now, let’s drill down a bit more on details in asking. Asking for referrals in the following format is best: “Who else do you know who might be interested in my services (best to name a service specifically here and not be too general).” Notice I asked “who else do you know” which implies that they do know someone who needs your services. If you ask “if you know anyone” what invariably you will get is a “no” to that format. A “know anyone who” format is not going to work – too broad a question. An alternative method for asking for referrals might be one like “person’s name, you are a member of (fill in the organization name) is that right?” Person says yes. “Do you attend their meetings regularly?” Person says yes. “Is there anyone in your name association that you think could benefit from my XYZ services? Maybe two or three people you know in the association or someone you have sat next to in the meetings or know from the meetings?” I think you can see the difference here.
Let us look at one last systematic method for asking for referrals from clients before we stop. Here is the structure:
- Asking for referrals from current clients: “Are you satisfied with my/our service?”
In the unlikely event they tell you “no” then you have the opportunity to ask them what it is about your service that is not working for them and how can you fix it for them. At the least you have made an unhappy person feel better about you. Also you may have learned something that needs fixing for other clients as well. Don’t be defensive and do thank them for their candid feedback. If they say “yes” to the question then
- Ask: “Would you feel comfortable recommending my practice to people you know?”
In the unlikely event they tell you “no” here or even if you sense they are reluctant to answer like by not saying “yes” right away then find out like you did in #1 above what it is that is bothering them and fix it for them. If they say “yes” you can ask them using some of the scripts above I talked about. Better still, when asking for referrals from them see if they will allow you to phone using their name. They can call or email the person for you to prepare them for your call so you do the calling. Maybe they would like to meet you for lunch with their friend, family member or work colleagues? If they do, then so much the better.
Well, we have covered a lot of ground when asking for referrals. If you get nothing else out of this piece other than people know you need referrals and by far most of them want to help you so ask any way you can then we are in business!
Comments, ideas, questions or topics you would like to see addressed in future newsletters? I would love to hear from you. Just reply to this newsletter and tell me what you think.
To your success,
Henry Harlow
Founder, www.Law-Firm-Marketing-Coach.com
PS: You can find all our website resources with the two complimentary seven part e-courses at www.Law-Firm-Marketing-Coach.com/resources.html.