Some smart wag said that if you’re not getting enough referrals, there are only two reasons. “Either you don’t deserve them or you’re not asking for them.”
Let’s talk about this, shall we?
What do you have to do to “deserve” referrals?
Is it enough that you do good work, deliver good “customer service,” and charge reasonable fees?
No. This is expected of every lawyer. If you want more referrals, you need to do more than what is expected.
Look, you can’t depend on your clients telling people about how great you are if you merely do what they paid you to do.
It’s like buying a new car. When it does what it’s supposed to do, i.e., get you where you want to go safely, comfortably, and economically, that’s fine. You might tell others about your new purchase, you might not. If someone asks about the car, you’ll tell them. Otherwise, who knows?
If you buy a car that puts a big smile on your face, however, a car that has a bunch of extras and cool features, a car you can’t wait to show off to the neighbors, that’s different.
To get more referrals, you need to put a smile on your clients’ faces.
Give them more value and a better experience than other lawyers deliver. Surprise and delight them, give them more than they expect, and your clients will be much more likely to tell their neighbors about you.
This isn’t difficult. Little things make a big difference. But you have to want to do those little things, not because you see them as a means to more referrals, but because you enjoy putting smiles on your clients’ faces and hearing them say thank you.
Okay. Now what about the asking part of the equation?
This is where it gets sticky for many lawyers. They try it once or twice, but get tongue tied, and never do it again.
What if there was a way to ask for referrals that was natural and comfortable for you and for the client? A few simple sentences about referrals that didn’t put any pressure on them but nevertheless set the stage for referrals?
Would that help?
What if you could ask for referrals without actually uttering any words? If you could give the client a document or send them a letter that did the “asking” for you. . .
Would that help?
If you ordered my new course, Maximum Referrals, you not only know that this is possible, you know how to do it. You also know what to do to deliver an exceptional experience that makes clients not just willing to refer, it makes them want to.
If you haven’t ordered yet, do yourself a favor and grab a copy.
