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Build Trust and Confidence With Your Clients and Referrals Will Follow
"I went to the dermatologist for my annual skin scan, a necessary evil when you live in Arizona, and as usual, I was handed several forms to update my medical records. The receptionist also handed me another piece of paper and asked me to read it as I waited for the doctor, telling me it was mine to keep. As I read it over I had several impressions. First, it was clear the doctor had written it himself. My doctor has quite a personality, and it shone through immediately." The gist of his message was this:
"I was unbelievably impressed by this. I did not care one whit that any biopsy may have cost me a little more out-of-pocket. But I did care a lot that my doctor explained this to me in a way that clearly demonstrated his top priority was my health. If anyone I know ever needs a referral to a dermatologist, this guy is certainly at the top of my list!"
This story is a perfect illustration of how doing something simple to build trust and a relationship with clients can come back to you many times over in new client referrals and repeat business.
There is more however to being effective at optimizing your number of client referrals:
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.
Here's a small challenge: this week, ask three of your clients to describe your ideal client and listen to how accurately they respond.
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. Read last months E-newsletter 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.
Remember, people will forget what you tell them. They may even forget your name, but they will never forget how you made them feel.
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