“Referrals are my best source of business.”  Would you agree with this statement?  I’ve heard it for years from many clients.  This leads to the next question:  Is it true for your practice?

I believe many attorneys, and other small business owners, truly agree with it.  Referrals from fans are a great source of business.  What’s shocking is that so few professionals effectively put it to use.

Let’s discuss how you can unleash your fans.

Note:  The Louisville Bar Association originally published my article in the July edition of Bar Briefs (page 14).

The challenge with referrals is that, at any given time, how can you be sure someone else is actively focused your practice?  What is it about you and your firm that would cause someone to take time out of their day to talk about you – on a consistent basis?

If there were only a few alternatives in your market, the numbers might be in your favor.  The reality is that many firms are competing for your next several clients, right now.

Ego aside, many of us are very effective at our jobs.  The risk is going too far in trying to convince others.  If you’re not careful, you risk sounding like legal version of Tony Malito (although he is a dealer for the people).

Believe it or not, hiring an attorney (for any type of issue) is still a daunting task for most consumers. We need to decide which attorney is best for our situation.  We want to feel confident that we’re making the right choice.

When a consumer is in this phase of the decision-making process, he/she is trying to imagine “the experience” (not just the outcome).

We want to figure out if the person, product or service is as good as we hope.  We often look for someone to reassure and confirm it for us.  We’ve all fallen victim to a good sales pitch.  I still have some Ginsu knives and a Sobakawa pillow to prove it.

In making a recommendation, people typically talk about how they feel about it.  I “like” that she really fought for me.  I “didn’t have to worry” because he always kept me informed about my case.  I “felt” like we negotiated a good settlement.  Again, it’s about what they experienced. Read more →