According to a Texas Tech marketing survey, 83% of satisfied customers are willing to refer products and services. But only 29% actually do.
This statistic has major implications for lawyers. How many satisfied past and current clients do you have that are WILLING to refer work to you, but just don’t actually do it?
One of the factors most responsible for this “gap” between willing referral sources and actual referral sources is top-of-mind awareness. If you’ve earned top-of-mind-awareness with your referral sources, they’ll think of you when the opportunity to make a referral arises. If you don’t have this awareness… they just aren’t as likely to think of you and make the connection.
This is obviously a big deal. So what can you do about it? Start by making sure that your referral sources know exactly what you do and exactly who you help. This information allows them to confidently recommend you when the time is right. Then, look for ways to create touchpoints – interactions that keep you on the forefront of their minds. Here are four ways to do this.
1) Get active on social media. 72% of all internet users are active on social media. Facebook alone has over 1.15 billion users. It’s likely that most of your referral sources are active on social media as well. So your law firm needs to have a presence, and needs to use it to post information, updates, news articles, blog entries, quotes, and anything else that could be relevant and valuable to your audience. Social media is an incredible tool for maintaining top-of-mind awareness and your law firm needs to take advantage.
2) Regularly send out an email newsletter. Email is another great way to stay in touch with your network – but the catch is that your messages can’t feel like spam or they will be ignored. Create email messages that provide value to your readers. One way to do this is by including blog entries and articles that you’ve written. Your goal should be to create an email newsletter that your mailing list actually looks forward to receiving!
3) Highlight your “Expert Status.” What have you done recently that demonstrates your credibility? Published an article, shot a video, spoke at a conference, appeared on the radio? Whatever it may be, highlight it in a way that showcases your expertise. One way to do this is to include a link or a blurb below your email signature. You could also share the news on social media, include in your email marketing, publish a news blurb about it on your website, and the list goes on. If you can build a reputation with your referral sources as an expert in your field, you’ll jump to the top of their referral hierarchy.
4) Strategically send gifts to key individuals. Finally, use gifts as a way to impress and surprise key individuals. Many businesses send out holiday gifts and/or cards, so an even more effective way to make yourself memorable is to send gifts to these individuals on their birthdays, or for other non-December events. Create a system that allows you to keep track of the likes and dislikes of your clients and other key referral sources and send them something unique and personalized.
Questions or comments? Want to discuss this process further? Give us a call at 305-433-4600 today!
Daniel Decker
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