I was recently coaching a partner at a small east
coast law firm who was lamenting how slow new
business has become in the past few months. As we
talked, I asked him, as I ask dozens of attorneys
every week, What have you done in the past 3
months to build relationships with potential
referral partners. He mentioned going to lunch
a few times and speaking with a couple over the
phone when they made a referral to him.
I asked him to open up his Outlook contact
database; there were more than 200 non-client
contacts in it including: accountants, financial
planners, angel investors, business brokers, and
private investment bankers.
Here's the
3 keys
I shared with him
to
develop the relationships in his golden
Rolodex.
Take an Active, not
Passive, Role
There is an old Jewish saying ' man who has
friends must show himself to be friendly' Don't
wait for someone to take the initiative and contact
you, be the first to reach out. In the last year
we have coached & trained more than 2,500 attorneys
and the Rainmakers are the ones who make at least
3-4 contacts with potential referral sources every
Action Step: Take 2 minutes and scan your contact
list. Select 12-15 names of potential or current
referral sources and send them an email or
better yet, pick up the phone and call them with an
invitation for lunch or coffee. Set up 3
face-to-face meetings per week for the next month.
Here's a sample script:It's been a while
since we've connected. I was wondering what your
schedule looks like for the next week. I'd like to
get together with you for lunch or coffee, just to
�my treat. Let me know what dates would works.
Increase Frequency of
Contact
Try as we might, it's difficult with our hectic
schedules to meet with every potential referral
source on a regular basis. Here's one strategy I
teach my coaching clients: Set up a Google Alert for
a specific phrase that would be of interest to your
referral sources such as becoming a rainmaker.Collect interesting articles and keep them in a
separate folder (Referral Articles). Once a month
pull one out, print off a bunch of copies and attach
a brief handwritten note on each copy (I thought
you might enjoy this article). Enclose your
business card and mail a copy of the article to all
Several of my clients have doubled and tripled
their referrals in 6 months using this simple
technique to stay in front of his referral
sources on a frequent basis. You can set up a
Google alert at:
www.google.co m/alerts
Focus on Serving Not
Selling
When you meet with referral sources don'tt make
the mistake of dominating the conversation. You are
there to listen and learn, not hear yourself talk.
Any attempt to selling them on your services will be
a complete waste. Look for ways you can serve
them and their clients by connecting them with other
resources or pointing them in the right
direction regarding a legal issue. Ask a lot of
- How did you first get started in your line
of work?
- What are some of the major trends in your
industry?
- What kinds of challenges do you face?
- What do you like best/worst about your job?
- And here's the most important question: How
will I know if I'm talking to someone who's a
good referral for you?
Educate them
about your Ideal Target
Market and how you can benefit their clients only
after you have carefully listened to them.
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, not selling them
a service. Remember, people will forget what you
tell them. They may even forget your name, but they
will never forget how you made them feel.
Want more referrals?
Contact
us for a 1-on-1 consultation with a Master
Business Coach.
3 Simple Strategies to Generate More Traffic to
Your Website:
