There are times in every attorney’s career when they will benefit from referrals from other professionals. Any attorney will occasionally receive calls from clients whose needs are beyond their range of expertise, and these clients may be referred to you if you take the time to build your referral network. Once you’ve implemented these three tips to build relationships and grow your referral network, you will find your professional standing growing right along with your list of clients.
What Is a Referral Network?
You may receive referrals that will help you to build your reputation and your clientele from non-competing lawyers and other sources. These differ from contact databases that may never produce good referral partners.
Related: 6 Ways to Increase Your Word of Mouth Referrals
Think of the referral partners who regularly send business to you, and then imagine what would happen if they started sending that same business to another attorney instead. Even if you only have a few referral partners, the loss of the clients they send to you could have a huge negative impact. Now imagine what kind of a positive impact it would make if you could grow your network from five partners to twenty.
Top 3 Referral Networking Tips
You can help to expand your referral network by taking these three simple steps:
1. Consider joining local bar associations
By becoming a member of your local bar association, you will form new friendships and associations that can help you not only to get referrals but also to find mentors and to gain credibility.
2. Volunteer at continuing legal education programs
Volunteering your time to continuing legal education programs can shape your reputation by giving you a chance to shine and to demonstrate your passion for what you do in front of other attorneys.
Related: 3 Tips for Success in Off-the-Clock and Informal Networking
3. Identify potential partners through social networking
By reaching out to other attorneys or arranging an introduction, you can repeat the steps that brought your existing referral partners to you so you can foster new relationships that may lead to new referrals in the future.
Related: 5 Easy Networking Icebreakers to Start a Conversation Off Right
When someone refers a client to you, it means they are placing their own reputation on the line because they trust you to handle the task, and this is perhaps the best publicity. This is the kind of advertising money can’t buy, and it is well worth the time and the effort. By taking these three steps, the next time a colleague has a client who requires services in your area of expertise, your name may be the first one they think of.
