Nothing builds new business more reliably than when you put consistent effort into gaining referrals from existing clients. It’s more likely to succeed than other campaigns, and approaching existing clients carries virtually no incremental costs.
– The Harvard Business Review
At Morgan & Morgan, we consider referrals critical to our work. Referrals aren’t just a huge revenue driver; they are also a great barometer of our relationships across the board.
“Would you refer us to a friend?” is the first question we ask our clients once a settlement or verdict is reached. It tells us exactly what they thought of their experience and the result.
Every single Morgan & Morgan email signature includes the line: “A referral is the best compliment. If you know anyone that needs our help, please have them call our office 24/7.”
Referrals from attorney referral partners tells us that we are trusted by our colleagues and peers. They are more than a vital source of revenue: they compound a firm’s credibility and loyalty.
Yet, even with this knowledge, many law firms overlook the importance of referrals, leaving the process of securing them to chance or passively waiting for attorney referrals to come knocking. Morgan & Morgan’s successful referral program stems from the fact that we proactively cultivate these relationships with intention and a defined strategy.
We leverage our current relationships with other law firms to drive new business and recognize that the pursuit of referrals is an important generator of long-term growth that also stimulates new business. Through events, advertising campaigns and content marketing, we ensure that referrals are included as a priority initiative.
Also, in developing an ongoing referral stream, Morgan & Morgan has created a finely tuned referral intake process in which each stage is tracked and evaluated. Our unified process ensures that no signed referral case ever languishes. “One of the things that Morgan & Morgan prides itself in is not letting cases sit. We have a phenomenal process,” notes Isaac Schecter, Director of Attorney Relationships.
And it works. We get thousands of referrals from former clients - and cherish every one. We get dozens of referrals each week from our internal team members who know we’ll treat their family and friends with kid gloves. And in 2022 alone, we generated over 40,000 referrals from our attorney referral partners.
Here are some things we learned over our 35 years in the business:
You need to ask.
Our #1 tip isn’t much of a secret. It is to ask for referrals, and then keep asking. It's remarkable how many people miss this crucial step. “Learn how to build referral relationships,” says Schecter. “What does it take to sell yourself? We have to ask. Nobody is going to know about you if you don’t get out there.”
Mark your calendar.
John Morgan describes how, as a young lawyer with a budding practice, he would spend every Friday visiting neighboring firms and asking for referrals. When you dedicate time each week to relationship-building, it ensures “the ask” actually happens.
It's not about you.
Frame every conversation to demonstrate you understand the other person’s needs and how to help. “We want to be the trusted firm that people look to, to send their cases to – because they trust us,” says Schecter. “They know that not only will we do well by their clients and get them good results, but we will do well by them in making sure we can help them find ways to add more value to their firm through found revenue.”
Now it's your turn. Before you exit your inbox today, draft that email letting people know your specialties.
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