Why Referrals

You already know you want as many as you can get. And you already know you get some but

could get a lot more.

And because you are here you probably suspect that there’s something erroneous about your

thinking. Because goodwill is nice but it does not reliably convert to a lot of referrals, only a

few. You’ve noticed this, right?

If you were walking down the street and you saw a $100 bill on the sidewalk, would you bend

over to pick it up? Yes? Then the reason you want referrals is that they are right there as close

as that hundred dollar bill but they still somehow elude you—unlike others who get so many

even though their settlements and client service are no better than yours.

It’s not enough to be good. You have to be good at getting referrals.

Definition of Referral: I define a referral as a case you caught from a client, staff member or

other professional. A referral is a case, not just a lead—very important distinction.

What’s So Great About Referrals?

First of all you didn’t have to pay to get them. They are readily available in the social circle of

anybody who knows how good you are at what you do.

Secondly, they come to you already convinced. You don’t have to sell them. They are ready to

comply—and because they came to you via referral—they are likely to send others as well.

Let’s face it, referrals are one of the best things that’s happening for your firm, but you don’t

get enough. With advertising and clicks you can always spend more. You have probably had to

pull out the money hose to keep the wheels turning.

Once you learn best practices for referrals and fit them into your firm, you will lighten your load.

Because catching the next case and the one after that will always be your primary focus.

Getting good at referrals lightens the stress. It’s like knowing that if the power goes out you

have plenty of wood and a functional fireplace so you can heat the joint no matter what.

Your First Clue

Right here on this website, without you having to fork over a penny, I will show you the key. Be

prepared to discover that you’ve been thinking about referrals incorrectly.

Mindset shift: right here, right now realize that referrals have been something you wanted and

thought you should ask for. Have you been saying to clients, “…And Joe,

If you ever come across anybody who is injured, make sure to give them my card”?

If you have said that—an if, then ask, you are about to learn a critical distinction. Never ASK for

referrals as if clients should scratch your back sometime in the future, now that you’ve proven

your worth in the present.

If your client is referring to help you, it probably won’t happen at all and it’s very unlikely to be

repeated if it ever happens.

Conversely, if a client is referring to help their loved one, and they simultaneously know to

expect, beneath the level of thought, that they will receive highly prized feelings of contribution

and significance, they are much more likely to refer.

That’s quite a mouthful. Maybe read it again, or go to freebies for a bit more information and/or

to download a report. You don’t even have to give me your email to get it.

What I have just described is a new continent.

Watch your language when you are speaking about referrals. Note that you are hoping to be

paid back. That’s not what it’s about. It’s about making sure your clients know that their loved

ones are entitled to the same protection and service you provided to them. And knowing they

will be psychically rewarded in a very satisfying way when they step up and help when their

loved one is in need. The difference is vast.

Once you have that one distinction in place there are dozens of tactical things you can do to plant triggers.