Successful rainmakers consistently apply certain habits and characteristics to distinguish themselves from competitors and increase the revenues of their law firms.
Click here to read Part 1 for the first three top habits of successful rainmakers. Here are the next three:
4. Mind and Grow Your Referral Network
Just like any cash crop, a referral network needs to be nurtured in order to grow. And one of the best ways to nurture your referral network is to keep educating them about your firm so they can send you great referrals.
Here are five things you need to tell them:
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What your perfect client looks like. Provide a detailed description of your ideal client.
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Why someone should hire you. Be clear about your unique competitive advantage.
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What problems you solve. Again, be as specific as possible.
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How you follow up. Tell them your process so they are comfortable with referring you.
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Why referrals are important to you.
In addition, you need to find unique ways to thank your referral sources and, whenever you can, reciprocate.
5. Leverage Relationship Building Tools
Staying connected with referral sources and clients you want to hire you again and again is the hallmark of a great rainmaker. In my experience over the dozen years of working with more than 10,00 attorneys, I’ve found one simple solution that will help you achieve this goal without much effort or expense on your part: an e-newsletter.
E-newsletters provide an easy way for you to reach out to your entire network at the same time and to keep your name and your firm in their mind. The key benefits include:
It Establishes a Dialogue – Most email marketing companies make it easy to provide links to email and social media. The easier you make it for a contact to share information, the more likely they will share it.
It’s Easy to Track – Your email marketing provider will make tracking your effectiveness simple. They know who opened your email, who opted out, who clicked through. It’s an easy way for you to find out if the newsletter is working.
Keeping Them Informed – With a newsletter, you can include information about other firm highlights you want to share. Did someone just get an award? Did a case just settle? Did someone new join the firm?
Keep in Touch – Use the newsletter to keep in touch with former clients. It will reinforce the positive impression you had on them and ensure that you are top of mind if a new issue arises.
Educate Your Clients – If you handled my divorce, then I may not think of you when it comes time to hire an estate planning attorney. That isn’t my fault though, it’s yours. Educate your past, current and future clients and referral sources about all your practice areas.
It is a long road of small interactions, but by focusing on creating a solid relationship with your network you will benefit in the end.
6. Develop a Marketing Mindset
The Internet and social media has blown the old legal marketing model to bits, and those with the entrepreneurial mindset and vision to harness the incredible power of these modern marketing tools create their own opportunities for revenue and growth beyond their wildest dreams.
Be proactive to recognize opportunities for you and your network and keep the radar on in every aspect of your life. Marketing is not an event, it is a mindset and a lifestyle. Access every resource available to you — internal, external, memberships, friends, family, and colleagues.
