PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

“HOW CAN I TURN THE CONTACTS I MAKE INTO CLIENTS AND REFERRERS?”

February 2011

Many lawyers come up to me and say: “I collect many business cards, talk to hundreds of people and attend numerous events but I can’t seem to convert these contacts into clients or referrers. How can I achieve it?”

In view of the number of questions that I am asked regularly by lawyers about turning contacts into clients, I thought it would be useful to answer these questions, as you yourself may be asking them.

What do I do with all the business cards I collect?”

It is important to write information on the back of every business card you receive as soon as possible. Write on the back of the card: the date you met the person (including the year); the title of the event; the location of the event; what the person looked like; what you talked about and any commitment you made to that person, for example, sending them a follow-up email.

I suggest you divide your business cards into 3 groups. The first group is for those people who you judge to have the potential to become clients and referrers; the second group is for those who might in the longer-term have potential and the third group is for those that appear to be of no immediate use. I would recommend that you never throw any business cards away because you never know, in the long-term, whether that person might be helpful to you or to people you know, thus enabling you to put people in touch with each other. They then may indirectly become referrers of yours.

The information from the cards can be put onto a central database or Excel spreadsheet (within the Data Protection Act) or you can simply file the cards (which I personally prefer, because every card I see reminds me of the person I met and the conversation we had).

The cards can be filed in several ways, including: by event, in date order; by first name; by surname; by geographic location; by the name of the contacts organisation. You have to decide which is the easiest way for you to immediately access the card of any person you’ve ever met. This will depend on what you find is the most useful way to file your cards.

“I attend lots of events but never get any work from them.”

Turning your contacts into clients and referrers is a long-term process. If you expect to get work immediately after attending an event, it would be similar to going to a party, meeting somebody you like and after a few minutes conversation saying to them: “Will you marry me?”.

Having established an initial relationship with a potential client or referrer, it is very important to develop that relationship and nurture it. This may take a number of communications and meetings over several weeks, months or years. You may need to keep between 100 and 200 contacts alive at any one time.

“But I don’t have time to do anything other than my legal work.”

It is said that today’s work is this month’s pay packet and today’s marketing is next year’s wages. So I cannot over emphasize the importance of spending some time every week on follow-up.

“How can I manage all those contacts?”

You need to be systematic and well organised. Once you have written notes on your cards and filed them, then it is important to keep any promises which you made at the initial contact.

These need not always be matters relating to your legal work. If someone wants to know the name of a nice restaurant in your area, that they can take one of their clients to, then by emailing that information promptly, you prove your reliability. There is no point attending an event and collecting business cards if you simply file them away and do nothing.

You also need to create a further opportunity to get in touch again. For example, you might ring and ask whether they went to the restaurant and enjoyed it. Every follow-up communication should be logged in your diary (electronic or paper), so for example, if somebody says they will be going to the restaurant in 2 weeks time, then note in your diary or calendar that you will need to get in touch with them shortly afterwards.

“How do I stay in touch after the first follow-up?”

Create a menu of all the possible ways that you can keep in touch. It is important to recognise the different merits of the different types of contact. The more personal the contact, the more likely you are to build and strengthen your relationship with an individual.

This can be done in a variety of ways. For example you can invite your contact:

out for a coffee or a meal
a themed lunch
a specialist seminar
to a participatory activity.

Current successful activities, in which originality may count more than cost, are:

Cocktail making
Wine tasting
Stock-car racing
Fashion shows
Quiz nights
Days at a health spa
Running training for marathons
Golf
Sporting events

Not only will this promote your firm but provide an opportunity for you to introduce possible referrers to each other.

“Isn’t it just easier to send everybody a general follow-up email?”

Building relationships has to be done on an individual basis. This will indicate that you are really interested in developing the contact.

If you don’t make the communication personal, there is a risk of actually alienating people rather than developing the relationship. For example, I went to a conference and received a follow-up email which read: “Dear Sir/Madam”, which was a de-personalised opening. It was then followed by: “I really enjoyed talking to you”, which made me think that not only did the writer have no idea who I was but he was not even aware that I was a woman. This relationship never developed!

“What do I do after several communications to actually make this person become a client?”

It is unrealistic to expect that you can turn all your contacts into clients or referrers. At some point you may have to make a decision about whether it is worth your time continuing to follow-up a particular contact. If you instinctively feel that is worth continuing, then keep persevering.

“How do I promote my services to existing social contacts?”

Never underestimate the work you might win from your own personal contacts outside the office. You might sometimes have social friends who you feel might know of people who could benefit from your services. Or, indeed, they themselves could benefit from your services. For example, a friend’s neighbour is moving house and wants a solicitor to do the conveyancing. Why not suggest that your firm can help? Arrange to meet during working hours in your office, which will establish the possible business relationship.

Approach this meeting with a formality and some proposals for the way forward. Go with ideas of how you can take the relationship forward on a more formal basis and use the same principles of finding something in common which gives you an excuse to stay in touch and also an excuse for another formal meeting, if necessary.

“I am reserved about discussing fees with somebody with whom I have a personal relationship.”

As you have extended the basis of the relationship, then this will be reflected in your discussions. You need to value the services you give and discuss fees without embarrassment and with confidence to indicate that you understand that you provide excellent value for money and for this reason the fees are an indication of the value that you give. My next article concentrates on this topic in particular.

“The last step to winning any work …”

There are a number of indicators that demonstrate that a person is interested in giving you the work, such as discussing when you would be able to start, the team that would be involved, the time it would take and the amount of work required. Recognise those “buying signals” and be as pro-active as possible thus indicating that you are really enthusiastic about working for them.

You may well find that the potential client expresses one or two reservations. Try and anticipate these before the meeting. For example, if the client asks: “What happens if you are away and I need to talk to you?” Know the answer!

I have known a number of lawyers who have not clearly demonstrated that they want the work and therefore paved the way for another more positive lawyer to come in at the last minute and win the work instead.

I was in the Lebanon recently and saw a huge poster which drew together all I have discussed in this article. “An opportunity is never lost; somebody else always takes it”.