Miami Legal Business Development | Branding | Lawyer Coaching | Paula Black

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How did you find your last real estate agent? I bet it was via a referral. Take a lesson.

Some of the greatest marketers I know are realtors. And when it comes to referrals? They’re masters. In fact, most established real estate agents work solely off referrals from past clients. Sure, the businesses may be a bit different, but the basic principles apply to everyone. Here are a few links to some great articles by and for realtors. Open your mind and see how they apply to your own referral business… you may be surprised!

Black Pearls: 6 Prospecting Tip to Help Grow Your Business,  7 Ways to Generate Leads and Build Your Business,  8 Ways Real Estate Agents Can Generate Referrals for Free

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For the past two weeks we’ve explored the idea of trust and how to build that trust with clients, potential clients and colleagues. So once it’s there what comes next? You guessed it: referrals. But getting referrals isn’t as easy as doing a good job. You have to let people know that you want them… and what type of referrals you want. Here are five tips for getting started:

1. Don’t be shy. The only way to get more work is to ask for it.

2. Understand what you want. People can easily send you work if they have a clear idea of what kind of work you’re looking for.

3. Focus on the right people. If you have a referral source who has sent you 1 case and another who has sent you 20, it becomes clear where to place more of your efforts.

4. Make use of family and friends. They know you best and won’t be afraid to throw your name out.

5. Have a plan. Know how you’re going to follow up with a referral source and create a system for everything from initial contact to a follow-up and thank you gift.
 

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You can’t replace face-to-face, but you sure can support it. Here’s what to consider this year.

On Tuesday I mentioned that 2011 should be your year to rebel against social media. But that doesn’t mean throw it away. It just means make smarter use of it. Meet someone at a lunch? Add them to your LinkedIn network. Keep tabs on where your clients and contacts are working—then congratulate them (pick up the phone!) when you see they’ve gotten a promotion. Promote your blog (if you have one) on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Offer your articles as downloads on those sites as well. Get to know what applications and sites work for you and your life and make good use of them. Just don’t put all your eggs in one social media basket.

Black Pearl: Here’s a great post from Forbes.com entitled “Social Media Strategies for 2011: Misconceptions Mask Stumbling Points and Opportunities”. Though it speaks to companies, I think you’ll find it interesting! And be sure to read the comments.

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Continuing on the subject of trust… let’s be honest: You can’t trust what you don’t see. And in the age of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, face-to-face contact sets you apart and builds… yep, trust. Are you more likely to refer business to a LinkedIn contact or the person you had breakfast with last week? That’s what I thought. Building trust, trust enough to refer you potential clients, takes time and it doesn’t happen solely online. So this year start to think about how you can rebel. Go to an event. Schedule a lunch (via phone!). Take a colleague out for coffee. Then support those face-to-face meetings with your social media. Here’s a quick and interesting piece about how to do just that. (Hint: check out the comments.)

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No one sells you to new clients better than existing ones. When you generate a culture of strong relationships you lay the groundwork for a word-of-mouth army.

As I mentioned on Tuesday, this year in marketing is looking to be about trust. But once you’ve built that trust it’s time to spread the word. Make it a point this year to focus not only on your website, blog and LinkedIn… but also on word-of-mouth. How? I came across a great post from a blog called Cool Marketing Stuff (stay with me…) that outlined 32 great quotes from a book called “Word of Mouth Marketing”. Here are a few of my personal favorites:

• Be interesting, or be invisible—Lawyers are often afraid to be interesting. Don’t be.
• When people are talking about you, answer them—If a client sends you a referral, call them up and thank them.
• Marketing is what you do, not what you say—Lawyers love to talk. Stop. Listening and acting brings you business.
• Finding a way to make unhappy people happy is worth 10 times more free word of mouth marketing than making them happy in the first place—Think of every challenge as a chance to create a fan.
• Word of mouth marketing is about being good to people—It may sound simple, but there’s a lot to be said for good manners.

Black Pearl: For the rest of the 32 quotes head over here. While you’re there, look around… there are some great posts you may find inspiring.
 

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Last week we talked a bit about personal branding again. Who you are and what you want to project to the world. But the truth is, you can craft the most perfect personal brand in the world, but if no one knows about it, it means nothing. That’s why, starting today, we must all make 2011 the year of being noticed. While skimming through some articles on marketing trends for 2011, I was continually faced with one word: TRUST. And it makes sense. In an age where emails often replace face time and social networking has replaced a good old phone call, clients are inundated with information. They tune out. So what gets you noticed? And what brings in business? Good, old-fashioned trust. In fact, I think we could all use a good refresher on how to build that trust via The Fearless Competitor.

And once you've established that trust the work doesn't end. In fact, it's just the beginning...

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Research shows that it literally takes only TWO seconds for people to develop a strong first impression.

Smart… not so smart. Likeable… not so likable. Charming… not so charming.

So what could that be based on? The visual of course, it’s the first thing that impacts your brand. It’s your package… your visual identity… your trademark.

Take a moment to think about the image you project…

Is it professional or casual?
Is it neat or dishevel?
Is it memorable or unimpressive?
Is it unique or like everyone else?
Is it who you want to be or did it just happen?

Take charge… think about what you want others to think when you enter a room. Then create the visual that will reflect that quality. Enlist a friend that will be brutally honest to give you feedback. My advice is to add an element that is unique, make it memorable.

After giving a personal branding speech a judge stopped me to say, “You know I wear a hat all the time and now that you mention it, I realize it’s my trademark. People don’t recognize me without it.”

Black Pearl – Lawyerist talks about dressing for interview success. It’s great advice you could apply to client meetings as well as interviews.
 

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Take a moment to reflect...

Are you a listener or do you talk too much?

Are you energetic or passive?

Are you punctual or are you habitually late?

Are you open-minded or are you argumentative?

Are you focused or scattered?

Are you in control or are you always behind?

Are you kind or are you dismissive?

Are you decisive or are you wishy-washy?

Are you a approachable or are you a sour-puss?

Are you a resource of information or do you horde information?

These are traits that are visible to the world and reflect who you are… your brand personality. Identify the traits that best describe you… be honest. I would suspect that some of them you are not particularly proud of… right? (We all have them.)

So now let’s answer the questions… What do you want to be known for? What do you want to do about the things you’re not so proud of? Can you adapt a new way of being? Do you WANT to?

If you have the desire and the commitment… 2011 can be the year you move to a whole new level of how you project your personal brand and how the world responds to you. Be the person you want to be… your personal brand is the most powerful tool you have. It can enhance your legal skills or undermine them. It’s your choice. Create a personal brand that you are proud to step into each and every day. And when you get off track… pull yourself together and get back on track.

In 2011 craft your personal brand with thought and intention.