How to make referring clients easy for friends, colleagues

How to make referring clients easy for friends, colleagues

by Trey Ryder

You want referrals. Yet you can't be sure whether friends and colleagues remember the types of cases you handle, your new address, or other information they want to give someone who needs your services.

Here's the solution: Don't rely on your friend's memory. Instead, give him a few of your referral brochures, which he can pass along to anyone he wants to refer.

What's a referral brochure?

It's a simple brochure that you give to your referral sources, which they pass along to prospective clients they want to send your way. Here are various formats and contents you might consider:

Format #1: Single sheet, 8.5" x 11". Headline: At the top of the sheet, offer one or more articles available from your office. Body: Describe the problem your prospect faces -- and what he will learn from reading your article. The more your prospect benefits, the more excited he grows about requesting your information, so go into plenty of detail. Response Area: In the bottom one-third of the sheet, create a coupon your prospect can fill in and mail back. Also, provide your contact information so your prospect can call or send an e-mail, if he prefers.

Format #2: Brochure made from an 8.5" x 11" sheet, folded into thirds. From the left edge, use the first two panels to feature a personal message over your signature, your biography and your photograph. Also, include a detailed list of your services. Use the far right panel as a reply postcard. (To meet post office requirements, you must print this brochure on card stock that meets post office reply card specs.)

On one side of the reply card, write the copy so your prospect can indicate whether he wants to schedule an office appointment, schedule a phone appointment, request your packet of materials, request your newsletter, and so forth. Your prospect can check whichever option(s) he wants. The other side of the postcard should be pre-addressed with your business reply permit information so prospects can return the card to you without applying postage. Make sure this reply card panel is perforated so your prospect can easily tear it off and drop it into the mail.

Format #3: Same as format #2 above, with two panels rather than three. In this case, the left panel contains your personal message, bio, photo and services. The right panel is the reply postcard.

For convenience, all of these formats easily fit into a #10 business envelope. You might send three or four referral brochures to each known referral source. You might also send them to past clients and other professionals, asking them to pass one along to a friend or colleague who might need your services.

When you put referral brochures into people's hands, the brochures serve as a visible reminder that you want and welcome referrals. Plus, you help your friends because they no longer have to rely on their memory to recall the types of cases you handle, your new office address, or any other facts they need.

And with memories fading (at least mine is), the easier you make it for friends to send you referrals, the more referrals you'll receive.

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