YOUNG LAWYERS NETWORK How to Connect with Clients and Referral Sources in the New Year At the time of this writing, the delta variant of COVID-19 is in full swing, and many of our expectations about a fully reopened economy are being adjusted. In some regions of the country, in-person meetings are still occurring, but they may be discouraged by the time this issue of Probate & Property is in your hands. Whether or not the country is fully reopened, we hope you will benefit from our pointers below when it comes to making new professional connections in 2022. 1. Be friendly. People do business with those they know, like, and trust. When in doubt, smile. Make it a genuine one. People who smile are significantly more attractive than those who do not. A good smile sets the tone for any interaction and speaks volumes about who you are and how you think. 2. Be authentic. Being yourself helps you connect for a few important reasons. First, it puts you at ease. Second, you will be most confident when you are yourself. Third, you can easily repeat the behavior, which allows you to be consistent in all your communications with all your connections. Finally, it sets the stage for sincere conversation. 3. Stay in touch. Staying in touch For more information on the RPTE YLN, please contact: Josh Crowfoot, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C., Liberty Tower, 605 Chestnut Street, Suite 1700, Chattanooga, TN 37450, jcrowfoot@chamblisslaw.com.
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is more valuable than making an initial connection. You already have a network of people who know and like you. If you’re an attorney reading this column, you have already succeeded in life while many others have failed. No individual succeeds alone. People helped you along the way. Stay in touch, so you can be top of mind for others. Provide value. To establish any connection with someone, value must be exchanged. One-sided connections do not last. Aim to always provide more value than you receive. Keep your promises. Connections and clients remember the promises you make and whether you fulfilled them. Always follow through on any promise. Reliability is key. Connections that refer a new client to you want to know that you treated their referral well. How you treat their referral reflects on them. Never fail to follow through on a client referral— the referral source will inevitably find out, and it may be the last referral you get. Project your best image. How you look (in person and online via your social media presence) can determine your ability to connect with others. Always be professional in your physical appearance and social commentary online. Do not post anything that you would not want a potential client or referral source to see. Find common ground. The sooner you can find something in
common with your potential connection, the sooner all barriers will disappear. Find the common ground, and you will always have something to talk about with that person. 8. Take a genuine interest. Take a genuine interest in others before you expect them to take a genuine interest in you. Ask questions. Be curious. People love to talk about themselves. On average, people tend to like others who take a genuine interest in them. It is the easiest way to break the ice with someone, and you will be able to qualify them as a potential referral source or business prospect. There’s an opportunity to learn from them, too. 9. Go slowly. The less you focus on your motive to meet a connection, the more likely it is that your connection will be successful. Seek friendship and acceptance first. Drop whatever agenda you might have and focus on connecting, not extracting. 10. Be prepared. When you meet a connection that could be a referral source or client, do your homework ahead of time. Do not ask questions whose answers can be found online. If you are meeting a potential client, know that person’s business inside and out. Know their customers or clients. Know their hot buttons. Know their heartburn issues. Be able to pitch your services to meet their needs. 11. Take risks. Some attorneys tend to be very introverted; others are
Published in Probate & Property, Volume 35, No 6 © 2021 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.
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November/December 2021