Dear Referral Generating Student,

    First up: You're not as busy as you think. So don't try to play that game with me. At least...

• Jeff Goodfield, CFP isn't.
• Or Sue Heishman, CLU, ChFC.
• Or Roger Ball, RIA, CFS
• Or about a dozen other financial professionals I can think of.

    Jeff, Sue and Roger both get 20 referrals each month from attorneys. EACH.

    Together-- today-they produce or influence--- (are you ready)--- over $150,000 in new sales and lawyer referral business, each month.

    I said each month, amigo.

    Fact is, they're never too frickin' busy to suggest, create, push-for, or attend a meeting with every estate planner or attorney they can get their proverbial-little-fingers-on... whether or not that attorney or lawyer referral is currently ready to refer them a new piece of business or not. Because they know how to play the referral-dating-game.

    Why?

    Because of all referral sources -- CPAs,  trust officers, bankers, insurance agents, realtors, even CFPs -- most attorneys enjoy networking and talking about what they do.  And they demand similar conversation out of you (eventually).

But Herein Lies The Problem.

   They don't always tell you they're interested in receiving business from you.

   And... herein also lies my abbreviated lesson:

   Communication -- even overly communicating -- is one of the keys to building a successful, flowing referral *bridge* with estate planners and attorneys
in your area. That's because most lawyers want to see...

A Visible Outward Commitment From You.

   Without trying to be cute about it, it's called evidence. After all, they're lawyers. And what they've experienced in the past has been advisors and agents with poor, slack butt, lazy attitudes. Like being too busy to meet.

   Know-what-I-mean, Vern?

   Sure. You could think of this as initial grunt work, degrading, beneath you, or a waste of your time. Or you can grasp every chance to meet a lawyer as a way to start building immediate trust and confidence with them.

Because It Doesn't Start Immediately.
Ain't No One Gonna Beat A Path
To Your Door Initially.

    It takes time, my friend! As a friend of mine who's a retired U.S. Marine once told me: "You can wish in one hand and then s%^t in the other, and then see which one fills up the fastest."

    In other words, start TODAY. That way, the next time you visit the Rants on this site and sit their studying every word like you're doing right now, you'll be that much further ahead in your referral dating game.

4 Ice Breakers To Load Into Your
Attorney & Lawyer Referral Arsenal

    Since I'm committed to helping you improve, here are four (4) ice breakers to load into your attorney-conversation arsenal, (and what each answer reveals).

    [This is for those of you reading thinking dumbfounded to yourself, "Sounds good Daryl, but what do I do?"]

• 1. What percentage of your practice is estate planning vs. other areas of law? (Specialization)
   
• 2. How do you keep up with changes in estate tax law? (Continuing Professional Education, and how much.)
   
• 3. What percentage of your practice is wills vs. living trusts? (Planning philosophy -- will or trust based?)
   
• 4. What documents are in your estate plans?  (Shows depth and detail)
   

    Of course, there are other questions to ask. But start here. And don't kid yourself: you're never too busy to talk about new business. And you certainly ain't too busy to ask competent intelligent questions. Where I come from, that's called being empathetic and trying to build relationships.

   Remember: it's up to you to help the attorney determine the type of person you are... the quality of your work... and even the skills you bring to the table.

    Go talk to some attorneys... some lawyers... any type. Houston lawyers, California lawyers, Texas lawyers, Ontario lawyers, Illinois lawyers, Carolina lawyers... you get the idea.

    Get the conversations going and watch what begins to develop in your own attorney and lawyer referral network.