Last Friday, I arrived at the office before the sun rose. Initially, a reader may interpret this early arrival as the byproduct of a super busy day.
While my morning was busy, my early arrival was necessitated by an afternoon flight to Louisiana for a weekend fishing trip to the Bayou.
Just as I was preparing to leave on my mini-vacation, my spidey senses alerted me that something was wrong. Just then, the phone began to ring.
It was none other than my good buddy Joe Wilhelm from Bailey Publishing reminding me that this article was due in a few days. Without a second thought, I was off to Myrtle Grove Outfitters in Louisiana to catch red fish and trout … and draft an article for the Daily Record.
I was sitting in the middle of Barataria Bay trying to persuade speckled trout to eat breakfast when my mind began to wander, as it often does, to marketing.
What is the most economical and efficient way to develop more business in these challenging economic times? Same old thoughts, great client service results in referrals to new clients and increased work from existing clients, set up and conduct a seminar to attract new clients, talk to Eddie about innovative advertising ideas, (Justice for Jacksonville has a nice ring, wait … that’s already taken), lunch and dinner outings. The list can be endless and which way should you go?
Then I had an epiphany, as I missed another trout. Why not take advantage of a service provided by The Jacksonville Bar Association, the Lawyer Referral Service?
The LRS currently has only 70 attorneys on its panel. This number is “way down” from previous years, yet the number of referrals AND the percentage of fee revenues have doubled over prior years. In fact, the LRS believes that it receives sufficient referrals to justify a panel of as many as 200 attorneys.
LRS has generated more than 1,400 referrals in the past year to panel attorneys for consultation. The number of referrals has increased by approximately 60 percent over the prior year. The total fees generated by LRS referrals over the current year are nearly one-half of a million dollars. Despite this great business development opportunity, the cost to join the Lawyer Referral Service panel has not increased.
“How do I sign up for the LRS?” you might ask. You simply visit The JBA’s website, www.jaxbar.org, and download The JBA’s Lawyer Referral Service’s form located in the membership section.
Alternatively, for those of you that are technically challenged, you can also contact LRS at 399-5780 to have an application mailed to you or you can authorize enrollment by selecting the appropriate box on your JBA Annual Membership Dues form.
If you are a member of The JBA, your annual dues for joining LRS is a mere $150 for five select practice areas. Additional practice areas can be selected for an additional $15.
How does the LRS select you for referral? Your application is kept in a rotating file by practice area. When a call is received, a referral coordinator will determine the type of case and the referral is then made to the first attorney willing to accept the case.
The referral coordinator next contacts the attorney’s office and schedules an appointment for the client. After accepting the case the referral attorney’s name is placed at the bottom of the rotation list and the rotation continues.
The initial consultation fee, if applicable, will be collected by The JBA’s Lawyer Referral staff prior to making the appointment with the attorney’s office.
Following the referral, the LRS will send a referral form to the participating LRS attorney’s office. Immediately following that initial consultation, the attorney’s office will return a copy of the LRS Referral Form indicating the status of the referral. The program is based upon an honor system, unlike fishing stores.
In conclusion, The JBA’s Lawyer Referral Service has referred more than 13,000 potential clients to panel members since its inception. These LRS referrals have led to more than $7.5 million in resulting fees for services rendered.
Joining The JBA’s Lawyer Referral Service is an excellent way to increase your client intake and service the community. Just like trout fishing in the Bayou, if you are a “reel” expert in the areas you identify in your LRS application you can “tackle” anything.