Legal Marketing & PR

Make an Impression That Clients Remember

By Tom Kane

If you really want to make a difference so that clients remember you and send you referrals, then a story Trey Ryder tells about a doctor may help. As the story goes, Trey was talking with a small business owner who told him that 15 years earlier his wife’s doctor called on a Saturday to check on how she was doing.

There are two impressive aspects to the story. One, that a doctor called on a Saturday to check on how a patient was doing after surgery; and second that the patient’s husband was still telling the story 15 years later.

Now that’s some awesome word-of-mouth marketing. Funny thing is that same thing happened to me. I still talk about the call I got a few years back from my doctor at 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday. He was calling because he had just gotten back from vacation, and wanted me to know right away that my blood tests came out fine. (Of course, I didn’t mention to him that my blood pressure nearly went through the roof by the very fact that he called on Saturday evening – but why ruin a good story.) I’m not sure how many patients I have sent him since, but heaven knows I have sure recommended him enough times.

So, why not do the same. Pick up the phone and call your client after a matter is completed and ask how they are doing, how you did, and is there anything else you could assist them with. In fact, why not call a client when it’s least expected and bring them up to date on a current matter?

As Trey concludes:

“… when YOU pick up the phone, and YOU take time from your schedule to call your client, that's significant! That's what your client remembers. And that's another reason your client will return in the future -- and send referrals.”

Full post as published by Legal Marketing Blog on January 15, 2009 (boomark / email).