The 5 Best Referral Sources You’re Probably Overlooking (and what to do with them)
Let’s be real for a second: Most lawyers treat referrals like the weather—something that just happens to them.
But what if referrals could be predictable?
What if you could build relationships that consistently send you the right kind of work?
You can. You just need to look beyond the obvious—and be intentional.
5 often-overlooked referral sources that could become goldmines for your firm:
- Your favorite past clients.
They already trust you—and they know others who would too. Want to level up? Ask. Send a short “who do you know” message that makes it easy and specific. - Adjacent professionals.
Think financial advisors, business coaches, CPAs, consultants—people your ideal client already turns to for guidance. Invite them to coffee, co-create content, or give them a quick intro to what you do. - Your “parallel practice” lawyers.
These are lawyers who don’t do what you do—but get asked about it all the time. Form a mutual referral pact that serves both your clients better. - Law school classmates.
They’re out there, in all kinds of practices. A simple message reminding them of what you’re up to can reopen that connection. - Your clients’ trusted team members.
Especially for business clients—think operations leads, admins, or in-house counsel. These gatekeepers remember who made their lives easier.
So now that you know who—what do you do?
Referrals don’t come from luck. They come from Connection, Clarity, and Care.
Here’s what that looks like in real life:
🔗 1. Connection
Build authentic relationships. Go beyond transactional networking. Get to know your referral sources as humans. Ask about their goals, challenges, and the kind of clients they love to work with. Know what they do for fun outside of work. Let them know you’re in their corner, and be someone they want to root for.
🧭 2. Clarity
Make it easy for them to refer to you. Be crystal clear about:
- What kind of client is the best fit
- What problems you solve
- What your process looks like.
Use examples. Tell stories. If they can’t repeat your one-liner to someone else, it’s too vague.
❤️ 3. Care
Take exceptional care of the people they send your way. Let them know how it went. Say thank you—preferably more than once. And then? Look for ways to help them, too. Share their content. Make an introduction. Brag on them in rooms they’re not in.
This isn’t a marketing tactic. It’s a relationship strategy.
When you lead with connection, clarity, and care—
Referrals don’t trickle in.
They flow.
Want help identifying your best referral sources and building a system that works?
This is what we do every day inside the Path to PROmance™.
Let’s build your referral engine—on purpose.
To your PROmance (and to building referrals on repeat),
Whit