Ask for Referrals and Testimonials Early in the Relationship.

One of the most difficult things to do is to ask for a referral or testimonial. By doing so, you are implicitly asking the client to grade you. It can be an uncomfortable situation- especially if the client might prefer not to recommend you. Furthermore, most attorneys wait until late in the relationship to ask for a testimonial or referral.  But waiting until the matter is over  or the case has evolved carries numerous risks. For one, the matter may not  have concluded as the client expected. Two, familiarity grows as a case or matter progresses and, as the old adage goes, ‘familiarity breeds contempt’- which can happen even when the results were acceptable.

 As a result, requests for referrals and testimonials are rare. But there is a time when the mood and relationship are primed for the request for a referral or testimony. That point is in the beginning. In every relationship, there is slope in the level of satisfaction in the relationship. In marriages and dating it is called the honeymoon phase. This fuzzy-and-warm phase occurs in professional relationships too. The early period presents the best time to make these important requests.