Networking and Referrals, the Forgotten Marketing Channel

A part of the legal marketing landscape we don’t talk about enough is referral marketing. Sure, we focus on digital marketing, search engines, and paid advertising. But maybe one of the best – and cheapest – forms of marketing could be referral marketing, working with other layers who know, like, and trust us.  Guest John Reed is a former practicing attorney and the founder of Rain BDM, a marketing firm that helps lawyers build exceptional relationships. Hear how professionals learn and play “the referral game.”  Asking for referrals may not feel natural, even a bit awkward. But like any marketing campaign, it can be planned, initiated, and tracked. And it can be fun and rewarding. Don’t try to make a relationship “transactional,” just go out and meet and help people. Let it be more relaxed and natural.  Hear about the “four questions” and a personalized “grid” plan that can get the ball rolling when you meet another attorney. If you’ve struggled with building intentional relationships with other attorneys and expanding your network, you’ll want to hear this free “relationships 101” lesson from a proven, experienced pro.  Mentioned in This Episode: “Endless Referrals” by Bob Burg “Never Eat Alone” by Keith Ferrazzi

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, explaining to clients what to expect, marketing, and getting your tech up to speed.   With new clients, take the time to set expectations and explain the process. Assumptions and miscommunication can lead to lower satisfaction when a client’s uninformed expectations don’t meet reality, even with a successful outcome Starting with a clear explanation of the process can lead to more favorable outcomes. Will the case go to trial, our would a settlement be better? How much would one route cost vs. another? Give clients the big picture. Real life is not a television TV drama. Is your marketing attracting the clients you want? Casting the widest net isn’t always the best choice. Explain who you are and what you do honestly. And then live up to those promises. (And for Heaven’s sake, get your tech in order. Clients today expect at least that: Hear the common tech shortfalls that turn clients off.)  Mentioned in This Episode: Clio ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

The world of legal technology can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, we have a guide in Chelsey Lambert, founder and author at the legal tech education, consulting, and guidance platform Legal Tech Decoded, which features articles, reviews, and opinions on the latest in legal tech. This episode is kind of about marketing, but kind of about operations, but also kind of about AI, because tech is coming for every aspect of your legal practice. What developments will drive your firm forward, and what’s smoke and mirrors? Lawyers who’ve been in the business long enough have gone from reviewing cases on paper and in books, maybe even yellow legal pads, to the Internet revolution, to online research and filing, to today’s AI revolution. Is AI remaking the practice of law, or just the next progression? (Spoiler, it’s kind of a big deal.)  “I don’t know that we’ve ever trained lawyers how to buy technology in the first place,” Lambert says. Now add the complexity of AI, a tool you have to train, guide, and trust. Hear about the evolving world of legal tech, even developments you probably haven’t heard of, and the evolution of the profession, including the potential for non-lawyer ownership and private equity. Don’t fear or ignore the revolution, embrace it. Mentioned in This Episode: Association for AI in Legal, A4l.law CaseMark RocketLawyer LegalZoom Nolo Foundation AI

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, getting a worrisome associate, and the entire team, on track. Plus, communicating with clients and assuring them you have their back:   A manager struggles to help an associate manage tasks and produce work on time, could tools help through redundancies and accountability. Daily “standups” or “scrums” can help legal teams clear logjams and stay on track. Christopher offers a concise explanation of how time management and accountability systems drive productivity. Assuring clients you have their best interests at heart is vital, especially when they think you’re “part of the system.” What are “The Four Agreements” and how can they help you understand clients and communicate? Ask, listen, and explain.   Mentioned in This Episode: “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz Notion legal software Asana Microsoft Teams PCLaw Microsoft 365 Trello Todoist Book, “The Lean-Agile Way”  Scrum.org Clio ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

Every firm knows it should be marketing. But go deeper. How should you be thinking about your firm’s own individual goals, brand, and budget? If you’re at a smaller or mid-size firm, you don’t get a pass on marketing. You still need to reach potential clients. But you’ll have to do it on a smarter, scaled level. Guest Erika Steinberg spent decades developing marketing strategies for large firms, then she formed her own company, CMO2go, which helps smaller and mid-size firms develop and execute marketing strategies that fit their budgets.  Don’t feel overwhelmed by the word “strategy” or be intimidated by the very idea of marketing. Strip it down to the essentials and take it step by step. A good marketing brainstorming can help you not only focus your strategies but also understand your firm’s goals and target audience.  Are you committing the sin of “random acts of marketing?” Find out on this episode of the Un-Billable Hour.   Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online! Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3pm Eastern.

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, recorded in person at the October 2025 ClioCon legal tech conference: After a new client comes on board, within a week, your team needs to check back in. This is your chance to delight. If there’s an issue, a misunderstanding, or a question, this is an opportunity fix it. Delighting a client is always better than simply satisfying a client. The right team answering incoming calls is vital. But how do you outsource that? How do you pay someone and where do you find them? And when is it time to hire your own, in-house, full-time employees to convert those calls to clients? Modern times lead to modern solutions. Today’s buy now, pay later tools can help your firm retain clients by helping them manage payments. Alternative fee arrangements work, and innovative payment methods can remove barriers to attorney/client relationships. Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online! Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. Eastern. Mentioned in This Episode: Clio Capital LawPay Affirm buy now pay later Sunbit buy now pay later Highlights from ClioCon 2025 Clio ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

Today’s episode is about you and your mindset as it pertains to generating wealth through your business. Guest Lauren A. Klein was a corporate attorney when she came to a crossroads, would she follow the corporate path and accept a paycheck, or strike out on her own and build wealth on her terms. She started by asking questions about how lawyers make money and build wealth. What does it actually mean to make partner at a firm? And she came to the conclusion that there had to be more, that she could do better on her own, knowing full well, as she says, running a law firm is “not for the weak of heart.” In addition to driving the elder law and estate planning firm Flourish Law Firm she co-founded with her best friend, she’s also the host of the podcast “The Wealthy Law Squad.” She learned from corporate law that getting a salary and spending it on lifestyle isn’t wealth. Wealth is investing, creating tools that generate passive income, and building net worth.  What can you invest in today that gives you the financial freedom to do whatever you want later? A “wealth mindset” is about creating freedom, not being chained to the golden handcuffs of a paycheck. What are you working toward?   Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online!   Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3pm Eastern.   Mentioned in This Episode: The Wealthy Lawyer Squad podcast Clio

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table, recorded in person at the October 2025 ClioCon legal tech conference: When you attend a legal tech conference such as ClioCon, how do you keep from being overwhelmed by the firehose of information and new tech tools. AI? E-discovery? Vendors? Marketing? It’s a lot. Working in a rural area, it can be difficult to find and hire new attorneys. Step up your recruiting marketing and consider that with today’s remote tools, maybe your next hire doesn’t have to live in your region.  When hiring a non-attorney salesperson, how do you prepare them? Trying to teach them “the law” can be both irrelevant and perilous. Listening to potential clients and demonstrating how your firm can solve their problems is what matters.   Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online! Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. Eastern. Mentioned in This Episode: Highlights from ClioCon 2025 “Who: The A Method for Hiring” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street Clio ClioCon 2026, Oct. 26-27, 2026

AI helps us do a lot, and a lot faster. But there are still tasks that need the human touch. Guest Jens Erik Gould is the founder and CEO of the Amalga Group, a specialized staffing outsourcing service that helps tech and legal businesses (among others) find and employ cost-saving staffing services outside the United States but located close to the country, a function known as “nearshoring.” With services available in Latin America, close to the United States, Amalga Group helps legal services providers and law firms with tasks such as record retrieval, paralegal services, discovery, transcription, and legal assistance. By employing teams in Latin America, employers get a similar time zone and a close cultural fit.  AI is making great strides accomplishing routine tasks such as contract review, document retrieval, billing, and summarization. But AI can’t (yet) match the human capacity for making ethical decisions, understanding and solving nuanced problems, and finding creative answers. Hear where Gould sees AI making gains and where it falls short and how law firms still need trained staffers to ensure accuracy and professional results, and how firms can adopt a hybrid model that leverages the capabilities of both AI and human near-sourced staffing. What will the new model look like, and how will successful firms meld tech and people?  Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online! Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3pm Eastern. Mentioned in This Episode: Clio Smokeball Filevine Westlaw LexisNexis Ray Kurzweil, “Singularity” books at Amazon Forbes article

In this episode’s discussions around the Community Table: How do you implement origination percentages when a new attorney joins the firm. What’s important is clarity, making sure everyone knows who originated the case (and how, including prior websites, phone numbers, and relationships) and how those payments will be calculated. What if your new hire has a few existing cases in the pipeline? Can a new hire continue to work independently to wrap up existing cases on the side? Would these cases involve your professional liability policies or include the new hire using the legal software your firm pays for?  On any team, different members prefer different communication channels. But it’s important to develop consistent policies. Consistency matters because in a law firm, speed of retrieval trumps speed of information flow. The ability for any member to see the entire case at a glance is vital. Ask us anything for the Community Table. Leave us a question online Join the next Community Table discussion live! Always the third Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. Eastern Mentioned in This Episode: “Come up for Air,” by Nick Sonnenberg Clio