Do you know the three best sources for a referral? First, referrals work because they're built on relationships. People send referrals to lawyers they know, like and trust. Therefore, the best place to start is with your current clients.

Now your clients won't know how you build a law practice, so you have to ASK for a referral – out loud. It can be as simple as saying, “I've enjoyed working with you. I like working with friends of people I know, so I hope you'll give my name to YOUR friends and contacts who could use my help.”

Secondly, make friends with other lawyers who don't practice what you do. These attorneys will have potential clients they can't represent, but they have to KNOW that you want referrals. So a good approach is to seek these attorneys out at meetings, or arrange a conversation over coffee. Set up an express relationship where you agree send files to each other.

Oh and by the way – the best time to contact these attorneys is when YOU have a referral to give to THEM.

The third source of referrals is business people who offer services your clients use. These can be bankers, brokers or insurance agents, for example. Make of list of people like this and get to know them personally.

Sure, it can feel uncomfortable asking for business, so you need to practice what you're going to say. But the good part is that you won't be talking to a stranger and secondly, you need each other.

Just focus on the payoff – which is a new client sent to you by someone who understands what you do. This is Larry Bodine, and you can get more marketing tips at LarryBodine.com