173 – Malorie Peacock – You Asked. We Answered. 8 Burning Listener Questions

When it comes to personal injury law, the client-firm relationship can be fairly transactional. Most clients aren’t talking about their personal injury cases with their network, and lawyers hope that their clients don’t get injured again and become repeat customers.   

But when you have mostly transactional, single-case relationships with clients, how can you gain more business? If your personal injury clients aren’t telling their network about you, who will?

One of the most rewarding methods for gaining more business is referral marketing. Creating longstanding attorney referral relationships gives you a pipeline for more cases, helps you build a reputation, and keeps your firm top of mind in the industry. However, in order to succeed with referral-based marketing, you have to cultivate your relationships and think about what the other person wants. 

According to Michael Cowen and the team at Cowen Rodriguez Peacock, you have to give back in order to grow your referral-based business. Take referring attorneys out to lunch or to an event that they would enjoy. Or, give them a gift that’s personalized (and doesn’t have your firm’s name or logo on it). However you decide to show gratitude to your referral partners, it’s important that you create a system to follow up, check in every now and then, and continue nurturing that relationship.

Above all, Michael says that it’s important to create a culture of sharing and respect and keep your promises with referring attorneys. You don’t have to take every case that comes your way, and you can’t guarantee the outcome of a case. You can, however, promise to work hard, keep clients informed, and honor the deal you made. 

In episode 117, Isabella Santellan, the Marketing Assistant at Cowen Rodriguez Peacock, asks Michael Cowen all of the essential questions about building a referral-based business and tending to referral relationships. Listen to this episode of Trial Lawyer Nation to hear Michael’s advice on building a referral network and nurturing relationships, turning down referral cases, and simplifying the referral process for your firm. 

Featured Guest

Name: Isabella Santellan

About: Isabella Santellan is the Marketing Assistant at Cowen Rodriguez Peacock. She was born and raised in San Antonio, TX and recently received her B.B.A in Management from the University of Texas at San Antonio. As the Marketing Assistant, Isabella runs the firm’s social media, helps plan events, and works to ensure they provide an unforgettable experience to everyone they work with. In her free time, Isabella enjoys traveling, golfing, and spending time with her family.

Company: Cowen Rodriguez Peacock

Connect: LinkedIn

Key Points

Top takeaways from this episode 

• Start with the people you already know (and don’t be too picky about cases). It’s difficult to come out of law school and have the reputation and network needed to create a referral-based business. Michael Cowen suggests you get your foot in the door by being hungry, humble, and persistent. Take cases from those who are already in your network and expand your business from there.   
• Give your referring attorneys what they want. It’s important to stay top of mind when you’re building a referral-based business. How do you do this? Michael says you need to give back to your referral partners. Take your referring attorneys to lunch or to an event that they might enjoy. You could also give them a call, send a handwritten thank you note, or give them a gift (without your firm’s name or logo on it). However you show gratitude, you have to do so with the other person in mind.
• Nurture your existing referrals. When trying to build a referral-based business, many firms make the mistake of moving on to new referrals without nurturing existing partnerships. But the key is to create longstanding relationships with attorney referrals. It’s much harder to convince someone new to send you the first case, and it’s more fruitful to put effort into the connections that are already sending business your way.   

Episode Highlights 

[02:40] The foundation of great attorney referral relationships: The key to establishing great referral relationships is nurturing your connections, setting expectations upfront, and making sure you stay top of mind.

[06:05] The three things a referring lawyer or co-counsel wants: Every referring lawyer or co-counsel wants as much money as possible, as quickly as possible, without client complaints. Michael Cowen breaks down the details of how to achieve this. 

[07:27] How to keep a referring lawyer’s attention: Michael shares Cowen Rodriguez Peacock’s strategies for keeping a referring lawyer’s attention and making sure they choose you over competitors. 

[09:07] Turning down a referral’s case: The number one step to respectfully turn down a referral’s case is to do it swiftly. It’s hard to say no, but it’s better than accepting a case that you’ll later regret. Michael also suggests directing a case to a different firm and offering a possible solution. 

[12:00] What you can and can’t guarantee to a referring lawyer: You can’t guarantee the outcome of a case, but you can promise that you’ll work hard and keep the team informed about the details of a case. 

[13:13] How a new attorney can build their referral network: Start with people you already know. From there, you can build out your network and run your business on referrals. Especially when starting out, you have to get your foot in the door — you can’t be too picky about cases until you build your reputation.

[18:30] Michael’s experience with referrals: Michael shares his advice for working with referring lawyers and developing your referral process. He also talks about the big mistakes he made early in his career and how you can avoid those same mistakes. 

[25:32] Simplifying the referral process: The key to simplifying the process for referring attorneys is to remove the bottlenecks. If you’re busy, put them in contact with someone else on your team who can give them the time and attention they need. For Michael, getting clear on criteria for automatic ‘yeses’ and ‘nos’ can help simplify the process as well.  

[26:51] Other methods to gain referrals: Michael explains how his seminar, Big Rig Boot Camp, and his podcast create a referral funnel and generate more business. 

[30:43] What to do after you win the referral: It can be tempting to constantly look for new referrals, but Michael advises you to spend more time and effort on your existing referral relationships.

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In this popular and award-winning podcast for trial lawyers, noteworthy author, sought-after speaker, and renowned trial lawyer, Michael Cowen explores critical topics distinctive to the legal profession with some of the biggest names in the industry – specifically focused on developing extremely efficient law practices, securing a competitive edge in the industry, and wildly excelling in the courtroom.

Produced and Sponsored by LawPods.

Build “top mind awareness” for your law firm to get the PI cases you actually want. Then focus on what’s-in-it-for-the-jury to win them. 

In this episode of Trial Lawyer Nation, host Michael Cowen welcomes Alex Begum, the founding shareholder of Begum Law Group Injury Lawyers. Alex shares his journey towards mastering the business side of law, emphasizing the importance of financial acumen and creating a strong brand presence for law firm success. 

He also recounts the challenges behind a personal injury case he tried and the strategies he used to win a $2.17M judgment, highlighting the use of “judo law” to turn weaknesses into strengths, and the critical role of visual aids in demonstrating injuries to the jury in a low property damage case.  Additionally, Alex shares how he motivates the jury to do justice, tapping into what really matters to them. 

Don’t miss out! Michael’s book, Big Rig Justice: A Comprehensive Guide to Maximizing Value in Truck Accident Cases is now available!

Featured Guest

Name:  Alex Begum

About:  Alex Begum is the founding shareholder of Begum Law Group Injury Lawyers, which has offices in San Antonio, Brownsville, Dallas, McAllen, Laredo, and Albuquerque. A licensed attorney in Texas and New Mexico, his career in law began in 2003 – born from a desire to help others. This desire has not abated. The art of giving is something that Alex practices so routinely that it has become an integral part of his professional and personal life. His special interest in pro bono cases has been put to good use. His willingness to serve others, along with his knowledge and experience, saved an entire Texas community when they faced the probable loss of their homes.

Company: Begum Law Group Injury Lawyers | LinkedIn

Connect: LinkedIn | Email

Episode Highlights 

[04:41] Balancing both the business of law and trying cases: Alex runs multiple PI law firms and also tries cases himself. There aren’t many people that can do both. Alex shares that it’s taken a lot of time and effort to get the balance right, and the journey still continues. 

[07:43] How to develop as a trial lawyer: “You learn more from your losses than you do from your wins.” Go try as many cases as you can, realize that the learning never stops, and while you can get “beautiful nuggets” from what other trial lawyers do, in the end you have to use strategies in a way that is authentic to you. 

[11:35] From running a traditional law firm to creating a sustainable business: The key is understanding financials: a business plan, projections, budgeting, establishing financial patterns, how to use debt effectively. Many lawyers don’t have those financial skills, but you need to develop basic financial acumen to succeed.

[13:42] Your law firm needs “top mind awareness” to get the cases you want: It doesn’t matter whether it’s a law firm or soda, when marketing to consumers, familiarity is always going to win out when you look at the studies. 

[18:09] Background of the Michelle Gibbons case: Alex shares background information about his personal injury case that resulted in a $2.17M judgment. It was a three vehicle crash. But it was a more difficult case because you couldn’t see any damage to his client’s vehicle and his client didn’t go to the hospital or report any pain the day of the crash. 

[21:59] Frame weaknesses into strengths: You have to find a way to frame your worst points into your strengths, or find another person to try the case, or settle. Alex credits Gary Johnson’s Winning the Unwinnable Case for teaching him the technique of “judo law” which he and his team use on every trial. He shares how he applied this technique to the Michelle Gibbons case. 

[24:29] Overcoming minimal vehicle damage: Using visual aids and expert testimony can help jurors visualize how injuries occur, even in a low property damage case. 

[34:00] Future damages: Alex talks about the potential risks associated with using life care planners, sharing that “our new policy is unless there is an actual fusion surgery or larger, we will not use a life care planner anymore.” 

[39:50] Motivating the jury to do justice: Juries are powerful. Alex shares how he was inspired by Carl Bettinger’s Twelve Heroes, One Voice.  Make the jurors the heroes, and encourage them to see their verdict as a heroic act for the community’s safety and well-being. 

Connect with Trial Lawyer Nation

☑️ Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn.

☑️ Subscribe to Trial Lawyer Nation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and YouTube.

In this popular and award-winning podcast for trial lawyers, noteworthy author, sought-after speaker, and renowned trial lawyer, Michael Cowen explores critical topics distinctive to the legal profession with some of the biggest names in the industry – specifically focused on developing extremely efficient law practices, securing a competitive edge in the industry, and wildly excelling in the courtroom.

Produced and Sponsored by LawPods.