“There’s no point in talking to him. He already has someone to refer his family law cases to,” said the young associate.

He figured that the guy was well established and would definitely have a lawyer he’d been referring to for years. It would be a waste of time to call him up, invite him to lunch, and get to know him. There’s no way he’d refer to someone new, thought the associate.

The ROI of Low-Hanging Fruit

My associate would rather call on someone more receptive to his overtures. He’d rather approach someone eager to go to lunch with him who doesn’t have much else to do. He’d rather take the easy path than approach someone who might be more challenging.

• That’s why this associate has been going to lunch with former law school classmates instead of managing partners from substantial firms.
• That’s why this associate has been going to lunch with stockbrokers he met at the chamber of commerce.
• That’s why he’s having coffee with a young lawyer who just struck out on her own and doesn’t have any clients yet.

He’s picking the receptive, easy prospects for referrals instead of the difficult, challenging, more established people on his list. He’s chickening out because there’s resistance to his efforts with the higher-value targets, and he avoids resistance at all costs.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with having lunch with the lower-value targets. There’s the possibility that they’ll send some work his way. There’s the likelihood that, one day, they’ll be able to refer to him as they grow in their businesses.

The Bigger the Challenge, the Bigger the Reward

But taking the easy way out leaves lots of money on the table. He’ll connect with some of those big-name referral sources if he works hard enough, long enough, and smart enough and is persistent in his efforts. He’ll eventually break through the resistance, build a connection, and be rewarded for his efforts. His reward will be much bigger when he connects with the high-value target.

Sure, that lawyer already has someone to refer his family law cases to—the young associate is right. But that big-shot, established lawyer doesn’t have anyone to refer to who exhibits the level of determination, effort, and intellect it took to make the connection and build the relationship this young guy is building with him now. If the young lawyer persists, he’ll get the referrals.