Public Relations: Best Referral Sources
Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.
Get the networking events worth showing up to
Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for PR firms and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.
Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.
Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need PR firms, who else gets a call that same week?
PR firms sell to other businesses, and most of the work starts when a business launches or rebrands. It moves fast, so being the name already in hand matters more than being the cheapest. Clients come back, which makes one good introduction worth years.
- Rebrand or launchwhen a business launches or rebrands
- Lawsuit or claimwhen somebody gets sued
- Sale of a businesswhen an owner sells the company
- Business formationwhen somebody starts a company
Who should be sending you clients
Who you should be sending clients to
Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.
The same list, turned around. Give first and the rest follows.
- 01
Community Association Manager (HOA / Condo)
They send you work75Trigger: somebody gets sued
Community association managers hear about it when somebody gets sued, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 02
Attorney Intellectual Property
They send you work72Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
IP attorneys hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 03
Attorney Business & Corporate
They send you work70Trigger: somebody gets sued
Business attorneys hear about it when somebody gets sued, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 04
Financial Advisor
They send you work65Trigger: an owner sells the company
Financial advisors hear about it when an owner sells the company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 05
Attorney Real Estate
They send you work65Trigger: somebody gets sued
Real estate attorneys hear about it when somebody gets sued, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 06
Graphic Designer
They send you work64Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
Graphic designers hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 07
Commercial Real Estate Broker
They send you work63Trigger: an owner sells the company
Commercial real estate brokers hear about it when an owner sells the company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 08
Business Banker
They send you work63Trigger: an owner sells the company
Business bankers hear about it when an owner sells the company, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 09
Attorney Employment & Labor
They send you work61Trigger: somebody gets sued
Employment attorneys hear about it when somebody gets sued, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 10
HR Consulting / PEO
Two-way60Trigger: somebody gets sued
You and HR consultants and PEOs both get the call when somebody gets sued, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 01
Radio / TV / Media Advertising
You send them work70Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
You hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before media and advertising reps do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 02
Attorney Intellectual Property
They send you work69Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
IP attorneys hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before you do. This one sends you work rather than trading it.
- 03
Sign Company
Two-way67Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
You and sign companies both get the call when a business launches or rebrands, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 04
Videographer
You send them work64Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
You hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before videographers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 05
Web Developer
Two-way63Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
You and web developers both get the call when a business launches or rebrands, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 06
Event Planner
You send them work62Trigger: a business launches or rebrands
You hear about it when a business launches or rebrands, before event planners do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
Where those people actually are
Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.
State bar practice sections
Your partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and real estate attorneys.
Classes, standards, and lawyers who share cases. The exception is across practice areas. Estate and family lawyers refer to each other all the time.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
State bar practice sections
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and real estate attorneys.
Classes, standards, and lawyers who share cases. The exception is across practice areas. Estate and family lawyers refer to each other all the time.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: community association managers, IP attorneys, and business attorneys.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and financial advisors.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Chapter finder → - 04
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and graphic designers.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 05
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 06
CAI (Community Associations Institute)
Your partners' associationYour partner is in this room: community association managers.
Condo and HOA managers, board members, and management companies. One manager here can control hundreds of homes. They have a membership just for vendors, so you can join.
Chapter finder → - 07
CAI chapter trade show & expo
Event or trade showYour partner is in this room: community association managers.
Hundreds of association managers and board members walking a vendor floor, there to find vendors. One of the few trade shows where a booth actually pays off.
Chapter finder → - 08
BNI
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.
Chapter finder →
State bar practice sections
Your partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and real estate attorneys.
Classes, standards, and lawyers who share cases. The exception is across practice areas. Estate and family lawyers refer to each other all the time.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
State bar practice sections
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and real estate attorneys.
Classes, standards, and lawyers who share cases. The exception is across practice areas. Estate and family lawyers refer to each other all the time.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: community association managers, IP attorneys, and business attorneys.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and financial advisors.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Chapter finder → - 04
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and graphic designers.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 05
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 06
CAI Southeast Florida chapter
Your partners' associationYour partner is in this room: community association managers.
South Florida has more condos than almost anywhere, so this room is packed with association managers. Vendors can go to the trade shows and the monthly lunches.
Chapter finder → - 07
CAI chapter trade show & expo
Event or trade showYour partner is in this room: community association managers.
Hundreds of association managers and board members walking a vendor floor, there to find vendors. One of the few trade shows where a booth actually pays off.
Chapter finder → - 08
Prime Time Business Network
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
A South Florida referral group. Only one person per job in each chapter. So your competitors are kept out, and your referral partners have the other seats.
See chapters →
Let us be straight with you. For PR firms, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.
Is your seat open?
Prime Time takes one public relations per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.
Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.
Prime Time doesn't operate where you are yet.
We have fifteen chapters in South Florida and none near you. Telling you to join would be bad advice. The rooms above are the real answer where you are. We can email you the one page version and let you know if we open near you.
Send me those roomsHave the next meetings sent to you
The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for PR firms, with the one page plan.
We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.
Your one-page action plan
Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.
Networking plan: Public Relations
The five people who should be sending you clients
- Community Association Manager (HOA / Condo) (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody gets sued - Attorney Intellectual Property (They send you work)
Shared trigger: a business launches or rebrands - Attorney Business & Corporate (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody gets sued - Financial Advisor (They send you work)
Shared trigger: an owner sells the company - Attorney Real Estate (They send you work)
Shared trigger: somebody gets sued
The three rooms to be in
- State bar practice sections: Your partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and real estate attorneys.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: community association managers, IP attorneys, and business attorneys.
- EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Your partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and financial advisors.
- State bar practice sections: Your partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and real estate attorneys.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: community association managers, IP attorneys, and business attorneys.
- EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Your partners are in this room: IP attorneys, business attorneys, and financial advisors.