This isn’t just a smart thing to do, it’s actually a lot of fun. It lets my clients know that I appreciate them and that I value our relationship. It’s not a big deal and it doesn’t cost much, but I send my clients a nice thank you card and a little gift every time I get a new client that’s based on a referral. That’s why I thank my clients whenever I get referrals from them. Reward your clients and customers for sending referrals your way.ĭo you know anyone who doesn’t like being thanked when they do something nice? I don’t. So yes, ask for referrals, but be careful of how often you do it. You want your client and customers to remember to send business your way, but you don’t want to create an atmosphere in which you look desperate or in which you make anyone feel uncomfortable. That said, be careful of asking too much. What makes this even more powerful is that, since you’ve set up your relationship from the outset to cultivate referrals (see #1), you can really ask any time and not create an uncomfortable situation. This is a great way to get into the conversation and I think Bob does a great job of creating the conversation beautifully. Could we take a few quick minutes to run past the names of some people I might also be able to help?” “Anne, I’m in the process of expanding my referral business, and I find it’s helpful to partner with my clients and friends such as you. Bob Burg, in his blog post, “‘Bridging’ into Asking For Referrals”,” suggests what he calls a “bridge phrase,” which goes something like this: Ask for referrals.Īsking for referrals can be really difficult…unless you have a good way to ask. And always, always, always, always bear in mind my favorite lesson from Larry Winget: “Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it.” 3. Always be on the lookout for things that you can do that go that extra step beyond what anyone else in your industry or that you know would do. When you’re working with your clients, monitor their level of satisfaction. And the absolute best way to get referrals is to do amazing things for your clients and customers. But as John Jantsch said in his blog post, having set up the relationship in such a way that you know you’re asking for a referral from your client, you’ll already be predisposed to do your absolute best work because you know you want this person to send business your way. So you should go beyond doing your best work and deliver everything that you do with extraordinary service. Let’s get super real here: you can’t expect (or even ask for) referrals if you’re not doing great work and delighting your clients and customers.
In fact, it leads right into my next point: 2. John Jantsch, in his blog post, “Begin With A Referral In Mind,” says that this is a critical mindset to creating a successful, growing business. When you say something like this, you’re doing two things: you’re setting up the expectation for your client that you’re about to do amazing things for them (which you will, see #2) and you’re also setting up the relationship in such a way that you want them to share you with others. So, when I delight you with my work, I hope you’ll refer me to others you know who need services like mine. I want you to know that I grow my business mostly through referrals from my clients. “Dave, I’m so glad to be working with you and I’m looking forward to helping you. When you first work with a client, you let them know upfront that you build your business on referrals from your clients.
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That’s where I learned how to set the stage to get referrals. Years ago I listened to a program called 93 Extraordinary Referral Systems by Jay Abraham. Did you know that if you get referrals from your clients, your business will grow like a family tree? Before you know it, you’ll have a thriving tree…er…business.