Episode 50: How to get more and better referrals, even when you don't like to ask.

In Top Form Podcast

Join Our Hosts Dave and Somnath Sikdar as we discuss: How to get more and better referrals, even when you don't like to ask.

Why do you want and need referrals?

Every business or professional practice thrives when it gets referrals from existing clients, customers, and patients.

Why?

They come to you with a higher level of trust inherited from the fact that you were “referred.”

That trust means that the sale and transaction costs less and is on a faster track.

Clients who are referred are 25- 50% more likely to engage and but and are, when treated right, also more likely to refer.

Referral is so powerful and valuable, that it cannot be ignored but many businesses and professionals are dubious and are often afraid to ask for referral.

So, we have put together a number of ways to trigger referral even when you hate to ask.

Better yet, when you take a few hours to carefully get to know your very best clients, customers and patients, you’ll also be building a resource of knowing specifically who your existing customers should refer to you and your profitability and productivity Not to mention morale will soar.

So, here are 15 (or more) ways to get more AND better/more profitable and enjoyable referrals (as you go prioritize them in the order in which you’re most likely to implement):

1. Create a referral program or system with complementary providers to exchange referrals. Be sure you only include providers in this network that you'd be comfortable recommending to your best client or best friend. Make this systematic and easy to implement. And, make sure that the other provider know exactly the type of clients/customer/patients you best serve and why. Also, give them a great referral tool such as a book, checklist, infographic or report that they can physically or digitally provide to referrals.
2. Recognize and thank all your referral sources and every time. This could be with a simple phone call, email, or even better, a handwritten note. The important thing is to express your appreciation. You'll also encourage additional referrals this way. And, it gives you a chance to clarify who you best serve.

You can also rotate small gifts such as a notebook, book, or cupcakes from https://www.wickedgoodcupcakes.com.

3. If you have clients, customers or patients who don't refer, create another way for them to recommend you (e.g., report, case study, testimonials). I call these referral tools. Make it something that they’re delighted to share. I often say “If you know anyone else who has this problem or needs this solution here’s a resource that you can share with them.”

4. Make sure your current clients know about all the products and services you offer and how you help so they can either refer within their company or to others they know. Too often sellers assume their clients know more about them than they do.

5. Add a link to a form on your website for referral submissions.

6. Stay in touch. The more often you’re in touch and giving them great content and resources, the more likely you are to be top of mind.

7. Be remarkable; remind clients why your company is special. Give them something (good) to talk about. A few times a year we meet just to ask the question how could we “show up” in an extraordinary and memorable way? When someone has an extraordinary experience they tend to share it.

8. Inspire confidence and remove the risk. It's risky referring someone—what if it's not successful? The more you can inspire confidence and trust in your referral sources by letting them know that 90% (or whatever) of your business comes from repeat customers/clients and patients.

9. Offer a referral commission. This may or may not be legal or ethical depending on your business or profession but consider it.

10. Provide valuable content your referral sources can share with their network—an invitation to a breakfast or lunch seminar or webinar on an industry topic, research briefs, an article about a regulatory change or industry trend, etc. Make it something special for them to share.

11. Treat the vendors and suppliers with which you do business as partners. Make sure they're aware of who and how you help.

12. Create a list of buyers you want to work with. Check out their LinkedIn profiles to see whether you're connected in any way. If so, reach out to them via your network—whether it's an individual, a company, or a group.

13. Treat your team members and clients as partners, too. Let them know you view them as a strategic partner, and tell them you hope they'll do the same with you. Create formal channels to share referrals.

14. Give a referral. It's one of the best ways to get one in return.

15. Buy the other guys lunch. We recently identified a caterer that now hosts lunches for the offices and teams who make referrals to us. You can also do bagels and breakfast but you get the idea. We just tell the referral source that we want to say thank you and host breakfast or lunch. They schedule it at their convenience and we get the bill.
16. Ask for referrals. We get it. We know you hate to ask. But, if you do a great job and wow your cleints they eventually start making referals and you realize that you desrve them…so start asking. You’ll get a lot more referrals if you ask for them. As you’re completing a project with a client, simply ask if they know anyone who would benefit from something similar.