Reap Rewards From Referrals

Work Smart, Not Hard!

Imagine how it will feel to have 70, 80, or even 100% of your business coming from referrals. I have clients who have built their business on referrals. They never made a cold call. And their business continues to build through a strong referral base.

When you think about your week, how much time do you spend marketing? Wouldn't it be better to spend your time developing professional relationships instead? Plus, it’s a lot more fun than doing cold calls. People who spend more time developing business relationship spend less time marketing. And the kinds of clients you receive from referrals are better clients overall. Isn't it better to receive a referral from someone in your network that has explained your services to the prospect rather than someone who comes to you "cold".

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. How much time in a week do I spend marketing my services and/or products?
2. What percentage of my clients are currently coming from referrals?
3. How much time would I prefer to be spending on marketing vs. actually working with my clients?

When you spend more time with clients, you make more money, plain and simple! Plus, by educating your network on what kinds of clients you work with, you building depth into your organization. These people become your own personal sales force. This gives your business structure and consistency, and you’re no longer having to reinvent the wheel. If you’re receiving 2 clients per month from referrals and spending 40 hours per month marketing, something’s wrong. If you are receiving 20 clients per month from referrals and spending 10 hours per month marketing, you’re on the right track. So, here’s what you do:

1. Teach your network how to give you referrals.
2. Be clear on who your ideal clients are, and explain that to your network.
3. Say something like, “Mary, when you identify someone I can help, simply ask their permission to forward their contact information to me, and I'll give them a call.”
4. Have a handful of professionals that you give referrals to on a regular basis. We don’t “get” if we don’t “give”.
5. Create a formalized structure to how and when you ask for referrals. For example, in my 3rd session with a client, I teach them how to refer others to me.
6. Ask for referrals often. People get busy with their own lives. Remember the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.”
7. Create a letter or newsletter you send out periodically explaining your client profile and let people know you’re looking for new clients.
8. When someone gives you a lead, whether it turns into a real client or not, be sure to call them and thank them sincerely for the referral.
9. Call people who have referred to you in the past and thank them again. Be sure to let them know you’re looking for new clients.
10. Come up with creative contests. One of my clients called her network and said, “I'm so close to my quarterly goals . . . can you help me out?”

Remember, people want to help, they just need to know how. It’s up to you to tell them.

Keep your heart open!

Become a gracious receiver!

Ask And It Is Given!

Reap Rewards From Referrals

(For a complimentary 1-hour coaching session with Joy, mention this article)

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