How to Get Referrals

Clients that are referred are more likely to buy sooner than people acquired through paid advertising.  Not only that, they will tend to spend more,  with less effort on your part, leaving you more time to focus on business.

There are several ways you can get more referrals:

• There are groups such as BNI, where many different business people gather to give each other referrals, only one person from any given business is allowed in each group, eliminating competition.
• Join your local Chamber of Commerce, they have frequent networking events, and you can usually use their member list.
• The most effective way to get referrals is to ask!

Simply ask for a referral and tell you client why you are asking for it.  Let them know that you value their input and will not abuse the referrals.  When you contact or send letters out to these people, let your client have some editorial control over content.  Nobody wants to put a friend or family member in an awkward position.

Let your clients know you are trying to keep prices low, and the best way to do that is to have more clients.  You don’t have to be uncomfortable or nervous asking for referrals.  Remind them how good a product or service you provide, and that you are available if they have any questions.

By doing this, you actually have your client wanting to refer you because you have provided them with great value; they want to only refer valuable things as well as people.  That quite frankly makes them look smarter because they “found” you first, and they are doing somebody a favor by referring you.

Most importantly, referred clients are more likely to give even more referrals, which means your business will continue to grow over time.

Today, we are all busy; we not only invite, but rely on, word-of-mouth and referrals.  Most of us simply don’t want to spend the time to research, and find new products and services for ourselves.

My advice: Get comfortable asking for referrals, make it a mindset for your business, appreciate the win-win benefits for both clients and you the business owner.   Once you feel comfortable asking for referrals, you’ll soon find yourself getting referrals more often, without even asking.

Remember, you do have to provide a quality product/service at a good value.  You don’t have to be the cheapest, people look for the value, and you are a big part of the equation.  Be honest, provide good value, and people will consistently come to you.

Promote yourself as a valuable asset.  You are your business