Today, I’d like to teach you how to get more referrals for your business. While this advice is geared toward network marketers, it will benefit any entrepreneur.
Please know upfront that referrals are the best source of new leads, prospects, and customers.
If you are running your business properly, and you have a game-plan to get referrals, you should have a never-ending supply of fresh, qualified prospects for your business. This will save you a considerable amount of time and money on advertising and lead generation. My goal today is to teach you how to do that.
How to Get More Referrals for Your Business
What you see below are some simple, practical things you can do to get more referrals for your business.
# 1: Set Your Daily Goal
The first step to get more referrals is to set your daily goal. In other words, how many referrals do you want to get each day, week, and month? A good goal is to aim for TWO new referrals each day. That would provide you with 40-60 new prospects each month, which would keep you quite busy.
Write down your daily referral goal and keep it in front of you to visualize daily.
# 2: Develop Your Referral Plan
Failing to plan is planning to fail. Write that down and remember that.
The next step to get more referrals for your business is to develop your daily game-plan. In other words, what are you going to do each day to get more referrals?
If you leave it to chance, or wing it, you will fail miserably. What you should do is choose two to five activities you will do each day to get more referrals for your business. Be as specific as possible. Feel free to incorporate any of the ideas you learn in this training, or brainstorm ideas on your own.
Here’s an example daily referral plan:
- Ask one new prospect for a referral.
- Follow up with a former customer to get referrals.
- Send a handwritten note to a current customer thanking them for their business and asking for a referral.
Just keep it short and simple. Be as specific as possible, so you know exactly what you must do each day.
The truth is this: there’s a standout winner that can’t be touched by any other method. That winner is referrals. Referral sales require almost no financial investment, but they bring in very valuable warm leads.
Source: Forbes
# 3: Build Your Contact List
Your next step to get more referrals for your business is to consolidate your contacts into one place. This should include your current customers, former customers, and prospects. Ideally, you want their contact information in a simple database you can refer to. Otherwise, your prospect contact information will get mixed up or lost.
You could use a simple Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to do this. Or you could use a rolodex or index card system. You could also use a software program such as STAT TRAK PRO Address Manager. That’s who I use.
# 4: Email Signature
One simple thing you can do to get more referrals for your business is to have a catchy email signature. Your email signature should be brief, catchy, and to the point. It should TELL your audience what to do next. Here is an example email signature to get more referrals for your business.
Your Name
Your Contact Info
P.S. If you know someone who would enjoy our products and services as much as you do, please contact me. You can earn free products and CASH by giving me referrals. I look forward to hearing from you.
# 5: Drop Cards & Business Cards
You can do a few things with drop cards and business cards to get more referrals for your business.
First and foremost, give each prospect or customer at least THREE drop cards or business cards whenever you meet up with them. Tell them to keep one for themselves and hand out the others to anyone they think might be interested in your products, service, or opportunity.
Another thing you can do is include a business card or drop card when you mail your customers and prospects. For example, if you are sending them a newsletter, a handwritten note, an invoice, a gift, or any type of correspondence, including a drop card or business card with your message.
You can also put a phrase about referrals on your drop card or business card. Here’s an example.
I build my business via referrals from happy customers. If you know someone who would enjoy our products or services as much as you have, please contact me to see how you can earn cash, discounts, or free products by sending me referrals.
# 6: Ask for Referrals
Don’t forget to ASK for referrals. Every time you do business with someone you should ask them for a referral. The key to doing this successfully is to tell them about your ideal customer. Here are a few simple ways to ask for referrals.
- Hey Joe, could you please give me the name of one person you know who drinks coffee and would like a free sample of our SMART coffee?
- Hi, Susan could you give me the name of one stay-at-home mom you know who might want to earn some additional income by working from home?
- Hi Fred, could you please give me the name of the most self-motivated, entrepreneurial person you know?
By following this simple advice, you will get more referrals. Why? Because you were specific and told them exactly WHO to refer.
People influence people. Nothing influences people more than a recommendation from a trusted friend. A trusted referral influences people more than the best broadcast message. A trusted referral is the Holy Grail of advertising.
~ Mark Zuckerberg
# 7: Facebook or LinkedIn Group
Another simple way to get more referrals for your business is to create a Facebook or LinkedIn group for your current and former customers. That way you can communicate with everyone at once, save time, and work smart. This will help create a “community” you can keep everyone plugged into.
# 8: Provide “World-Class” Customer Service
The easiest way to get more referrals for your business is to provide world-class customer service. This is the quickest way to differentiate yourself from other businesses in the marketplace.
Treat people well. Communicate often. Answer questions promptly. Do what you say you are going to do. Under-promise and over-deliver. Make people feel important. Do the little things. The little things matter.
If you don’t do this step, nothing else on this list really matters.
If you do want your customers to make referrals, give them a reason to talk about your company. As you approach your day-to-day, you must constantly be innovating in the area of customer experience. Not only do you want to delight them, but you want to delight them in a way that will put you top of mind. You want them to say to individuals in their network, “You will not believe what happened to me today.”
Source: Hubspot
# 9: Determine Your IDEAL Customer
Put some serious thought into your IDEAL customer. If you think everyone is a prospect, no one is a prospect. You must be able to communicate with people to tell them about your IDEAL customer.
Here are a few examples of an IDEAL CUSTOMER, just to give you some ideas.
- Stay at home moms looking to earn additional income or regain some of their identity by having their own home-based business.
- People who currently buy natural and organic products.
- Healthy people who visit the gym several times per week.
- Self-employed people who are burnt out and looking for an exit plan.
Whatever you do, make sure you focus on your target market. Pick no more than TWO target markets to focus on at once. This lets you work smart.
# 10: Stay in Touch with Current and Former Customers
The fortune is in the follow up. Most business is lost because the business did not do a good job (1) making the customer feel important, and (2) staying in touch.
It’s vital that you communicate with current and former customers, at least monthly. Mix up your communication and use a combination of texting, email, phone calls, direct mail, and social media.
Don’t let people forget about you. You are competing against hundreds of other businesses and marketing messages. By staying in touch frequently, you can keep your business, products, and services on the forefront of your customer’s mind.
Schedule reminders on your calendar to email your clients every three, six or 12 months to ask how they’re doing and how you can assist them in new ways.
Source: Entrepreneur
# 11: Give Lots of Referrals
If you want to “get” you must “give”. This is non-negotiable. Refer people to other businesses whenever possible. Tell the person to say something like “Chuck Holmes recommended me to your business” when they communicate with the other business owner.
Even better, communicate with other business owners when you refer someone to them. Let them know you just referred someone. Or give them the person’s contact information so they can follow-up with them.
# 12: Form a Strategic Alliance or Joint Venture
Another simple way to get more referrals for your business is to form a strategic alliance or joint venture with another business. Here’s an example.
You team up with an accountant. Every prospect you talk with, you give them the accountant’s business card, along with your marketing materials. You have the accountant do the same thing, but with your business information.
By doing this, you can immediately double the number of people you approach. If you are smart, your marketing materials will also talk about your referral program.
# 13: Develop a Referral Incentive Program
One of the simplest ways to get more referrals for your business is to COMPENSATE people for sending you referrals. Money talks. Someone might be sitting on the fence about giving you a referral, but if they know they can earn money by doing it, they are more likely to do it.
Brainstorm how much a new customer is worth to you. For instance, if you make $50 for each new customer you acquire (on their first purchase), you could pay out $25 to $50 per referral (for anyone who becomes a paid customer). This is much cheaper than advertising.
# 14: Wear Clothing and Apparel
Don’t forget to wear clothing and apparel when you are out and about meeting up with prospects and customers. You can also send out clothing and apparel with your business logo on it to customers and prospects. Some of the best things to give away are pens, magnets, calendars, and coffee mugs with your contact information and business information on them.
# 15: Publish a Monthly Newsletter
My final tip to get more referrals for your business is to publish a monthly email newsletter. Consider getting an autoresponder and maintaining an email database of your contacts. Each month, send out a value driven email newsletter with lots of great content. Be sure to include a brief section asking for referrals or talk about your referral program.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these are my best thoughts on how to get more referrals for your business.
Most of these things are easy to do and easy not to do. Whether you apply these tips in your business or come up with your own referral plan, I know it will help you move forward with your business.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree with me? What are your best tips to get more referrals for your business? Leave a comment below to let me know what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Chuck Holmes
20+ Year Network Marketing Professional
Top Earner & Top Recruiter
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
P.S. Learn how to grow a successful network marketing business. Secret tips, training, and practical ideas. Free training delivered by email.
These are some great tips on how to get more referrals. I really like the idea about staying in touch once a month. When I look at all the businesses I shop with, very few of them stay in touch with me. I bet I would visit these businesses more, and spend more money, if they did!
Absolutely. Most businesses really drop the ball in this area. Staying in touch is vital. Send a coupon, a brochure, a thank you note, a special, a discount code, or anything to remind your customers why they should continue to shop with you and refer others to your business.
This is something I’ve struggled with for a long time. I don’t like begging or convincing people to do business with me or to give me referrals.
I completely understand. I don’t like to do those things either. By following many of the tips in this article, you should have no problem getting more referrals in your business. Best of all, you won’t have to beg or convince anyone. You can have posture, good follow up, and get people to come to you.
These are some great tips, Chuck. Every business owner needs to learn how to get more referrals. I’m going to start by following your advice in my business. Thanks.
Absolutely. Start by following the tips on this list. Don’t overwhelm yourself and try too many things at once. Just do one or two things at a time and then add to it. That will certainly lead to more referrals for your business.
I really like your idea about building up your customer database and having everyone’s contact information in one place. I know I’m not very organized, so I’m going to do this myself.
Good for you. Getting organized is the first step. Having all my contacts in one place has helped me a lot. I use ALL PRO SOFTWARE, STAT TRAK PRO. For a one time fee of $20 to $30, you can use this contact manager for life.
Your point about customer service is spot on, Chuck. Without customer service it really doesn’t matter what you do. Even if you get referrals, you won’t get repeat business because your customers won’t be happy.
Most definitely. And this is overlooked by most businesses. Taking care of your CURRENT customers is quite perhaps your # 1 responsibility. Doing so will lead to more sales and more referrals. A true win-win.
These are some amazing tips! 1 of my favorites is to make sure to stay in contact with current, and former customers. I think most of us are so busy looking for the next customer, or sale, that we forget about the customers that have been ordering from us month after month. I also really like the idea of sending a thank you card, or a short note. That personal touch is lost on so many these days. I know I love when I receive something personal in the mail.
Thanks for the comment, Jessica.
Yes, staying in touch is vital. It’s so easy to forget about your current customers when you are so busy looking for new customers. Doing the extra things leads to reduced attrition and more orders at the same time.
And yes, thank you notes and handwritten notes are worth their weight in gold these days.
Chuck
Chuck,
Don’t you think that you will just naturally get referrals if you have a great product or service and exceptional customer service?
Sudhanshu
Not necessarily. You could, but why leave it to chance. I believe that having a plan is vital if you want to succeed with getting more referrals. Just my two cents though.
For me number 9 starts it all. Determining your target audience is crucial but once done everything else will follow. Referrals are vital now. Especially in affiliate marketing and related fields. It is easier said than done so these tips are appreciated.
Knowing your target market makes life much easier.
As an example, think about McDonald’s. They don’t cater to everyone. Instead, they cater to people who want cheap, fast food.
Every business has a target market. Where businesses mess up is they don’t spend time determining this ahead of time. They leave it to chance. And that almost always backfires.
I’ve gotten a good amount of referrals by wearing clothing with my company’s name on it. That seems to work well. Whenever I see someone looking at my shirt or hat, I give them some marketing materials and my business card.
That’s great. Company clothing is great, especially if there is a clear message on it. Just having a confusing logo can be ineffective. It should have your company name, your name, your unique selling proposition, and a simple marketing message. It should be bold and stand out so it captivates your prospect’s attention.
I have been wondering how to get referrals for my business. These tips just nailed it. They are really amazing. Thanks for sharing.
If you could only do ONE THING to get more referrals, Chuck, which tip would you suggest?
Hi Harry,
I would start out by making sure I am providing world class customer service. If you are falling short in any of those areas, you need to regroup and fix that. Once you’ve done that, I would come up with a referral program. Determine how much a new customer is worth to you, and then put pen to paper and draft up a referral program. Once you finalize it, make sure you share it with your customers and prospects. I hope that helps.
Chuck
This post is loaded with helpful tips about how to get more referrals for your business. I really like your idea of using a catchy email signature. I’m going to start doing that myself.
Yes, using an email signature is very helpful. Mix it up from time to time. Utilize the P.S. line like I talked about in the article. Tell people WHY they should give you referrals and the type of person you are looking for.