It’s no wonder that sales drive many a business – but did you know that if you get referrals you could easily boost sales?
Many people assume they’ll get referrals if they continue to provide good service in their business. All though it’s possible that people might remember to refer your business, it’s much more effective to ask your clients for referrals.
Consider how busy people are. As much as clients may like and respect you, they may not remember to refer your business. Planting the notion to satisfied clients and customers is one way to get them thinking of you. If they’re thinking of you, it is more likely they’ll remember to pass your name and info onto others and voila, you will get referrals.
The following are 3 simple steps you may take in ensure you get referrals which will boost sales in your business!
1. Get referrals from your existing client base and customer lists.
Remember that your existing customers are your customers for a reason! They enjoy your products and/or services. Capitalize on this!
Sort out some of our best clients or biggest customers knowing that your satisfied clients and repeat customers are most likely ready to rave about you anyway.
Create an opportunity to get referrals from them by making time to thank them for their business. Be sure you take initiative once you thank them for their patronage by asking them who 2 or 3 of their contacts are who could benefit from your service.
It’s highly likely that your existing clients are in contact with some of your ideal clients. It’s even more likely that your existing clients will be happy to give such a great tip to their associates, in recommending you.
Try this ice breaker out:
“I’ve taken so much pleasure working with you and having you as my client. I’d love to have the opportunity to return the favor and provide service to your family and friends. Maybe you can set an appointment for us so we can meet? That would be truly appreciated.”
Or you can simply ask for the names and contact information and contact them yourself, but open the conversation with “(the name of your client) referred me and thought you would be able to benefit from our services.”
Remember to send a thank you gift as a token of gratitude to your customer. This will make them happy and may mean that you get more referrals into the future. If you get referrals, you will increase your business exposure. By increasing business exposure, you inevitably boost sales.
I'll scratch your back too!
2. Get referrals from small business alliances who cater to your niche market. boost sales
Business alliances can be SO powerful!
Sit yourself down and brainstorm out a list of other business contacts who are also serving your niche market. You may find that there are synergies which could be created between your business and theirs. Between the two of you, there may be untapped goldmines to be shared which will allow you to refer one another to eachother’s clients.
This is a sort of symbiotic “backscratching” approach to help you both gain additional exposure while letting your existing clients know that you are proactive in considering their needs and wants.
For example, let’s say you sell health/wellness products. Some great alliances to form may be with local fitness centers, gyms, sports clubs/associations, and natural health practitioners such as: chiropractors, herbalists, acupuncturists.
Introduce yourself and your products to these organizations. Explore a mutually beneficial relationship where you may co-refer one another to expand upon one another’s existing client-base. If you create a win-win, in this way, you will find that these businesses may be eager to help you get referrals. More referrals to each of you presents more opportunities to boost sales!
3. Get referrals from local churches and charities.
Why??
Well, let’s think about something very important about churches and charities. What these 2 kinds of institutions have in common is that they are both “non-profit organizations.”
Why is this important, you ask??
They both rely on contributions in order to thrive. For this reason, they’re proactive about how they get referrals.
If you make a good synergy, they may be willing to share their donor list with you. A good synergy idea is to offer a percentage of sales derived from their donor list back to their church or charity. For doing this, the organization may be willing to promote your business.
Do you see the win-win?
A little creative-partnering can go a long way in creating longterm alliances which will help you get referrals over and again as time passes.
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{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
So true. I have been doing one one one training with Todd Falcone and this is actually what he said we should be doing everytime. It never hurts to ask the question. He has all kinds of referral stories
Debbie Clark recently posted..Tips for Optimizing Your Articles with Keyword Basics
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 23, 2012 at 10:21 am
Hi Debbie,
So cool to know you’re mentoring with Todd Falcone. I’m sure you’re getting a lot from those sessions! Referrals are extremely cool and easy to get – it’s up to us to plant the seed so that people remember to do it!
I hope you’re beginning to get tons of referrals for yourself! Thanks for dropping your wisdom here for us to share!
Cat
referrals are always great, word of mouth marketing makes it real for people. They will be more likely to act on a referral than something they read.
Nice post
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 23, 2012 at 10:27 am
Hey there,
Thanks for checking me out here.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article and the tips. I completely agree with you too! People seem to be happy to make referrals when we’re going a good job for them. They don’t always remember it straight off the tops of their heads, so it’s up to us to let them know we appreciate them. Sometimes all we have to do is jog their memory about it and BOOM, referrals come in!
Come again soon!!
Cat Alexandra
Great ideas. Taking action on this one. Thanks for the recommendations
Alecia Stringer recently posted..Blogging Basics for Small Business
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 23, 2012 at 10:24 am
Hey hey Alecia,
Thanks for stopping by! I’m super excited to hear you’re taking action on this! It’s a really easy way for us to expand in short time. I bet you’ll find that most people are very happy to connect you with others, especially when you treat them right!
Cat
I’ve also learned the art of asking for referrals Cat so these are really great tips.
Even when you’re approaching someone about your business, if they aren’t interested, ask them if they know two people who would be. It’s uncomfortable at first but if your current clients like you they’ll be happy to do it. As for new prospects, it never hurts to ask.
Great advice young lady. Always dishing out some good stuff over here.
~Adrienne
Adrienne recently posted..Why You Should Go For No
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 25, 2012 at 10:33 am
Dear Adrienne,
I love your idea about asking for referrals from the non-interested! This is a great idea for sure. I think it’s definitely a fine contribution to a list we may all try to keep in mind so we recognize opportunities as they manifest for us!
I can imagine that you are very skilled at asking for referrals, Adrienne. I can also imagine that people are very happy to give them to you because you’re a fine example of a referral-worthy individual.
Thanks for adding some fantastic advice to the referral-asking process! I hope you have a lovely weekend!!
Cat
Cat recently posted..Get referrals and boost sales in 3 simple steps
Great advice here Cat. Thank you!
I agree, asking existing clients for referrals is excellent for increasing our opportunities. I used to do this, but have been forgetting recently. I’ll get back onto it…
I liked the idea of approaching churches and charities as well. I can see how this can be a win-win for both parties.
Hiten recently posted..Meditation session at Positive Provocations
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 25, 2012 at 9:50 am
Hi Hiten,
So glad to know you took some value from my article! I think that we should try to be creative in our pursuit to really align ourselves with other organizations where we may create a synergy for one another. The power of alliances has never ceased to impress me! I hope you will be vigilant in asking for referrals and also consider connecting with some charitable organizations this year! I believe you will surely excel!
Thanks for taking the time to consider my tips and also share your own ideas! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!!
Cat
Hi Cat,
One should never assume that someone is going to give you a referral if you don’t ask. You’d be shocked how many people would say “yes” if you ask them, but would have said nothing about “having” referrals if you’d not said anything.
It’s also important to do the extra miles, I think, when you are going to ask for referral, because if I am going to refer a friend to a service or product the seller better be darn nice and helpful
Thank for that, Cat
Sylviane Nuccio recently posted..Blogging = Writing? Oh, Crud, What Now?
Business alliances can be a great tool towards the success of your company through sales. Very nice points Cat, really informative.
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 25, 2012 at 9:51 am
Hello Jeremy,
So nice to meet you. Thanks for checking out my article on getting referrals! I’m glad you enjoyed the tips and hope that you will try them out for your own business!
Please come visit again soon & have an outstanding weekend!
Best regards,
Cat Alexandra
Hi Cat,
Word of mouth is a powerful tool both in the positive and negative directions. We all aim to please our customers by over delivering on the service or products we provide and when we do so it is quite simple to ask them for their comments/feedback and when they state how happy they are we simply follow up with a request of their referral.
Even in my email marketing I quite often state that if they think the information supplied will help their friends or family please feel free to forward the email.
It all goes to back the age old saying “don’t ask, don’t get”.
Cat I’m holding a video challenge over at my blog from next week and wondered if you’re up for taking part?
Please pop over for the details and then if you could refer a few friends it would be appreciated as I’ve been challenged to get 100 people taking part.
It’s going to be really good with both new and experienced people taking part give everyone lessons galore
Thanks Cat,
Take care,
Barry
Barry Wells recently posted..An Internet Marketing Video Challenge and Everyone Is Invited
Great points here, Catherine
Yes, sometimes it is important to remind your own clients – just like promoting your content on Twitter – bunch of times the same day. People are busy. They may not remember you, so it is important to remind them.
I remember writing an article about bragging (Forgive me, Am I talking to much about myself?
) on my old blog. It was basically about how bragging can help you to turn your visitors into subscribers. Bragging is also a form of communication (You need to showcase yourself – because it does make an influence on the reader).
Now, back to your article: Yes, collaboration is indeed a great technique to follow. It helps us to free yourselves of some work load, form good relationships with others in our niche and get same, if not more benefits.
Appreciate your article,
Jeevan Jacob John
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February 25, 2012 at 10:00 am
Well hello Jeevan!
I’m pleased that you enjoyed my tips to get referrals and boost sales!
I agree with you wholeheartedly that people are BUSY! Life moves so fast and we do well to remember that in advance. People love conveniences. We’re so accustomed to them these days that it’s not uncommon for folks to forget things if not reminded. Therefore, we should be proactive with this knowledge and make it a point to assist our clients in easily remembering to do something they probably want to do anyway: refer US!
I love the idea of posturing oneself or professional bragging. When it’s done right, it’s certainly a powerful way to impact others and leaving that lasting impression that makes them come back again.
Thank you for sharing your insights, Jeevan. You’ve certainly highlighted some major plusses for taking initiative in our respective communities! Thanks for that!
See you next time!
Cat Alexandra
Yes, of course
We constantly need to remind, maybe personal email instead of sending a “massive” one – like we usually send to the whole list at once.
No problem
Yes, of course. I will come back 
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 29, 2012 at 5:13 pm
True enough.
There’s definitely something to a seemingly more “personal touch” these days that goes a long way. I think people are sometimes shy about “massive” sendouts like the ones you mentioned. I sometimes like to use a simple and brief personal call. Those seem to work well and people have been liking the fact that I took time out just for them. Everyone wants to feel special and appreciated and I think that’s one important part to getting good referral action, make it count!
I think this article is written so good I want to share to my friends
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 25, 2012 at 10:16 am
Hello Thomas,
So nice to meet you. Thanks for checking out the article! I’m pleased that you enjoyed it! Please go ahead and share it as you wish. Click some of the social media buttons to pin the link to your Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Please come back again soon!
Have a great weekend!
Cat Alexandra
A satisfied customer can be your best referral ! Customer is always the king
By the way the cat pic is pretty hilarious.
Sham recently posted..Angry Birds Available on Facebook, Play Now!
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 25, 2012 at 10:18 am
Dear Sham,
How nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by to check out this article! I certainly agree with your statement about our customers! Keep them happy by treating them right and we are certainly most likely to earn their respect and referrals!
lol I’m glad you liked the kitty cat! I got a good chuckle out of that photo too.
Hey, please have a great weekend and come by to see me again soon!
Cat Alexandra
Hi Cat, Very interesting article! It’s so true, people don’t know what you want unless you ask for it. I love how you suggested a very kind way to ask for referrals:
“I’ve taken so much pleasure working with you and having you as my client. I’d love to have the opportunity to return the favor and provide service to your family and friends. Maybe you can set an appointment for us so we can meet? That would be truly appreciated.”
Lovely!
I also like your image at the top of the post with the referral stamp. Very creative!
I hope you get many referrals, Cat. You deserve them!
Carolyn | The Wonder of Tech recently posted..Where Was That Movie Filmed?
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 25, 2012 at 10:35 am
Dear Carolyn,
It’s great to see you here!
Thanks for taking a moment to check out some of what I am sharing in this space.
I’m glad you liked my graphic choice and idea on how to broach a referral with people. I think that the fear over “breaking the ice” is one of the things that stops a lot of people before they even get started. It’s an understandable hesitation. I tend to feel that the best way to help us get out of our own way, so to speak, is to be prepared ahead of time.
Thanks for participating, Carolyn! Please visit again soon and make sure you’re also asking for your own referrals! You’re a bright light in the world and certainly worthy of praise and follow!
Happy weekend!!
Cat Alexandra
Great steps Cat!
Though I am not really much into sales or things of the kind, but these three steps are sure to benefit anyone in the area!
Getting referrals from your existing client base and customer list sounds like a great idea, as they joined your list because they enjoy your services or products, and would be the ideal people to tap.
I guess even word of mouth makes a big difference where marketing is concerned. And Andriennes idea is wonderful too , about asking for referrals even from those who are not interested or asking them about the ones who would be keen.
I liked your ice breaker and the lines you write, they sound impressive indeed!
Nice reminder to keep in mind whenever I do get started on these lines.
Thanks for sharing, and hope you are enjoying your weekend as well
Harleena Singh recently posted..The Power of Prayer in a Family
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 29, 2012 at 12:57 pm
Dear Harleena,
So nice of you to comment on the article! I’m glad that you found the suggestions to be sound.
I really also liked Adrienne’s comment about getting a referral from people who do not buy. This is a great idea. I find that when we treat people right, they’re usually happy to turn around and recommend us to others. It’s a nice way to make positive connections with people.
I had a fantastic weekend filled with lots of fun and decompressing time! I hope yours was most wonderful too!
Cheers!
Cat
I agree with you and especially that satisfied customers should be your first line of referrals because t hey are satisfied and will be willing to refer you to their peers. Churches are also a great place.
paul recently posted..Hobo WREN
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February 29, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Hi Paul,
Yes, when we treat our customers and clients “right” it’s always smart to ask them who else they may know who can benefit from what we’re doing/sharing. It just makes good business sense to do.
I think that Churches can be such fantastic referral partners if people will just give some thought about how to make it mutually beneficial. When we make sure that everyone wins, it’s a great way to open up a longterm pipeline of potential prospects and also to build some credibility through trustworthy 3rd parties.
Thanks for the great comment!
Cat Alexandra
Churches are great i agree…especially because people always take positively things that are of the church. well most of the time and should you find a referral at a church then you got a following trust me!
Twitter: catherinealexa
March 13, 2012 at 12:37 pm
Hi there,
Thanks for checking out this article. You’re right about meeting less resistance due to the nature of the referral when coming from a church.
Hope you found the tips helpful! Please come again!
Cat Alexandra
Hi Cat,
This post little bit long but it makes the point crystal clear. Always have referrals at the back of your mind when you meet someone. It will not only help business but even help personally build a community of like-minded that will further help your business flourish.
When you are in an industry or provide services which people don’t regularly talk about. We as customers never talk about the retail store we buy our flour from. We never talk about which shoes we are wearing until some discussion arises related to the same. So? Drive that discussion. Let customer know that you are ready to reward him if he can drive referrals to you. You can reward him with margins, discounts or gifts. Make stuff clear and then let the ball rolling.
Thanks for sharing.
Regards
John Cooper recently posted..Crohn\’s Blog
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 29, 2012 at 1:28 pm
Hi John,
How nice to meet you! Thanks for taking the time to check out my article about getting referrals and for sharing such a fine comment.
I hope that the post wasn’t too long for only a 3 point article.
I think that incentivizing the referral process is a great idea! I have seen some local merchants in my area doing something with punch cards for when referrals are made. Once you get a certain number of punches, a product or service is available to the referring party for free. That’s an interesting way to do it and I think that you’re right that something like this could definitely go toward building a sense of community. There’s a lot of power in community!
Excellent addition to the conversation, John. Please come and visit again soon!
Best regards,
Cat Alexandra
Hey Cat,
Hope you are well
I love referrals from existing clients or even simply people who respect your work and have taken the time to share with others. For me this means a lot.
However this is not always the case is it? If I want it I need to ask for it
Great article Cat, Thanks.
Dan Sumner
Dan Sumner recently posted..Is Finding Time to Blog a BIG Challenge?
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February 29, 2012 at 1:24 pm
Hi Dan,
I’m fantastic, thanks for asking! Just returned from a long weekend of some snow activities and decompressing time. A little of that goes a loooooooooong way!
I hope you’re well too and that you are getting some great time to enjoy life!
I think you’re right that it’s not always the case that people will act the way we do or hope they will when it comes to getting referrals. I think if we give a bit of thought to how we posture and picking good timing to ask, asking for referrals becomes simple. And the truth is that especially due to the busy nature of the lives of others, we really do need to be proactive in getting what we seek. Leaving much to chance in business is never a good strategy and getting referrals is no exception to that!
Thanks for sharing your insight into the matter, Dan!
Enjoy the rest of the week!!
Cat
I’m creating my first product, and I was thinking about how I will get my referrals ! got great hints from here.
Thanks a lot for the post
faissal alhaithami recently posted..4 quick tips for better facebook marketing strategy
Twitter: catherinealexa
February 29, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Hello Faissal,
Oh how exciting about your product (I’m working on one right now, myself, too!!).
I hope that the tips help you get some great referrals for your project! Let me know how that goes! Can’t wait to learn more about what you’re doing!
Hope you’re having a fun & profitable week!
Cat
Hey Cat!
I loved this post; I always find it hard to ask for referrals. I always keep thinking I will end up in me the “begging kind” and I just feel tough to ask for help! And thanks to you; you just told the polite way to do it!
I still feel there will be a lot of hesitations before I ask now; but yes, I know how to do it now!
And yes, I scratch your back image is so cool!
Hajra recently posted..Will they call you over for a Bloggers Party?
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February 29, 2012 at 1:20 pm
Dear Hajra,
I’m so happy you liked this post and found it helpful! That really makes me smile! I also smiled at the kitty backscratching. lol It was funny how well it conveyed the message.
You are not alone in feeling the way you do about asking for referrals. I know that the initial feeling is generally one of resistance. No one wants to come off like they’re trying to be a mooch or a beggar, that’s for sure!
I think much of feeling good about this is doing it under the right posture. When we come across with genuine gratitude toward our clients/customers and also bring that thanks to them for their patronage, we may find an appropriate opening to remind them that we would also like to serve their friends/family/associates. Sometimes it’s just about posturing our request in a professional manner – which I’m sure you will do very well because you are indeed a pro!
I hope you will try this out for yourself, Hajra! You are certainly worthy of referrals and I hope that a few new doors open up for you to enjoy these!
Cat
You hooked me right at the beginning of your post here, Cat! I wouldn’t even have thought about the importance of *asking* for referrals. As someone who hates to ask people for favors, I usually try to rely on the good will of my clients, but you’re so right that they’re often so busy — this is when I need to take initiative!
I’m also really interested in Ralph’s comment. I was involved in funding for a hospital once and they were also really tight on their donor lists. They wouldn’t even share within the hospital itself, so I can see how difficult it might be to obtain donor lists from large non-profits.
And in reflecting a bit more about referrals, I think social media comes into play big time here. For example, having someone share my Facebook page with a great comment about it (even if just part of a contest) can be such a strong referral these days!
Loved the post, friend! =)
Samantha Bangayan recently posted..“Empires of Gold”: Do Good Dictators Exist?
Twitter: catherinealexa
March 4, 2012 at 3:28 pm
Dear Sam,
Hey, so glad I was able to grab your attention!
I am with you on hoping for goodwill between friends and associates, but people are just so busy these days, tough to leave it all “to chance.”
Ralph is a great guy. He’s a Christian minister and a business man, so he’s really got a lot of insight into some of the nuances of working within the system of 501c3 establishments. I didn’t know you used to raise funds for a hospital! That seems like it must’ve been quite an interesting experience!
Ya know, what you said about Social Media is very key. I think that this is going to be more and more evident as the applications of Social Media continue to evolve. Many people are streamlining costs and maximizing exposure by learning to creatively work with Social Media to improve their relationship reaches and perception to cold markets. Great point!
Thanks so much for the awesome comment, amiga!
Cat
Good one Cat, I recently been training with Todd Falcone and this is actually what he teaches. If you don’t ask for the referral, you might have missed a great opportunity to meet someone new.
Debbie Clark recently posted..How To Get Massive Exposure Using TribePro
Twitter: catherinealexa
March 6, 2012 at 4:23 pm
Hi Debbie,
Great to see you! How’ve you been doing??
I’m glad you’re getting some great lessons all around for your business. Todd Falcone is pretty awesome. I bet you’re getting some huge takeaways from his mentorship. Good for you, girl!!
Referrals are definitely missed opportunities for many people I talk to. It’s such a small thing to remember to broach with folks. Like any new thing it might feel a little funky to do at first. I remember how funky it was for me to stick a contact lens in my eye when I first switched to contacts…but that didn’t stop me from doing it because my vision and vanity were too important to me. I think our businesses should be made priorities; then we are willing to stretch ourselves a bit (within reason) because it is worth it to us to do so. The funkiness goes away with a little practice.
Hope you’re rocking out your week! Thanks for chirping in!
Cat
Yeah, I don’t get it either. I can’t understand why people actually though that providing good services alone can earn them referrals. Truth be told, they need more initiatives for that.
Twitter: catherinealexa
March 22, 2012 at 11:31 am
Hello Rai,
Nice to meet you! Thanks for checking out my blog article and taking the time to share your thoughts. We share the same feelings about what is necessary to receive good referrals. It’s up to us to mind our own business and taking the initiative to both incentivize and ASK for referrals falls into the category of things we must mind!
Please come and visit again soon, Rai!
Have a fantastic weekend!
Best regards,
Cat Alexandra
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