You’d think, wouldn’t you, that if you do a good job for someone then they would tell everyone how good you are?
A common myth about getting referrals is that if you do a good job for your customers, referrals will come automatically.
Hmm, wouldn’t that be lovely?
It can happen, but it doesn’t – not very often anyway, and rarely without a plan!
Getting referrals takes effort, above and beyond just doing a good job. But if you get it right, you’ll have a brilliant source of new business in no time.
1. Make Friends With Your Competitors
Yes, that’s right! And offer to help with their overload.
However strange this may seem, it was one of the things that kept me in business in the early days. Other consultants in the area were overstretched and needed someone trustworthy to outsource to. I positioned myself as that person and I often got the business.
These days, this is easier than ever. Connect with complementary businesses on LinkedIn, engage with their content on Instagram, and build genuine relationships. You could even collaborate on Instagram Lives or joint webinars – it’s a brilliant way to get in front of each other’s audiences.
2. Niche Down And Become The Go-To Expert
You’ll hear me talk about niching in virtually everything I teach, because it’s a strategy that works brilliantly for almost every business.
If you position yourself as THE expert in your area, people find it easy to refer you. “You need help with X? Go talk to [your name], that’s exactly what she does.”
Use your content to reinforce your expertise – share tips on Instagram Reels, post case studies on LinkedIn, create TikToks showing behind-the-scenes of your work. The more visible your expertise, the easier it is for people to recommend you.
3. Refer Other People First
Start doing what you’d like done for you. If you can refer business to an accountant, she’ll probably return the favour. If you refer people to a makeup artist, the odds are they’ll refer back.
Do this in good faith though, with no expectation of a returned favour. Genuinely refer people to suppliers you really rate, rather than because you want them to owe you.
Practical tip: Make a list of 10 businesses you’d happily recommend. Follow them on Instagram, share their posts to your Stories, tag them when relevant. This kind of genuine, public support goes a long way – and it’s free!
Can you use any of these three tactics to set your referral machine in motion? Go get ’em, tiger! xx