Category: Get More Referrals

I just discovered the easiest, most comfortable, and most effective way to ask for referrals. Fasten your seatbelt… this could be a game changer for you! You’ve heard me talk about sharing your Why with…

The 4 most prevalent mistakes I see in asking for referrals are:

1. Thinking you’re more referable than you really are.

2. Merely promoting referrals – not really asking for specific introductions to specific people or brainstorming various categories.

3. Not creating an environment of “brainstorming” or “exploration” – no pressure and no right or wrong suggestions.

4. Not coming prepared to suggest specific people or categories.

Check out the situation presented to me by one of our readers. Check out my answer. Then tell me what you would do. (Seriously – I’d love your comments.)

What’s that definition of insanity again? Oh… right! “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

One form of referral insanity is using outdated methods. Managers and trainers often teach what worked for them, but only produce mediocre results in this new world where we need to blend the analogue side of referrals with the digital side.

There are 5 insanely common and easy to make mistakes that so many people are making in their efforts to boost referrals and introductions.

PLEASE tell me you’re not making these mistakes!

For many years, the “letter of introduction” was a common practice when someone traveled to another city for the purposes of doing business.

The telephone almost, but not quite, replaced the letter of introduction. And the in-person introduction still remains as the highest form of introduction.

So what is the one thing that is so significant to warrant my bold claim?

The Digital Introduction!

Email, LinkedIn, and Texting are becoming the introduction of choice. But are they the most effective?

Are you wondering what a guy taking an axe to his beard has to do with growing your business with referrals and introductions?

You have to hear this quick, fun story about how a financial rep generated the most referral activity he ever had in a 45-day period AND had a ton of fun doing it.

More importantly, his clients had fun with the entire process and he’s still getting residual referrals and introductions without even asking.

The easier you can make it for people to introduce others to you, the more likely they’ll do it. Here is an easy 3-step digital strategy that you can set up to help make it very easy for your clients, centers of influence, and other advocates to provide you with quality introductions.

“How should I reward people for giving me referrals?” A common question… without one perfectly right answer. Is a Rolex too much? Yes! What about a gift card to Starbucks? Probably!

In some industries – like financial services – you could easily get in trouble if you “thank” or “reward” for referrals and introductions in the wrong way.

Beyond a handwritten thankyou note (which should be the bare minimum), what’s the right strategy for you? Join me inside our blog and I’ll give you some ideas.

I am often asked, “How often can I ask my client for referrals?” The thought of asking for referrals more than once feels pushy to some.

This is a hard question to answer, because it depends a lot on the client – how open they are to giving referrals, how connected they are, and who in their life you’ve discovered to suggest for a possible introduction.

There are two keys to asking for referrals a second or third time (or more)…

As you become more referable and even ask for referrals, if you’re not careful, your referral marketing efforts might start to generate prospects who don’t fit your business. What do you do if you receive a client referral that just isn’t a match?

I have an important question to ask you! If a prospect is not right for your business, are you right for them? Probably not. Yet do you ever take on clients who aren’t a good fit for you? Probably so. But why? Often, the answer is because your client took the initiative to refer a friend to you, and you felt obligated to take them on.