What if everything we've been told about referrals is wrong?
When I talk to people about having a referrals-based business, a couple of misconceptions regularly come up.
In many people’s experience, referrals are very welcome, but they arrive inconsistently, not that frequently, and can’t be relied upon or planned for.
People think that the way to get more referrals is simple: just ask for them.
I don’t think either of these things are true. Referrals can be a regular feature in your business, and the main way that you find clients. And you don’t have to ask for them.
I’ve just gone into my client invoices to double check, and in the last 12 months I’ve worked with 25 people, 24 of whom came via either a referral or as a result of me being featured in someone else’s newsletter or event (the 25th is a returning client I’ve been working with for 12 years, who came via a one-off advert I ran in the print edition of the Times Literary Supplement in 2012!).
When I say referrals are the heart of my business, I really do mean that I wouldn’t HAVE a business without them. And none of those referrals came from people whom I asked to refer clients to me.
So, how do you get referrals, recommendations and offers to collaborate without having to ask for them?
Build deep long-term relationships with clients, collaborators and colleagues and make sure you stay in touch with them.
There are obviously some other elements to consider too - you need a clear niche and messaging; you need to be good at what you do; and you need to look after clients properly (this is distinct from being good at what you do - it means good onboarding and offboarding, clear communication, easy ways to pay etc.). But it’s the relationship-building part that I think most people are missing.
How do you build a relationship-based marketing strategy?
That’s what we’ll be covering in next week’s free workshop
You can find out more and book your place here:
Hope to see you there!
Sophy