Outstanding Ways to Get More Referrals
The Longview Writers Group reading stories and poetry - We have lots of Fun.
Reputation
If you want referrals, the place to start is with your reputation. If your reputation sucks then the likelihood of you receiving any referrals is slim. However, if your reputation is strong, referrals just pour in.
Work on building a strong reputation. Do good work (quality). Stick to your delivery promises. Give good customer service.
Myself, Josephine, my wife, and Brittany Michalchuk at her 29th birthday. Both women are Ageless.
Relationships
It is difficult to get referrals if you don’t develop relationships. People can’t refer business to you if they don’t know you. Focus on developing relationships first. Then maintain the relationships. In my experience, some relationships don’t appear to be valuable but then end up being extraordinary. That’s the funny thing about people - you can’t always predict. I try not to prejudge - value can be defined in many ways.
The key to developing and maintaining relationships is communication. Reach out and stay connected. Send an introductory email. Make a comment on a recent post that someone has made (LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram). Pick up the phone and say hello or leave a message. Arrange a time to go for coffee. Offer to take someone out for a meal. Once you get to know someone a bit better you might consider giving them tickets to a concert or an event.
Attending networking events is a great way to get to meet new people. Introduce yourself. Use your 10-second elevator pitch (or not). Ask questions and listen - other people love to talk, you just need to get them started.
Consider hosting an event. A company anniversary. A birthday party. A celebration. A holiday.
Attending the Profit First workshop hosted by Jos Willard.
Recommend
There are few things better than recommending someone. This could be an introduction by email or you could introduce someone at a networking event. You can recommend someone to a contact that you have. You can write a recommendation on their LinkedIn profile. You could write a blog post recommending a person or a company.
Don’t hesitate to ask me to give you a recommendation on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffxnelson/detail/recommendation/ask/.
If you want, you can give me a recommendation on my LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffxnelson/ (scroll down to Recommendations).
My father, Cliff Nelson, in deep discussion with Josephine, my wife - Tell me More.
Relevant
Being relevant is easier said than done. The trick to being relevant is to be relevant to the person with whom you are interacting. You can ask questions but sometimes people feel like they are being put on the spot and they clam up. My father, Cliff Nelson, was a master at getting other people to share their stories. One phrase that he often used was, “Tell me more.” This is a brilliant way to get people to open up and share more about themselves and their stories. Once you learn more about another person, you can ask and answer questions that are more relevant to their situation. If appropriate, you can suggest a referral or even ask for a referral.
Wine Tasting at Spirit Hills Honey Winery - Wonderful Wines.
Reviews
If the person you are talking to has a business you should be able to find their profile on one of the many social platforms and write a review. Start with Google My Business (Google Maps). Look for their page on Facebook. If they are a restaurant they should be on TripAdvisor, Yelp and/or Zomato. There are also many industry-specific platforms like DealRater for car dealerships. Companies that are building homes or are renovators are often on Houzz or Guild Quality.
You can also ask for a review. The best way to create a 3X5 printed card that lists the URLs of pages where people can write a review.
For example, for our company, Anduro Marketing, you can write reviews on:
Google My Business: https://g.page/AnduroMarketing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/AnduroMarketing/reviews/
Networking with my friend from Eden Valley, Wayne Wesley (right), at High River Rotary dinner.
Request
This is simple: Ask for referrals. Very few people will remember to send you a referral if you don’t ask. So ask. Keep it simple. Try something like this: “I’m wondering if you know of anyone who would be interested in the products (or services) that our company offers. Could I send you an email tomorrow to remind you?”
Neville Chamberlain (in front of the screen) hosting a workshop on Ninja Workshops - It was Awesome.
Reply
Some people don’t bother to reply to emails and phone calls. I’m convinced that some people seem to think that when they read my emails that I can read their minds and I know what they are thinking. You can set yourself apart from the masses if you make the effort to respond in a reasonable amount of time.
Seriously, every email program has a reply button - use it. In Gmail, it is as simple as using your left pinky and pressing A. That’s it, that’s all it takes. Try it.
Black Hair - Documentary Film by Badria Abubaker (far left) - She is Gifted.
Reward
This is as simple as it sounds. Once you get a referral, be sure to offer to say thank you. Sometimes a thank you email is all that is needed. But it is nicer to offer to send something or do something that has value, even if the reward is not that expensive. Offering a small token of appreciation goes a long way, even something like a $5.00 gift certificate to Tim Horton’s or Starbucks or Subway
Fellow members of Calgary Executive Association.
Reciprocate
And don’t forget to reciprocate. Be sure to give referrals to those who refer you. “Quid pro quo” has all in the news recently. It means: offering in return for a favour.