How to Get Referrals
- Make it easy for someone to bring up what you do (by changing the nature of the service or product).
- Give your best customers something of real value to offer to their friends (a secret menu, a significant gift certificate). Once you do that, not giving that gift to a friend feels selfish.
- Paying me to refer you rarely works, because you’re not just asking for a minute of my time, you’re asking me to put my credibility on the line.
- Understand that low-risk referrals happen more often than high-risk ones, and either figure out how to become a low-risk referral or embrace the fact that you have to be truly amazing in order to earn one.
and
- Be worthy. Not just in the work you do, but in your status in the marketplace. I’m far more likely to refer someone with a back story, someone who’s an underdog, or relatively unknown. That’s why saying "thank you" in deeds (not so much in words) goes such a long way.
Photo by katjung
Carl on November 29th, 2006 3:47 pm
Great article. I find that by just asking for the referrals, people will give them to you. The problem is that most people are scared to ask.
Just ask!
Clinton Walker III on September 8th, 2008 5:44 pm
This is a great article. If you give a person a good product they will refer you most of the time.
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