You probably know you’ll get more referrals if you say something like this to your clients and contacts:

“We’re always looking for more clients and your referrals would be appreciated”.

You just don’t want to.

Well, here’s something else you can do.

It’s something you see and hear all over the Internet–in every video, podcast, article, and blog post. Everyone asks readers or listeners to “Like, Share, and Comment”.

It’s so common, many people don’t notice it. It’s part of the furniture.

And yet, it works. People do share, and when they do, new people come and watch or read or sign up.

So, if you’re uncomfortable directly asking for referrals, do this instead. Ask people to share your post, your video, your link, an invitation to your upcoming event, or a replay of your recent one.

You can “ask” in the content itself, on social media, and at the bottom of your newsletter. You can even ask at the bottom of your regular emails.

Add one sentence–an offer of a report or checklist or resource guide–and a link to a page where readers can download it or get more information.

Easy, right?

You can even do this in person (if that’s ever a thing again).

Hand the client print copies of your article or report, or extra business cards or brochures. Ask them to share with people they think might like a copy.

Or. . . don’t say anything. Most people know what to do.

More ways to get referrals without asking

You’re going to love this.

You’ll love it because it’s a simple (and proven) way to bring in more referrals.

A lot more.

Instead of getting referrals onesy-twosy, you’ll get them in bunches.

Two referrals lead to five. Five referrals lead to ten.

When referrals beget referrals, your client base grows geometrically, not mathematically.

The referrals come from the new clients who are referred to you. They also come from the original referring clients who see that their referral was appreciated by the client they referred, and by you.

Treat your clients right and they come back to you and refer others.

It’s called “client math”.

A new client is worth more to you than the value of their initial case or engagement. Their value includes the fees you earn from their repeat business, over their “lifetime” as your client, and from all of the referrals they send you.

You could also include the value of the fees that come from the clients they refer who themselves send you referrals.

Oh, so now you like math!

Okay. What do you have to do to foster this growth?

I hinted at this above, when I used the word “appreciated”.

When you show people you appreciate their referrals, or anything else they do for you, they tend to do more of it.

When you recognize and thank someone for sending you a referral, they usually repeat that behavior.

Yes, it is that simple.

All you have to do is tell the person who made the referral that you appreciate them, and say “thank you”.

Send a thank you note. Not a form letter, a personal message that shows them you noticed what they did and that it means a lot to you.

Send a letter, not an email. A hand written note is even better. It shows you took your valuable time to pen a personal message.

You may do this already. But you may not be doing it as much as you could. And by that, I mean thanking the client or referring party at each stage of the process.

Don’t wait until a referral or introduction turns into a new client. Thank the client or contact for the referral or introduction immediately, because you appreciate what they’ve done and you want them to do it again.

Then, after you speak to the prospect or the professional, thank the referring party again. “I spoke to John Jones and you were right–he’s a great guy! Thanks again for introducing us”.

Then, if that introduction or referral leads to new business, send another thank you. (If appropriate, or you get the new client’s permission to tell the referring party that their referral signed up.)

A small gift (e.g., a book) is also a good way to say thank you.

Well, there you have it. Smother people with appreciation. Make them feel good about what they did and they’ll do it again.

How to get (a lot) more referrals from your clients

Our new gardener is doing a great job. He shows up on time, does a thorough job–our yard has never looked better–and is very easy to work with.

Having gone through so many gardeners over the years, we’re happy campers.

My wife found him by posting a notice on a digital community bulletin board. Several neighbors chimed in and provided recommendations, and we hit pay dirt.

On that same board, my wife saw another neighbor asking for recommendations. My wife gave her our gardener’s name and number and told her how happy we were with him. She told the gardener to expect a call from Nancy; he was very appreciative.

Referrals rule.

The gardener got the referral by doing a great job for us. Is there anything else he could do to stimulate more referrals?

He could give his customers business cards or brochures to hand out to neighbors.

He could provide a few talking points about his services, explaining all the things he does, the neighborhoods he services, mentioning that he’s licensed and insured, etc.

And he could offer an incentive for protectively passing out his cards and talking about his services. Perhaps, “Refer a neighbor and get one month of service free”.

So, can you do these things?

Give your clients cards and brochures to hand out? Yes.

Give your clients talking points about you and your services. Yes again.

Offer incentives for referrals? Probably not, but you can do the next best thing by “rewarding” them after the fact.

If your clients own or manage a business or practice, you can reciprocate. Send them referrals. Feature their business in your newsletter or blog.

If your clients are consumers, you can send them a small gift (a plant, a book, a Starbucks coupon) to express your thanks.

And you can always show your appreciation by sending clients a thank you note or card.

When your clients know you appreciate their referrals, they’re more likely to send more of them.

My referral marketing course shows you how to create handouts and talking points that bring in more referrals. Details here.