I want to talk about something
very close to every entrepreneur
and business owners hearts, and
that is the concept of referrals.
Referrals are like that
perfect cup of coffee, warm,
comforting and the absolutely
perfect way to kickstart a day.
Except in this case, referrals
kickstart your client list.
Now let's face it.
A glowing referral is
better than any paid ad.
It comes with a gold stamp of approval
that says you can trust this person.
And I remember when I first launched
my coaching business, I thought
referrals would just happen.
You know, like those viral cat
videos where everyone stops what
they're doing to marvel at a cat.
Kitten sneezing.
The spoiler alert though is referrals
are not sneeze worthy kittens.
They don't just appear, they're earned.
And when you crack the code, referrals
become your best marketing tool.
cost effective and ridiculously powerful.
But here's the catch.
Most of us either forget to ask, we feel
awkward about it, or at worse, we treat
it like a drive through order or rushed.
And transactional.
And guess what?
That doesn't work.
So today I'm walking you through
my referral magic framework eight
practical, powerful steps to turn happy
clients into your personal cheer squad.
So grab your coffee or wine,
or even, uh, your journal and
your book and let's dive in.
So before we kick off a couple of
stats, , that will really reaffirm why
referrals need to become part of your
strategic framework in your business.
A referred client is 30 percent more
likely to stay loyal and they will spend
about 24, 5 percent more over time.
92 percent of people trust
referrals from someone they know.
Why?
Well, it's because they come pre
packaged with trust and credibility.
Think of referrals as
your VIP backstage pass.
You know, instead of fighting your
way through the mosh pit of cold
leads, where everyone is jostling for
attention, your whist pass the velvet
rope straight to the main stage.
And a referral is like that.
It's your fast track to
meaningful conversations.
and long term business relationships.
This makes referrals the most
trusted form of marketing out there.
And in today's world where ads pop
up faster than you can say skip,
word of mouth recommendations
continue to reign supreme.
They are personal, they are genuine,
and they cut straight through the noise.
But let's address the
elephant in the room.
Why don't more of you
actively ask for referrals?
I reckon there's a few things going on.
And, um, over the last couple of
weeks, many of my clients have been
talking about referrals, this is why.
I know that these are the
three things at play that stop
us from asking for referrals.
The first one is the fear factor.
You know, many of you may be worrying
that asking for referrals looks needy.
it's a bit car yard salesy.
It just feels, you know, really
awkward and you don't really want
to be that friend that's asking
for help, this fear factor around
looking needy, being car yard salesy.
What am I going to say?
How do I approach it?
Stops people from doing it.
The second thing that I'm
hearing is we just forget in the
hustle of delivering great work.
The referral conversation often slips
through the cracks and the final.
Thing is, there's no system.
We have no strategy in our businesses
and without a system in place for
referrals, referrals can end up as an
afterthought, not as a cornerstone of
growth, the very thing that they should
be, they need to be part of your strategy
in the same way that discovery calls,
briefings, pitch processes, the sales
conversation, delivering the work.
doing the, recap at the end.
It needs to be part of
your sales strategy.
So does any of that sound familiar?
Are you worrying or are you
fearful about asking for referrals?
do you forget?
Do you actually have a strategy for them?
If any of this sounds familiar,
don't worry because this
is what we're fixing today.
Let's break down the eight
steps to referral magic.
this isn't rocket science.
And yet we all forget to do it, but
it does require intentionality and a
little bit of sprinkling of your magic.
So I'm going to take you through those
steps, step one to eight, get your pen
ready, , or you can always download
the transcript cause they're here.
, and let's get going.
So step number one.
Identify your raving fans.
Your raving fans are those dream
clients who genuinely adore what you do.
They know the results that you get.
And you know who I'm talking about.
It's the ones that send you those glowing
emails that make you do that happy dance
around your office or in your kitchen.
They are the people who have
Experience transformation
through the work that you do.
They're already prying
to sing your praises.
They think you're amazing.
And what I would often suggest to my
clients is find the top 20 percent
is Purito's rule, 20 percent of your
clients deliver 80 percent of your
revenue, 80 percent of your joy.
Uh, 80 percent of your effort, 80 percent
of your, your results, transformational
impact that you're making, find those
20 percent because they are your
referral champions, the ones who
can't wait to tell others about you.
So step number one.
Step number two is when you've
identified your clients, those raving
fans, it's really important that you
take the time, and this is why it has
to be part of your sales strategy,
your client management strategy.
It's really important that
you confirm the results and
you take the time to do that.
Before you can ask for anything,
it's crucial to celebrate
the wins with your client.
This is not just about
patting yourself on the back.
It's about helping your client reflect
on their journey and the transformation
that you've helped them to achieve.
Because here's the thing, people get
so busy with their day to day that they
sometimes forget how far they've come.
The other thing that they
do is we reset their norm.
So where they're at six months
later, three months later, four
weeks becomes their new norm and
they immediately start resetting
that for their next period of growth.
It's our job in the moment to take
them back to where they started.
This step reminds them of the
value you've delivered and it
builds the emotional connection
needed for a solid referral.
It reminds them how far they've come.
It reminds them about the work that
you've done and it reminds them and
helps them acknowledge and take notice
of the results that they've got.
So for example, you might say,
you know, remember, let's go
back to when we first started.
Do you remember how you
were feeling back then?
Do you remember what the challenge was?
Do you remember when we first
started talking what it was
that you needed help with?
When clients can see measurable
results, when you can go and look at
how far you've come, when they can
see the measurable results, whether
it's time saved, revenue gained,
a shift in their team or reduce
stress, whatever it may be, they
become more invested in your process.
So use specifics, quantify
results whenever possible.
And don't forget to sprinkle
in a little bit of emotion.
How does it feel now?
How does it feel to have made that shift?
How does it feel to have that
weight lifted off your shoulders?
How does it feel now for you
to have got those results?
Step number two is really important.
It's important that you spend time there.
I usually time step number two
in about halfway through whatever
the engagement with the client is.
Now, step number three
is about getting curious.
This is when the golden
question comes in.
After confirming the results, you've
got to ease into the conversation by
asking, you know, given the success
we've had together, do you know
anyone else who might benefit from
the same support, this transformation,
getting these same results?
Remember, this isn't just a question.
What we're doing is actually.
Sharing an invitation.
This is an invitation to those
raving fans to think about how
they can, share what they have
achieved with someone else.
How you frame it matters.
I want you to imagine this
moment as sharing a great dinner
recommendation with a friend.
You're excited, it's conversational
and authentic, not stiff or salesy.
Think about this as wine and dine,
not telemarketer at dinner time.
Now I recently had a client who hesitated
to ask for referrals because she
thought it would come across as pushy.
And so what we did is we practiced
a more relaxed approach, like
having a coffee chat and her first
ask, oh, it made me so happy.
Her first ask turned into not
just one referral, but three warm
introductions just because she
kept it natural and conversational.
Let's move on to step number four.
Step number four is then about
asking for the introduction.
So step three is about getting curious.
Do you know anyone?
Step number four is then getting
a little bit more specific,
asking for the introduction.
This is where the real magic happens.
A passive referral of, you know,
I'll tell them about you is
nice, but I hate that word, nice.
But an active recommendation
is where the gold is.
is because when someone actively
introduces you, it eliminates the
awkwardness of reaching out cold.
So if someone goes, yeah, you know,
you should reach out to Janine.
, and that's where the conversation ends.
It's, it's more cold.
It's more awkward.
But if.
Someone, and this moves into the
next step is someone actually says,
let me introduce you to Janine.
It's much more active.
We get more results.
It's like having your mutual
friend host the party.
So all you need to do is show up.
So we want active introductions.
We want to ask for introductions,
which then leads me into.
Immediately, step number five,
where we want to take away the pain
for the person making the referral
want to make it easy for them.
So let's be real you are not
top of mind for your client.
They are not thinking about you.
They're not thinking and
spending their days working out
who they can introduce you to.
They are thinking about their
day, their responsibilities.
Their day is filled with meetings,
to do lists, maybe even juggling
family and other responsibilities.
So our job is to take away the
pain, take away the heavy lifting
and simplify the referral process
for them, make it easy for them.
So this is where I will write a short
introduction email that I'll send
to them to use to make the referral.
I may even flick them my LinkedIn
profile and a friendly summary so they
literally can just forward that on.
I might even , suggest a joint call
or a meeting that they can facilitate
over a coffee, lunch, breakfast, etc.
I want you to think about this.
It's a bit like pre slicing the cake.
You know, everyone loves cake, but nobody
wants the hassle of figuring out how to
cut, where to cut, how big the size is.
I don't want to look greedy,
but you know, it just, we want
to do is take out that hassle.
So if we've pre sliced the cake,
it's easy just to take a slice.
And this is what we want to do for
these people that are referring.
We want to make it easy, we want
to remove the pain, we want to
make it effortless, because that
will increase the likelihood that
they'll actually follow through.
Step number six is about
following up respectfully.
As I've said, Life gets busy.
So even the most well meaning
clients, even your raving fans,
will forget to follow through.
This is where you come in.
Following up isn't about being pushy.
It's about being helpful.
Keep your tone light and friendly.
You might go, you know, hey,
just circling back on the
introduction we chatted about.
No rush.
Just let me know if you need
anything else or what I can
do to make it easier for you.
Always tie your follow up to
the value that you're offering.
Remember to do that.
This isn't about you pestering them.
It's about helping someone else
benefit from your expertise.
And as an aside, it helps
that client look good too.
It helps the referrer look good too.
So step number six, step
number seven, follow through.
Nothing kills future referrals
faster than an action on.
your part.
There is nothing I dislike more
than making an introduction
and then the person that I've
referred in does nothing.
Once someone makes the effort to
introduce you, the ball is in your court.
It is your responsibility.
Make sure you respond promptly.
Reach out to the referral and
acknowledge the introduction.
Let your client know how much you
appreciate it and share whatever you do.
Share any.
Updates or outcomes from the connection.
You know, I once referred a
trusted vendor to a colleague
and they never followed up.
You can bet I'm never.
Refer them again, they're
certainly not top of mind.
In fact, I found it
quite inciting, inciting?
I found it quite insulting.
Your clients are putting their
reputation on the line for
you, so do not let them down.
Make sure you take action.
And then the final step.
Say thank you.
You know, gratitude
is your secret weapon.
A simple thank you can turn
a one time referral into a
steady stream of introductions.
It's not just good manners,
it's actually good for business.
You know, send a handwritten note.
In a world dominated by emails
and texts, a handwritten card
feels special and personal.
You might offer a small, thoughtful
gift, a coffee voucher or a favorite
book or something relevant to
your referee's interest can really
make that lasting impression.
Share a heartfelt email
with a specific update.
For example, you might go, Hey,
thanks for your introduction.
I've connected to Sarah and we're
already working on an I can't thank you
enough for helping make this happen.
It means so much.
If there's anything else I can
do for you, please let me know.
And I just want to reiterate
this next level move.
Keep, like I've just said there
as an example, keep your referee
updated on your progress.
If you've reached out to the person and
you haven't heard back, let them know.
Let them know.
You might go, Hey, Janine,
I just wanted to update you.
I've reached out to Sarah a couple
of times, but I haven't heard back.
I just thought you'd want
to know because guess what?
Your referee will likely step in and
give things a little nudge for you.
They've already vouched for you.
They already believe in you.
They already believe that you can help
the person they've referred you to.
And they'll want to ensure the
introduction leads somewhere.
Final thought here.
Remember people love to help,
but they also love to feel
valued and kept in the loop.
And by closing the loop with a sincere
thank you and regular updates, you're
not just showing appreciation, you're
nurturing a relationship that could
lead to more referrals down the line.
When you combine gratitude with
consistent follow through, you're
planting seeds for a long term
referral ecosystem that will keep your
business growing for years to come.
So there you have it, my eight
step referral magic formula.
If there's one thing I hope you can
take away from today, it's this.
Referrals don't just happen.
They're earned.
It's about you nurturing and
they're fueled by intentionality.
So let's quickly recap
on the eight steps.
Number one, identify your raving fans.
Number two, celebrate with
those raving fans their wins
and confirm their results.
Number three, help your raving fan, get
curious about who else you could help.
Get them to open the door for
you for a referral conversation.
Number five, ask for the introduction.
Number six, remove the pain and make it
easy for them to make their referral.
Number seven, follow up respectfully
to keep that momentum going.
And, uh, Make sure you follow
through every single time
and finally say thank you.
So here's my challenge for you.
Pick one client, just one,
who's been singing your praises.
Go for it.
I want you to implement
these eight steps.
It could be as simple as scheduling a
quick call to celebrate their progress
or drafting a friendly intro email.
Small actions lead to big results.
And the second thing I would do
is put this referral magic process
into your client management system.
As I said, my referral magic
process kicks off around halfway
through a client engagement.
Make it part of your process.
We want to remove the fear.
We want to make it easy, and we
want to ensure that this becomes
part of our ongoing process
because referrals will keep your
business going over the longterm.
And here's a little favor
I've got to ask from you.
If you love this episode, I'd be
so grateful if you can share it.
If you can refer to this Unleashing
Brilliance podcast with someone who
you think might need a little bit
of referral magic in their life.
It could be a colleague, a friend,
or even that one person who
always, , meant to start asking
for referrals but hasn't yet.
Let's spread this brilliance together.
And if you've got , any questions,
Or any wins or just want to share how
these strategies have worked for you.
I'd love to hear from you.
Send me a DM through any of
the social platforms or even go
old fashioned snail mail post.
I'd love to hear whatever works.
I'm here cheering you on every
step of the way until next week.
Keep showing up, keep
delivering brilliance.
And remember your next big
client could already be working
in and waiting in your network.
All you have to do is unlock.
Thanks for tuning in and
I'll see you next week.