Cultivate a Culture For Referrals

Referrals don't just happen. Well, that's not entirely true. If you are doing a good job for your clients, the occasional accidental referral will likely come your way.

The idea should be to make referrals happen intentionally. I work with a large number of independent professionals and they seem to have this deep belief that asking for referrals is somehow a bad thing. Get over it. If you provide a service that brings some good into a person's life, or perhaps even the world, then you owe it that client to make sure that their friends, family and associates receive that good as well.

      So, how do you create a culture of referrals.
    * Make it part of the deal - introduce the fact that you work primarily by referral at the very first contact with a prospect.

    * State it in your marketing materials - Stamp "We love referrals" on your envelopes before you mail them.

    * Make it part of your networking message - "Hey Bill, how's it going?" "Business is great but we are always looking for more people who want financial independence."

    * Approach it systematically - Hold referral lunches with your clients. Let them know that once a year you will meet to strategize about referrals.

    * Teach it - Teach your vendors, clients, partners how to refer you and how to get referrals themselves.

    * Give Referrals - One of the greatest ways to cultivate a referral mentality is to be on the lookout for ways to refer others.