What business doesn’t love referrals? They require little-to-no marketing budget and often produce the most highly-qualified leads.  

Ultimately, people make referrals because they want to help others. But here are a few things you can do to increase the number of referrals you receive.

referrals

1. Give more referrals

What goes around, comes around. When you give more referrals, you get more referrals. Referral-focused networking groups are great places to practice the art of making referrals to others. 

 

2. Treat referred customers well

The people who are referred to you will inevitably report back to the referrer about their experience. So make sure their experience is absolutely delightful! It will encourage your referrer to send more business your way.  

 

3. Ask directly

Maybe it just doesn’t occur to us — or maybe we think it’s uncool (it’s not). Don’t beat around the bush. Be direct and ask for referrals.

 

4. Find good times to ask

Ask for a referral when your customer is happy or when they rate your business highly. But don’t wait for the perfect moment, because it may never come. 

Remember: done is better than perfect. 

 

5. Offer an incentive

Look for ways to make it a win for your referrer, such as giving a: 

  • Discount (to them or the person they’re referring to you)
  • Gift or gift card
  • Charitable donation in their name

 

6. Remind people that you appreciate referrals

Find places to regularly communicate how much you love referrals, such as your email signature or the bottom of your invoices. 

 

7. Make it easy to send you a referral

Share an email script or images that people can use to make personal referrals to your business.