If you’re not getting the referrals and personal introductions to others in your business, you have a problem.

You might not realize that you have a problem. Or worse, you may instinctually know something is whacked because your referral faucet isn’t flowing… and… you’re ignoring that.

Or even worse, you’re making excuses: too busy, too much work to do with current clients, et cetera, B.S.

So, here’s the real reason you’re likely not getting more referrals.

You’re not giving people enough REASON to talk about you!

Plain and simple, people naturally get excited by what excites them!   They enjoy running their mouths.

And the single biggest mistake that destroys your chances for steady business referrals is not giving other people enough reasons to talk about you.

Because, remember:  people can only talk about you once they’ve had an experience with you.

Ask yourself: How can I package my work in a cost-effective, highly-valuable way, that other people can experience what I do? 

•    Can I donate my services?
•    Can I do some pro-bono work?
•    Can I provide a valuable ‘extra’ service to existing clients?
•    Can I offer them something free for a limited time

Again, you’re not giving people enough REASON to talk about you.

Experience with you = referrals and introductions.

Asking for referrals… or discussing referrals… or approaching others about wanting more referrals….

…does the thought of this make you uncomfortable?

Well, you’re not alone.

For most people interested in growing their referrals of clients and customers, discussing referrals almost feels like begging.

Today, I’ll share with you a concept that I call “L-C-E-P”, that will break down your referrals barrier rather easily.

I stress the importance of making sure people find VALUE in your services before you ever discuss referrals with them. So, presuming you know that others are valuing your work, let’s look at…

Are You Using The Concept of L-C-E-P?

L-C-E-P continues on the theme of value-recognized. It stands for “Low-Cost Experience Points.”

In other words, I want you to start thinking  of ways you can communicate value to others via entry points to your services, and LCEPs (low cost experience points).

One of the simplest ways of doing this, and creating those LCEPs, (as an rough example), is to get your website (or web page) updated – it’s an online brochure, and as important as any hard marketing materials you now own (or plan on creating in 2010.)

How many brochures have you requested from a company recently? Zero probably.

What I’m driving at is for you to showcase your core competencies, including cloaked case studies, and other work illustrations that allow a person to come to experience you and your work.

Also, it still amazes me how many professionals see referral marketing and building referrals from clients as a means of offering forced inducements (bribes, rewards or otherwise) to the client to get new introductions, and new “experiences” with others.

Stop doing this. Referral bribes and rewards are cheap inducements. They are  flawed and foolish.

Instead, hone-in on your Low-Cost Experience Points. Everyone has them in their business.

What are some in your business right now that you can offer to others?

That time of the year again…. year-end, and holidays.

You want your clients to tell others about you. That’s the purpose of getting referrals and being introduced to others.

Before you stuff another boring Hallmark in the mail that’s going to hit the garbage can, check out a brand new report (FREE) I just created, “Stellar Year-End Client Appreciation Ideas”

Download Here: Stellar Client Appreciation Ideas

There’s also another bonus report on that page!

Certified 100% quality content.

How do you consistently get referrals from other people… and do so in large quantity?

One of the biggest problems that people have when seeking more referrals from other professionals is simply this:

They do not look at referral gathering (for lack of a better word) from the other person’s point of view.

Here’s how you can overcome this, and generate more referrals for yourself than you can handle.

Focus on these 3 specific action steps.

Action Step #1:  Ask yourself, “Why would this person refer business to me? Why is it important to them?”

Getting referrals may be important to you. But until you fully understand why it’s important to someone else, you have a real problem.

• Ask: Why should referring busines to me be important to you?

Action Step #2:  Understand the risk-association dynamic. People avoid risk at all costs. And they do so even more in business when related to making business or personal introductions to others. They don’t want to get burned.

• Ask:  How do I make sure the person feels comfortable their referral or introduction won’t get screwed up?

Action Step #3:  Make referring business to you  easy. Think of ways that people in your network can create instant buyers for your service. Trial offer, pro-bono advice, educational discussions, volunteer work — these are all touchpoints whereby others can come to experience you and your work.

• Ask:  How do I create buyers for my services?

Best of luck with your referral marketing and building your referrals.

If you want more referrals in your business and are not currently getting them, here’s a simple way to get more referrals.

It’s an acronym I’ve created called “GOOD.”

I outline a 4-Step Process for getting more referrals that will help you. No fluff either.

Follow this outline and you will get results in your referral marketing.

GOOD – 4 Step Process for More Referrals

Goal – How many referrals do I want each month? Each quarter?

Drip In-Touch – Set up an drip process, email, fax, letter, mail, that allows me to stay in touch with the new relationships I’m building, each month.

Outcome based - What is my outcome? To build relationships and take interest in other’s business, creating opportunities for myself to talk about my business and services at opportune times.

Organize – I need an organized, easy approach. ex: Use Outlook for contact management and email followup.

One other idea is to hold workshops for centers-of-influence, like CPAs or Attorneys, and award CE (Continuing Education) credits.

You can read about how to hold CE Workshops and this referral and relationship building strategy, here.

Last time, I was explaining that many people — when seeking to generate referrals — reason to themselves that if they offer a high enough bounty, others will get interested and that will create more referral flow for themselves.

That’s a myth.

In fact, the opposite is quite true: When you offer money to someone to send you referrals, you often never see a single referral from them. Why is this?

Because there is quiet resistance that you never hear about. 

Why?

Because of my first point:

Most people don’t like referring business, or at the very least, don’t really know how to go about looking out for you and advocating for you.

Why is that? 

Because they don’t always know why they should refer business to you. 

And still further… why is that?

Because they don’t know how this will be in their very own best interests. 

Why?

Because, as I just said, they can’t translate ‘Me giving you a referral’ equates to ‘this form of benefit for me, today in my life.’

Let’s not forget that cash inducements are not the sole benefit people are seeking today.

I won’t get into other issues, such as influencing people to refer by offering them money, and how that translates into your image and the perception of your referral marketing practices. But that can be a very real issue also.
 
So what’s the answer to getting more referrals for yourself?

Transparency.
 
As in: Showing the client, colleague or family member why sending referrals recommending you to others truly is in their best interests.

Think of any healthy professional where referrals are the top marketing tool: real estate, legal, insurance, investments…. what do you see?

People, more times than not, sharing with others why speaking to you is in their best interests.

They’ve been able to form an opinion of you based on their experiences, and have objectively (not by bribes or payola) determined that you are trustworthy professional who has earned their trust and counsel.