COACHING INSIGHTS

WHY YOU’RE NOT GETTING MORE REFERRALS

Referrals are one of the best ways to get new business, but unfortunately most professionals receive only a fraction of the referrals that they could. How come?

Because they play the ‘referral game’ passively—that is, they wait for referrals to come their way, rather than proactively seeking them out. Sure, you can play the game passively and some referrals will trickle in. But there’s a problem…

Most people–even those that love you and your service—won’t refer you. That’s because the vast majority of people aren’t natural promoters. They simply don’t think about making connections, creating opportunities, and giving referrals. Plus, most people won’t think to refer you even when the opportunity arises, because when you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind.

If you want to maximize your opportunities for referrals, you’ll have to ask for them. Your clients, business network, friends and family are connected to people who need what you do and have. Many of them will happily refer you—but once again, you have to ask.

Unfortunately, most people don’t ask. How come?

In a word: fear. There are 3 common, irrational fears that stop people from asking for referrals:

  • The fear of being perceived as being pushy
  • The fear of being perceived as being needy
  • The fear of feeling rejected

These irrational fears block the flow of referrals and new business.

There’s another problem: Most people don’t know how to ask. If they do manage to ask, it often comes out awkwardly, like a teenage boy asking someone for a date for the first time.

If there were one general piece of advice I could give to all professionals looking to expand their business, it would be: ask for referrals. Referrals are the single most effective way to bring on new clients.

Why not resolve to make referrals a major part of your business growth strategy?

If you want to get over any resistance to asking for referrals and learn how to have an easy, effective referral conversation, check out my audio program Mastering the Referral Conversation.

Remember this: you’ve created goodwill with your clients, and many of them will be more than happy to refer you, if only you’d ask.