6 Ways to Get Referrals without Asking

Business Referrals - 6 Ways to
Get Referrals without Asking

by David Frey

Do you hate asking your customers for referrals? Most people do. Fortunately, there are many ways to get a continued stream of qualified referrals without having to go through the painful process of asking for them face-to-face.

Yes, I admit it – I hate asking for referrals – don’t you? Be honest. Doesn’t your heart start to pump faster and hands start to sweat even thinking about asking a customer for a referral? If you’re like me, you hate to impose on others. Asking for names of friends or family members almost makes you feel as though you’re selling a multi-level marketing opportunity.

Not to worry. There are many ways to get a continual stream of qualified referrals without having to go through the painful process of asking for referrals face-to-face. The secret to getting referrals without asking for them is to develop referral systems that do the asking for you. Here are six innovative systems for getting referrals without asking.

Referral System # 1 

Make a list of people / businesses that sell complimentary products and services to your own product or service. If you sell athletic shoes your list might include health clubs, running clubs, basketball teams, or podiatrists. Now create a referral program that pays referral fees for people that are sent to you by your referral partners.

To make this system more effective, give your referral partners customized coupons, tickets, or cards that the referral brings with them to your business so that you can correctly track each referral source.

Referral System # 2 

Approach charities in your local area to get a list of donors that already give to the charity. The United Way is a good place to start. Most United Way donors make advanced pledges or set goals to give a specified amount to the United Way.

Now approach the executive sponsor of the United Way donation drive and make a proposal. Propose that for every referral that is sent from their organization to your business, you will take a percentage of your sale and donate it to the United Way (or whatever charity they are affiliated with) in their name.

Referral System # 3 

Local churches are always looking for innovative ways to raise money to sustain the programs they offer to their members. Most churches would be enthusiastic about the opportunity to receive a donation from you or your business.

Simply call up the ecclesiastical leader and ask if you can meet with him/her to talk about a potential fundraising activity. Propose that for every referral they send your way, you will donate a percentage of the sales to the church. In return, the church should agree to promote your business. This same referral tactic can be done with the booster clubs of local sports teams, Boy Scout troops and other organizations looking to raise money.

Referral System # 4 

Most everyone has a barber or hairstylist they use on a frequent basis, especially if you have children. I don’t know about you, but my barber always engages me in conversation during my haircut. And most barbers and hairstylists are very happy when you give them a $2 - $3 tip. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Why not approach the local barbers and hairstylists and offer them $1 for every referral card they pass out to their customers. You might even motivate them to talk up your business by promising them a percentage of each sale that results from their referral.

Referral System # 5 

The last referral system will not only bring you referrals, but will also create a lot of goodwill. I learned this tactic, strangely enough, by Princess Diana and a local real estate agent. When Princess Diana died a close associate of hers was interviewed and revealed that Diana always carried a set of “royal” thank you notes.

Every time she met with someone she would remember their names and as soon as she got in her car she would write a short thank you note to them. The people cherished the thank you notes they received from the Princess. After hearing that, I started to carry around my own box of thank you notes.

But here’s what really will make this referral tactic take off. Not long ago I received an email from a subscriber to my Marketing Best Practices Newsletter that had this phrase under the man’s signature:

By Referral Only

By Referral Only...means: We invest 100% of our time and energy to delivering first-class service to our clients. As a result, our valued clients, suppliers, and friends refer their family, friends and work associates to us for advice on buying or selling real estate. We're interested in building strong life long relationships one person at a time.

You see, its not enough to send a thank you note. People need to know that you want and appreciate their referrals. The phrase, in essence, answers the question, “What can you do for me in return for this nice thank you card?” Immediately, I had this phrase printed on the bottom of my thank you notes and my referrals took off.

The Benefits of Outsourcing Article Writing

The Benefits of Outsourcing Article Writing: Have you recently learned that you can outsource articles to professional writers? If so, you may be wondering if this is an opportunity that you should try. So, is it? Yes. One of the many benefits to outsourcing your articles is that you can make money on articles you didn't even write. What could be better than making money when you, essentially, have to do nothing? Whether you just don't want to do the work or if you are pressed for time, outsource your work. In the end, you will be glad that you did. Another benefit to outsourcing your article writing is that it is easy to do. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of freelance writers looking to make money online. This means that you should have a number of quality writers to choose from. Many of those writers also charge affordable rates. Perhaps, the greatest benefit to outsourcing your articles is the freedom that you have. You are in control. You have the freedom to make as much money as you want. You also have the freedom to decide how you want to make money with those articles. As for how much money you can make, limit your expenses. You want to pay for quality articles, but don't pay too much for them. The less you pay for outsourced work, the bigger profits you will have. However, remember quality. A quality article is worth paying a few more dollars for. As for how you can make money, you may be surprised how many options you have. You can turn a series of outsourced articles into an eBook to sell. You can outright sell articles to other webmasters for a profit. They can be added to third party revenue sharing websites. They can also be used to generate traffic for a website or a blog that makes money through affiliate programs or the selling of a product. Despite the fact there are a number of benefits to outsourcing articles, there are some downsides too. These downsides can easily be negated into benefits though. One problem you may run into is not getting what you wanted. Did you want your article writer to take a different approach or cover different points? This can be fixed in the future by outlining your specific wants and needs. Not only give your writer a topic to write five articles on, but give them five specific article titles to write. When you outsource article writing projects to someone else, you are putting a lot of trust and faith into that individual. Unfortunately, some will take advantage of that. All professional and experienced writers will generate new, fresh, and unique content for you. This means that your article will not be published online in the past or in the future. On the other hand, some will simply just copy an article online and try to submit it as their own. This can be damaging to your own career and professional name. If you opt to outsource your article writing projects, always request to see sample articles first. This allows you to gauge the writing of the professional in question. Do they meet or exceed your expectations? Before processing payment, always check for uniqueness. Never play for work that was simply just copied from another website.