Learning how to get referrals from happy clients should be simple — but most business owners either never ask or go about it the wrong way.
The second Idea Slam question on Monday’s Businessing hit a nerve: How do I get referrals from my clients without begging for them?
Pat Miller broke his answer into two parts that most people skip past. First: what do you need to be in order to be referred? And second: how do you encourage that referral behavior?
The first part is uncomfortable. You gotta be good. You just have to be good. You have to deliver on your promises and surpass their expectations. And Pat didn’t sugarcoat it.
“If you are not getting referrals from your clients, maybe you’re not good,” he said on the show. “I know that’s harsh. I’m supposed to say you’re great, everyone gets a cookie. No. Maybe you suck. Maybe you need to improve your product.”
That’s a you question before it’s a marketing question. If your clients don’t feel like they got a great deal working with you, no referral strategy in the world is going to fix that.
But let’s say your product is great. Your clients love you. You’re still not getting referrals. Now what?
There’s no shortage of advice on how to get referrals but most of it skips the most important question: are you actually worth referring?
The common advice is to build a referral program. Give Steve 15% of the next sale if he sends someone your way. Pat acknowledged it works for some people, but he’s not a fan. It hurts long-term cash flow, makes the relationship feel transactional, and puts a dollar sign on something that should feel personal.
Pat’s approach is different. Build personal relationships with your clients. When a referral comes your way, respond with personal feedback and gratitude. A handwritten note. An unexpected gift basket that addresses something they actually enjoy, not a generic fruit arrangement.
“A handwritten note when a referral comes your way or an unexpected gift basket in the mail… that will blow the doors off of 10% of the revenue,” Pat said. “If you know something about them personal and they get something in the mail that addresses something they enjoy, it’s very thoughtful. It shows that you value the relationship.”
It’s a softer approach. It might not scale as fast as a cash referral program. But it builds the kind of relationships where people refer you because they genuinely want to, not because there’s a commission attached.
The playbook for how to get referrals is short. Be excellent. Exceed expectations. Build personal relationships. Respond to referrals with thoughtful gestures. And if they still aren’t coming…look in the mirror first.
Watch the full Idea Slam on today’s Businessing with Pat Miller.
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