Referral Partners can grow your business. Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

Want more referrals?

You should.

Here’s why: Referrals are powerful social proof, as defined by Robert Cialdini in his book, Influence.

That’s because we humans are a tribal bunch.

When we’re not sure what to do in a given situation, we look around to see what others are doing. If other people are doing something, that’s “proof” it’s probably a good idea.

Anyway, when our friends or colleagues give us a referral about a product or service, that’s “proof” it will probably work for us.

So, if you want your business to grow, you want more referrals.

Now.

How do you get more referrals?

Let me tell you a story …

Once a upon a time, there were two Girl Scouts selling cookies, Cindy and Sally.

Cindy sold cookies like every other Girl Scout.

First she sold a box to her parents, then a box to her grandparents. Then she started knocking on doors, always selling one or two boxes at a time — to people who were often slightly annoyed at having been disturbed.

Cindy had ordinary success.

Sally did something different.

She set up a display table of cookies … in front of a marijuana dispensary. Her glassy eyed customers bought armloads of boxes — and thanked her for the privilege. Within 60 minutes, she was sold out.

Sally had extraordinary success.

What does this have to do with getting more referrals for your business?

This: You could seek individual referrals like everyone else, by asking for them one at a time.

Or you can seek referral partners — other businesses that already serve your customers.

It’s the difference between getting glasses of water one at a time … and opening a fire hydrant.

That’s what Sally did when she found the marijuana dispensary.

Once you find a referral partner, it’s a simple matter of asking that business if you could serve their customers.

As long as your product or service doesn’t compete with them, and you’re good at what you do, you should be able to set up a referral partnership. Then, find another referral partner. And another referral partner. And another …

Example: If you’re a blacksmith and you set up a referral partnership with a horse farm, you can get all the referrals you want. You should refer customers to the horse farm, of course. That’s what makes it a partnership.

Other referral partner examples:

• An auto repair shop can partner with an insurance agent
• A pediatric dentist can set up a referral partnership with a pediatrician
• A massage therapist can partner with a chiropractor (and vice versa)
• A chiropractor can partner with a personal injury lawyer (and vice versa)

Anyone who serves your clients or customers before you do is a potential referral partner.

A 15-minute search on Google or LinkedIn should uncover loads of possible partners.

In my business, one referral partnership with a marketing consultant has produced over $300,000, by delivering a steady stream of business owners who need me to write sales letters.

Of course, I send my clients to him, because he’s outstanding and doesn’t compete with me. We’re referral partners, after all.

Bottom line: Stop chasing referrals. Start building referral partnerships.

Like this idea?

You’ll find more in your Free Client Cloning Kit – grab one here.