Anyone who’s in business knows that referrals are one of the best ways to get new clients. But, like everything else, once we’re neck-deep in the day to day running of our businesses, it’s easy to forget the basics of self-promotion. Unfortunately, you can’t just hope that clients and contacts will refer you – you need to be proactive. So, we’ve racked our brains and in the first of a two part article, hope to provide some useful reminders on how to generate referrals.

1. Generate money without spending any
(Part 1)
Created by Christine Crothers
ActBeyond Limited
08/05/2012 Copyright 2012 ActBeyond Limited 1

2. Top 5 Referral Basics
Introduction
• Anyone who’s in business knows that referrals are one of the
best ways to get new clients. But, like everything else, once
we’re neck-deep in the day to day running of our
businesses, it’s easy to forget the basics of self-promotion.
• Unfortunately, you can’t just hope that clients and contacts
will refer you – you need to be proactive. So, we’ve racked our
brains and in the first of a two part article, hope to provide
some useful reminders on how to generate referrals.
08/05/2012 Copyright 2012 ActBeyond Limited 2

3. Top 5 Referral Basics
#1
1. Be remarkable – for the right reasons
• This one goes without saying. Make sure that what
you’re selling is the best it can be. If you do
something well, people will be more than happy to
tell others about you. Putting effort into producing
great quality service is time well spent. Be
reliable, priced competitively (doesn’t mean you
have to be cheap!) and be pleasant to deal with.
08/05/2012 Copyright 2012 ActBeyond Limited 3

4. Top 5 Referral Basics
#2
2. Build trust
• You wouldn’t refer anyone you didn’t know and
trust, so why should anyone who doesn’t know you
refer you? Make sure you know your potential
referrers well - if people trust the source of a
referral then they will be more inclined to trust you.
08/05/2012 Copyright 2012 ActBeyond Limited 4

5. Top 5 Referral Basics
#3
3. Ask for referrals
•
Sounds obvious, but it’s easy to forget, your clients
are busy and referring you is not top of their minds.
Don’t be afraid to ASK for referrals – don’t rely on
people thinking of doing it themselves.
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6. Top 5 Referral Basics
#4
4. Make it easy for people to refer you
• Make sure your services are clearly defined and that
people understand what you do so that they can
easily tell others about you. Make sure you are clear
about what makes you different – your competitive
advantage – and why people should use you.
08/05/2012 Copyright 2012 ActBeyond Limited 6

7. Top 5 Referral Basics
#5
5. Say thank you
• People like to be recognised for their efforts. If
someone takes the trouble to recommend you, the
least you can do is to make sure that you thank
them – and it could result in more referrals for you.
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8. Top 5 Referral Basics
Summing Up...
• With just a little bit of effort, referrals can become a very
important and cost effective source of revenue generation for
your business.
• In Part 2 we’ll be passing on our favourite tips on generating
referrals.
• In the meantime, register free at abteamup.com and take the
first step to building your own strong, trusted professional
referral network.
08/05/2012 Copyright 2012 ActBeyond Limited 8