Everyone wants to learn how to get more referrals for their business. And who can blame them? There is no less expensive way to get new clients other than your current clients referring other clients to you, so in fact they're your salespeople.
    But it's not just the fact that you get more clients less expensively, but also the quality of the clients. Clients who are referred to you by others tend to be "better." This is because, in a way, you already have a relationship with them. Actually, your relationship is with the person who referred them, which gives you credibility from the get go.
    Dr. Amy Puls, cofounder of SkinCareBiz, offers six quick strategies for getting more referrals:

1. Place a visible sign in your work environment. Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? But it works. The sign should read, "The greatest compliment we can receive is you referring your family and friends to us. Thank you for your trust."

2. E-mail. Send an e-mail to your clients asking them to refer others to you. We suggest a monthly personal message which has educational information for your clients.

3. Refer others to get referrals. Just like you love to get referrals, all business owners' love getting them as well. An excellent way to do this would be to have a business card directory where your clients would leave their business cards in, and other clients can search when they are looking for a service. Every time one of your clients gets a referral through you, they'll go out of their way to thank you by referring others to you as well.

4. Reward those referring to you. It doesn't have to be anything expensive or fancy.
Even a thank-you card will work wonders in letting your clients know how much you appreciate that they referred others to you. This strategy is an excellent way to ensure that a client, who refers to you once, will refer many more times in the future. 

5. Hold client appreciation days. Use this opportunity to give free services to your current clients. You want to have the atmosphere of a party, where everyone has fun. Tell your clients to bring friends and family members with them, and that you'll have a free gift for them as well. 

6. Ask for referrals. It sounds too basic, but asking for referrals is an excellent way to get them. The best time to ask for a referral is when emotions are running high, such as when your client tells you about the wonderful results they've gotten from you.

 

Dr. Amy Puls owns and operates a successful wellness center in Phoenix, Arizona, and is cofounder of SkinCareBiz, business management and marketing strategies for the skin care professional and make-up artist. For more information, go to www.skin-care-biz.com or call 480-220-2152.

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