How to triple your referrals without even asking

“Is there anyone else you can think of who might need my services?”

I must have asked that question a million times. The answer was always the same; “not at the moment, but I’ll give it some thought.”

Then I learned how to ask the question differently; “Who else do you know who might need my services.” The answer was the same; “No one I can think of right now, but I’ll give it some thought.”

Then there was the high-pressure technique…”If you’ll just write the names and phone numbers of three people you know who could use my services, I’ll give them a quick call.”

Every now and then someone would eventually refer me, and sometimes those referrals actually turned into business, but it was always a chore asking for referrals.? I never got good at it and I never liked doing it. I don’t really know too many people who do like doing it.

Of course, as our business began to grow and we started doing more work around the world, referrals began to increase; but not because we were asking. It was because of something else.

Let’s talk about your circle of influence.

Most entrepreneurs don’t really understand the circle of influence or how to leverage it. Neither did I; but I do now! Let me share.

First, let’s define what your circle of influence is. It’s not the people you know, or your friends on Facebook; that’s your circle of connection. Your circle of influence has a specific function. I define it as the population who will take some sort of action in their business based on something I say or do and then tell someone else. So if I write an article like this one, you read it and tell someone about it; you become part of my circle of influence.

With that definition, let’s explore how you can turn that population into a stream of referrals without even asking.

There are three required prerequisites for this. You must have all three. If you only have two, it won’t work. Here they are:

1. You must deliver outstanding results for your clients.
2. You need to turn those happy clients into raving fans
3. You need to turn those raving fans into “influencers”

Let’s explore each of those one at a time.

Deliver outstanding results. This sounds pretty self-explanatory. The truth is, if you’re not delivering outstanding results for your clients, you need to do whatever is required to make that happen. Get better at what you do and get those outstanding results for your clients.

Turn them into raving fans. Instead of asking them for referrals, ask them for a testimonial video about those outstanding results, and ask them to post that video on their social media channels. If you just post it on yours, it will only reach your peeps.? If they post it on theirs, it will reach their peeps; that’s what you want.

Turn them into influencers. This one is a little tougher and requires some explanation, so let’s look at it.

I use four criteria for qualifying someone as an influencer.?

1. Their own circle of influence needs to be large: they need to be able to reach a lot of people who will take action based on something the influencer says or does.
2. Their own circle of influence needs to be targeted: The people in the circle of influence must need what I do.
3. Their own circle of influence needs to be complimentary: What I do should make the influencer look good in their eyes.
4. The influencer must be willing to advocate for me: This person needs to be willing to spread the word and talk about me to their own circle of influence.

The first three are pretty easy to measure, but the last one can be a little tougher. So the question becomes, how do you get a possible influencer to advocate for you?

It all goes back to step one; deliver outstanding results. Let’s look at an example.

I met Sally at an event in Las Vegas. Sally has a large circle of influence in New Zealand...check. The people in her circle of influence are coaches; my target market...check. If they could be better speakers they could sell more of Sally’s programs...check.? That takes care of the first three qualifications.? Now, how do I get her to advocate for me?

While I was speaking with Sally when I met her in Las Vegas, I learned that she was having trouble breaking into the American speaking market.? I was holding a training program that same week in Las Vegas and I invited her to attend as my guest. I helped her formulate and master the delivery of her powerful keynote.? Over the course of a few months, she landed her first big speaking opportunity in Las Angeles.? She spoke to a screaming standing ovation. Sally has always credited me with her ability to get those results. From that point on, Sally began advocating for me.? Referrals from Sally began coming in unsolicited and she connected me with many high-value clients, some of whom have also become influencers for me.

Sally is just one of many influencers who have referred us to multiple high-value clients, and that has been a huge contributing factor to our success in bringing our business global.

A substantial portion of our business comes through referrals, the vast majority of which we have not asked for. You can do the same!

This is all part of our overall business methodology called “Deep Thought Strategy?”. It’s about positioning yourself as the unmistakable authority in your field. When you can do that, you’ll find referrals stream into your business automatically.

To learn more about Deep Thought Strategy?, join our Facebook group: Coaches/Consultants: Emerge as the Unmistakable Authority & Make More Sales.