Ask for a Referral from Your Client: Have Good Timing & Be Specific

When is the best time to ask for a referral?

When you have delivered value and have demonstrated your abilities to impact behaviours and results, then you have earned the right to ask your client for a referral.

This can happen any time during a client engagement:

• When you’ve delivered a great idea
• When you’ve had a great consulting session
• When they express appreciation for your work
• Most certainly the end of a successful project is a natural moment to ask

You would never forget to send a client the invoice for the project completion, would you? Think of the referral request as part of your invoicing and completion process. (Although never ask for a referral at the same time as presenting your invoice).

You could easily build referral requests into your project completion process, just as you might ask for feedback and a testimonial for your website.

Don’t leave money on the table. Make it a habit to ask for a referral. Even if you don’t get the referral every time you ask, you are letting your clients know that it’s important for you to get referrals. You will get more referrals in the long run simply because you are putting it out there that you want them. You plant the seed which may bloom later on.

Be Clear Who You Want To Be Referred To

Who do you want to be introduced to? Remember that the person who is being asked for a referral doesn’t have any idea what your ideal referral looks like. The more specifically you can define the person, company and industry that would most likely benefit from your services, the easier it is for both you and your client. Be specific:

• Who is your target, what is your buyer persona?
• What is your target industry?
• Do you have a specific person who you want to be introduced to? (LinkedIn is a great source – look for first connections through the advanced search)

For example, my best point of contact is with people who make decisions for strategic sales training and coaching in the financial or professional services industries (where I have a solid track record). This includes:

• Sales leaders (Director or VP of Sales )
• Executive HR (Director or VP of Learning and Development)
• Owners of small to medium size business

These two referral tactics are essential if you want to develop your referral marketing machine. Next, will get into details about how to ask for a referral. Stay tuned!