What next?
So now that we’ve shifted our mindset and thrown off the shackles, what next? Well, now we can employ a different approach. One that’s less vague than “Who do you know who could use my services?” and one that doesn’t put people on the spot.
I’m going to use an example here of an approach that I really like, kindly reproduced with permission from Chris Bow of Bow Financial:
“Thank you for keeping me busy with referrals from your friends and family. Nothing is more satisfying in the job I do than people not only being happy with what I do, but having the trust to extend this to others. I always make sure that referrals are prioritised over other new business as they’re especially important to me.”
This paragraph covers a number of bases in one fell swoop. Firstly, it tells the reader that you’re busy and that you love what you do. This takes away the desperation element; this clearly isn’t a hand-to-mouth situation.
But even more importantly, it removes the risk element by telling people that if they do refer you, then you’ll prioritise that connection and that business. You’ve removed the risk of them looking bad if the referral goes wrong.
This is really important; think about a time you’ve referred others in the past. It’s quite a big responsibility on the part of the referrer. Giving people the reassurance that those people who are referred will be given special treatment is a smart move. This will reflect well on referrers and, as we know, people really care about themselves; by adding an element of self-interest, you’ve made referring you an enticing prospect.
Context is everything
Also, you’ll notice that the tone of Chris Bow’s approach is very chatty. This is because the context for this request was within a regularly monthly client newsletter.
As I’ve said in other posts, these are a great platform for asking for referrals because once the reader gets to that part, they’ve already received a lot in return (in the form of high-value, engaging, tailored information). And a regular newsletter enables you to vary the tone and frequency of the request. It also, literally, gives them something to share, to forward – you’ve made it really easy for them to ping your details to the person they’d like to refer.
In terms of an alternative message, it’s also logical within the context of the Covid-induced restrictions in our lives, to suggest that many people will be re-assessing their priorities. It’s then a natural step to say you’re offering a “free, no obligation call to anyone your clients might know who is looking for a second opinion”. That way you haven’t said “please refer me”, you’re showing that you care about helping more people.
Another approach would be to add a note to the footer of your email to say “We love to get referrals from happy clients. Please do pass our details on if you know of anyone who is looking for help.” It’s subtle and polite, and remember, clients might not realise that referrals are key to your business.
The subtle approach
As you’ll have seen, none of these are face-to-face approaches which add to their subtlety. The pandemic is something of a get-out-of-jail-free card when it comes to increasing your digital communications so use the opportunity to its full potential.
I’m not suggesting that hiding your referral inside an email signature makes it easier, but it does mean you’ve integrated a referral strategy into your business. You’ve made it part of your marketing plan. It’s subtle, suits the context and is automated.
So what’s left? There are plenty of other avenues you can try and tactics to follow that include using different media, for example one-off referral campaigns using print media. But for that info you’ll have to pay me first – or refer me!
About Faith Liversedge
Faith Liversedge is an experienced communicator with a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the adviser profession. She was Marketing Manager at Nucleus for 5 years, creating innovative and award-winning campaigns. Before that she worked for Standard Life, Prudential and Royal London. In 2017 she set up her own consultancy to help forward-thinking financial advisers and planners to become more profitable through websites, communications and other laser-focused marketing techniques.
