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Introduction

“The best way to ask for a referral is with an email. It’s easy and personal, and it allows you the chance to follow up with your potential clients if they don’t respond right away.”

Personalize the email

Personalize the email. Use the person’s name and, if possible, their title. If you can think of something in common with them, mention it — or if not, find another way to personalize your message that still feels genuine (e.g., noting what you don’t have in common).

Be concise and specific.

 Asking for a referral is much like asking someone to buy something from you. If you’re too wordy or unclear, the person might get confused or distracted and forget why they are talking to you in the first place. It’s best to be direct and ask for what you need in as few words as possible.

Include the person’s name: This helps ensure that your request gets seen by the right person—whether by an actual human being (if they’re available) or by an automated system (if they’re not).

Don’t forget to proofread

While you are proofreading your email, check for spelling and grammatical errors. This is a simple but effective step to ensure your message is clear and understandable. If there are any mistakes, take the time to fix them before sending the email out into cyberspace.

If you use a template or form letter, ensure it’s relevant to your industry or profession. For example, if you’re a lawyer and want referrals from clients who have just been involved in an accident or lawsuit, don’t use language like “We’d love to add more clients.”

Use a friendly tone.

It’s essential to use a friendly tone in your email. When you reach out, you want the recipient to feel like they’re talking to an old friend. This is one of the most important parts of asking for referrals because if they don’t feel comfortable with you, they won’t likely refer you.

Try using their name: Asking someone for a referral while using their name will help increase your chances of receiving that referral and make it seem as though you know each other well enough that calling them by their first name would be appropriate.

Emphasize mutual connections

When asking for a referral, it’s essential to be specific about the mutual connection. This will clarify that you are asking for a referral and help build trust with the referred person.

You might also consider sharing some information about yourself: “I really enjoyed working with you and learned a lot from seeing how you used our product in your organization” or “I’m new here at [company name], but I’ve worked at several other companies in the industry. Do any of your colleagues come to mind?”

Send it at the right time.

Make sure they have enough time to respond. Don’t send a referral request during busy times or early in the morning.

If someone receives an email from you in their inbox at 10 am on a Monday, they probably won’t get back to you until at least noon that day—maybe even later if it’s been a particularly hectic start for them.

Even if they take action immediately, very few people remember things that happened 5 minutes ago (let alone 24 hours ago). It’s better if recipients take care of your request when it still feels fresh in their minds rather than having to sift through old emails later on.

Conclusion

We’re not saying that you should never ask for a referral. Referrals can be some of the most effective forms of marketing when done well.

But they must be approached with care and tact to ensure they work in your favor, which means asking the right way. If you want more information on how to approach referrals, check out our other blog posts

Introduction

Have you ever had a potential customer tell you that they’d like more information about your product or service? Or maybe they asked if they could talk to another customer who has used the same thing? That’s great.

It means that you’ve done an excellent job of getting your prospects interested in what you offer. But it also means they’re considering buying from someone else, which is not good.

The only way to solve this problem is by asking for referrals from your clients (and customers) to turn them into new customers without investing more money into advertising.

Reach out to the right people

When you ask for referrals, you must reach out to people who are likely the most helpful. One way to do this is by narrowing down your customer list based on their relationship with your business and team.

For example:

Reach out to customers who have already referred you. It’s not always easy for customers within an organization or company (especially if there are multiple departments) to guide others, so speaking directly with someone who has referred a colleague can help streamline the process and make things feel more natural.

Reach out for referrals from team members who are close friends with your current clients—particularly when they have shared goals or interests outside of work and inside it. Reach out to customers who have already referred you.

It’s not always easy for customers within an organization or company (especially if there are multiple departments) to guide others, so speaking directly with someone who has referred a colleague can help streamline the process and make things feel more natural.

Make sure “the ask” feels natural.

The ask should feel natural. If it doesn’t, then you’ll need to work on the conversation until you can make it feel natural. You should be able to get a referral during a normal conversation without having to craft a particular sentence or add extra emphasis.

It’s also important that your prospect understands the referral and why they should refer someone else (and not just because you are asking them). This could mean explaining things like:

The referral will help both parties by allowing them to expand their network.

The referred person may have more experience or knowledge than the one being asked for referrals. So even if your prospect doesn’t know them personally, they might be able to give helpful insight into who they think would benefit most from working with you.

You should also be aware that it will be insincere if your conversation is too focused on asking for referrals. The best way to avoid this is by having a natural conversation and letting the referral request come up naturally.

Approach customers at a convenient time

When you ask for referrals, you want to ensure that your timing is right. The best time to approach a customer for referrals is when they’re not busy or distracted by something else.

Don’t call at dinner time or on the weekends, and don’t interrupt a meeting—instead, schedule a phone call during the week when they’re likely to be able to talk with you uninterrupted.

If you can’t get a meeting with your customer, send them an email instead. Describe the need for referrals and ask if they know anyone else who might be able to help. If you’ve done an excellent job helping your customer solve their problem, they’ll be more likely to want to make sure that others benefit from your expertise.

When asking for referrals, the most important thing to remember is to be sincere. If you’re not, your customer will know it, and they won’t bother passing along your contact information.

Also, don’t expect immediate results—it may take some time before anyone contacts you about a new project or job.

The key to getting referrals is being helpful. If you’re unsure what kind of help your customer needs, ask them about it during your initial meeting.

Look for moments when customers are happiest.

Show up at the right time. When customers are happy and satisfied, they’re significantly more likely to refer you than when they’re frustrated or angry.

So it’s essential to try to show up during those moments where they’ve had a positive experience with your product or service.

Ask for referrals when the customer is happy. If there’s one thing we know about human nature, people like talking about themselves—so make sure you ask for referrals when your customers are already in an excited state of mind.

 For example: “Hey Jim—I love working with awesome companies like yours. Was there anything particular about our services that made them great for you?”

On the other hand, don’t just run out and ask everyone who gives you five stars on Facebook (or even three stars).

You don’t want anyone who comes across as insincere when asking for a referral; this will only create barriers between yourself and potential clients later down the road.

Show what’s in it for them.

The reason it’s so important to show what’s in it for them is that it shows that you’re interested in their success and care about their success, two things that make people want to help you. It also demonstrates that you have a solution that will help them succeed.

To do this:

1. Think of your referral partner as a consultant and yourself as the client trying to solve a problem together.
2. Ask yourself: “What would my client need me to show before they agree to work with me?”
3. Ask: “How would I want my clients to present themselves if I were working with them?”
4. The answer to the first question will help you understand what your referral partner needs from you and how you can meet that need.

The answer to the second question will tell you how to present yourself in a way that motivates your referral partner.

The better you show what’s in it for your referral partner, the more likely they will refer you.

Conclusion

Remember, you have to make it easy for people to refer you. Don’t ever pressure them into giving referrals or making them feel like they owe you one.

If someone is willing to provide a referral, they already like working with you and want everyone else to experience the same.

Introduction

There are many different sources of influence worldwide: from family and friends to companies and organizations.

Each has a unique way of influencing people through offering rewards or threatening punishment.

The trick is knowing how to recognize each type of influence so that you can respond accordingly.

Personal motivation

Personal motivation is influenced by your internal characteristics, such as your values and goals.

If you have high intrinsic motivation for a goal—if it’s something that you care about and enjoy doing—you’re more likely to engage in behaviors that will help you achieve that goal.

On the other hand, if you don’t care about the outcome or have little belief in your ability to succeed at attaining it, then there’s not much reason for you to expend effort on it.

Personal ability

Personal ability refers to your ability to do the work and do it well. For example, if you are a software developer and don’t know JavaScript, you won’t be able to complete your job as expected. This also means that if you’ve never used Git before, then asking for help isn’t an option.

In addition to knowing what you’re doing and completing the work promptly, the personal ability can also mean working independently without supervision.

For example, if someone has worked for years with little supervision or oversight from management or clients on similar projects, this would demonstrate a high level of personal ability.

Social motivation

Social motivation is the desire to do something because other people want you to. This can be a powerful force for good, as when someone feels that they need to live up to their parent’s expectations, or it can be a bad thing, such as when someone feels like they need approval from others at all times.

To understand social motivation better, imagine yourself at a party with your friends and family—and suddenly, your boss shows up! What do you do? Do you run over and talk business with him? Or do you hide in the bathroom until he leaves?

Social ability

In the influence world, the social ability is the ability to influence others. It’s a skill that can be learned and improved—and it’s one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal.

Structural Motivation

Structural motivation is the desire to achieve goals imposed by others, such as your boss or your parents. It can also refer to the desire to avoid punishment.

Structural motivation often refers to avoiding negative consequences, such as being fired from a job or losing income if you don’t do what someone else wants you to do.

Structural ability

Structural ability is a person’s ability to change their environment in such a way that it will affect others.

This can influence others and bring about positive change in the world around you. For example, if you have the structural ability, you might decide to start your own business to have more control over your time and how much money you make.

This can mean more freedom for yourself or other people who work with you—but only if they also have the structural ability.

Conclusion

If we want to influence others, we must understand what motivates them. That way, we can use our abilities to align ourselves with their desires and needs as much as possible. Then, if they share our goals or feelings about something, they’re more likely to agree with us without even realizing it.