A great source of referrals to your business can be … other businesses!
Each of us covers a different piece of our clients’ problems jigsaw puzzle, so knowing who to refer to can really add value to our clients’ experience with us.
Gone are the days where a quick email or flier stuck through the door would be enough to see referrals flowing in. This isn’t going to cut it, but many people still go ahead down this winding road of marketing despair. But how do we successfully engage Doctors or other wellness professionals so they refer to us?
It’s time to think of your referrers as your tribal elders.
Okay, so by now we’ve established that building a tribe is a sustainable business model (not worked it out yet, then read this blog to find out why tribes work and how to start gathering yours).
Think about your referrers as tribal elders. They’ve got their own problems, needs, successes and failures to contend with.
As the leader of your tribe it’s your role to help transform their lives too.
1. Identify the problems that your referrers have and how you can solve them
Client retention and attraction is key to every successful wellness practice. If you can show how you can help your referrer achieve more value for their clients which attracts and retains clients for them you’re on to a winner.
2. Get up front and personal
By all means email, but phone and then visiting in person wins hearts and minds. Remember that everyone want contact. As soon as you’re in front of someone physically, it’s easier you to build on the ‘Know, Trust, Like’.
Bonus tip: take something with you. A treat, a flower, a cup of coffee. This taps into the benefits of reciprocity. Neuropsychology tells us that you’re more lkely to get engagement (oh hello, referrals!) from someone who is driven by the need to reciprocate an action. A valued, cute or thoughtful gift starts the act of reciprocity in your marketing. BUT don’t ruin it by adding your logo or business details onto the gift. This turns a thoughtful gift into a cheap marketing ploy that it’s easy to walk away from.
Bonus tip: woo the practice manager or front of house receptionist. They’re the gate keepers for the practice.
3. Keep in touch
Getting a ‘no’ once is just ‘no’ just now. Maintain the contact after you’ve visited with a well-needed cup of coffee.
Get to know them, what they do, how they chillax after work. Find a common point of contact. Again, they’ll see you as a person, and get to know, trust and like you!
4. Refer to them
One of the most important ways I started to grow my business was creating a network around me. But what really super-sized the effect was when I started referring my clients to my network. Boom, reciprocity to the max!!!
It made me really aware of who I wanted to team up with. I wasn’t just going to refer to anyone. After all, my business reputation was on the line.
After I referred to one of my network I dropped them a quick email to let them know to expect a call from that client. Even if the client never called they still knew that I had recommended them.
6 ways to successfully engage with business so they refer to you
1. Spend 20 minutes, twice a week stalking who you would love to team up with. Write down their website, where they’re based, contact email, reception/manager name, their target audience, how you can help the practice and what benefits they’d get out of teaming up with you, how you can help their clients and what benefits come to the practice of you helping them.
2. Think outside the box. If your tribe are holiday makers who put their back out on the local golf course, create links with the golf course and the motels/hotels they stay at.
3. Make time once or twice a month (at least) to reach out to these businesses who may refer to you.
4. Take the practice manager or reception staff a coffee, cake, aromatherapy pack or massage balm and say ‘hi’. Don’t expect anything more. Get talking naturally and soon it’ll come up what you do and how you help people. Make sure you’ve got your StoryBrand one-liner nailed!
5. When you leave a flier or brochure make the focus how you solve the problems of the practice (physios, doctors, dietitians, coaches etc) rather than how you solve the problems of THEIR clients.
6. If you have a service that can benefit anyone then give a free sample or offer a free treatment to the practice manager or receptionist. They’ll love you for it and word of mouth is a great seller!
Show up online with a website that connects
I can’t wait to hear how it goes for you using these tips to engage businesses to help grow your referrals.
Make sure your website is really connecting with your network and clients.