Solely Relying on Referrals Without a Solid System, is BS

The truth about referrals…

I’m all about processes, systems, and building you a repeatable ‘machine’ of leads that cuts out the BS of having to constantly chase new clients.

And when it comes to generating referrals, that’s no different.

You might not want to hear this next part (and it’s probably not what your networking group will tell you).

Relying SOLELY on referrals to bring in high-paying clients, WITHOUT a repeatable system, is BS.

But before I get into that, let’s get something straight.

I’m not knocking referrals.

They are some of the best leads you’ll get.

They come with the trust factor. When someone refers you, they are lending you their credibility, and you’ll probably find your close rate is much higher.

The problem is when you’re sitting back and waiting for those referrals and word of mouth - you have NO CONTROL over your business.

And if you're just waiting for the phone to ring, you're basically putting your livelihood, your ability to pay your bills, and feed your family all in the hands of other people, hoping that they think of you and send you business.

However, the extreme flip side of that, which is something I teach, is to build an Authority Machine - create high-quality content and nurture people with your information.

So they can learn about you, without you having to be there.

And that's what brings them in. You can be in a lot of places at once, and 1000s of people can see you. The people that are right for you will find you.

Isn’t that way smarter?

If you really think about it, it’s the only way to run a business where you're not constantly showing up and having to find clients.

And yes, it takes time.

You won’t magically have hundreds of engaged followers and dozens of DMs overnight.

So how do you go from sitting back and waiting for referrals and word of mouth, to having this Authority Machine that brings you clients on your own?

Well, the middle ground is to be active about creating referrals and word of mouth, whilst building up that high-quality content that will continue to do the heavy lifting.

You first need to get that there's passive word of mouth and referrals, which is what most people are doing. And that’s what is so unpredictable, and unworkable.

Then there's actively creating referrals and word of mouth.

You actually do have actions to take every single day, so you’re still benefiting from the power of referrals and word of mouth, but it's based on actions you are taking to stimulate that stuff.

So instead of just wishing and hoping and crossing your fingers, you know what's going to come more often.

When you’re connecting all of that, it’s definitely a huge step up from sitting back and waiting for the phone to ring.

But here’s the kicker.

Simply showing up once a week or once a month won’t do anything for your business.

Business owners (and I’ve been there) spend tons of time networking their faces off, consuming stale cups of coffee, and handing out business cards, and not much happens from it - it’s a total waste of time.

So here’s the missing piece.

The most important part of referral marketing (that a lot of people leave out), is having a STRATEGIC PLAN in place, to turn those meetings into business.

It comes down to a few pillars:

You talk to the right people, in the right place i.e. your ideal target market
You say the right thing to them i.e. a ‘hook’, or a memorable statement, about who you are, what you do, and who you serve

And that last one doesn’t have to be perfect - like a complex funnel or a sophisticated sales process.

“Oh cool, well think of me sometimes, maybe, ever…” and,

“I have a very specific thing that’s very easy for you to remember, very easy for you to share with people who are a good fit for me, and very easy for you to buy.”

So when you start using this three-pronged plan that actually turns that networking into business it goes from being a total waste of time, to something that actually generates clients reliably.

Pia SilvaJune 8, 2022