Ep #422: Breaking Down the Referral Work

Stacey Brown Randall: Hey there, do you love referrals but hate asking for them? Well, then you’ve come to the right place. This is the Roadmap to Referrals podcast and I’m your host, Stacey Brown Randall.

Have you ever wondered what goes into the actual work, the what you do when you’re generating referrals? Well, then this episode is for you.

But first, there’s two important upcoming events I wanna put on your radar. First, I am offering something I’ve never offered before. I’m calling it my two-for-one special for lack of a better term.

But if you know the three ways that I work with clients, the high-level, hands-on, in-depth, ongoing access approach that I take with each of my three programs, that might sound a little crazy doing a two-for-one special and it might just be.

So what I want you to do though is keep your eye on your inbox. If you are on my email list, I want you to keep your eye on your inbox for the two-for-one special I’ll be announcing when I announce the dates for the next in-person Referral Accelerator workshop.

So if you wanna know more about the Accelerator workshop and you wanna have the opportunity to come and you really wanna know what I’m talking about with this two-for-one special, your first step is completing the application so that you can learn all of the details.

When you work with me, the first stop is always to complete the application because I wanna make sure we’re a fit before you get down the path of deciding if you want to work with me.

So it’s a non-obligation application, just complete it. You’ll learn more at StaceyBrownRandall.com/application.

And of course, Summer School for Referrals kicks off tomorrow, July 15th. Well, depending on when you’re listening to this episode.

It’s not too late to join us if it’s of course around July 15th. So sign up now to start with us at StaceyBrownRandall.com/summer.

Of course, both of those links will be on the show notes page at StaceyBrownRandall.com/422.

And if you’re watching this on YouTube, those links will be below the video. All right, let’s dive in.

Have you ever wondered what goes into the actual work, the what you do when generating referrals? You might be confused because there is so much confusing and misleading information being taught today about referrals.

Some will teach you that you just need to learn one script like how to ask your clients to refer you at the end of every call or every meeting.

Others will teach you that you just need one incentivizing tactic, like a six-email drip campaign reminding people that you pay kickbacks for their referrals.

Some teach that you need a marketing gimmick to remind people like through your email signature, postcards, mentions in the newsletter that you appreciate their referrals.

Others believe that you need to join a networking group and then you’ll generate referrals from the people within that group. Maybe, for some, not really.

Then when that one asking script, one incentivizing tactic, one constant marketing gimmick, one more leads group doesn’t produce results, you’re told you’re the problem.

You.

No one seems to blame the method of asking or giving kickbacks or the marketing gimmicks or the constant networking. No, you get the blame. You didn’t do it right, you’re told.

You didn’t do it enough. You hesitated because it didn’t feel right. But it was never your blame to accept or carry.

The traditional methods taught are broken. You’re not doing it wrong. It was never created to work, not for you.

Asking for referrals is broken. Incentivizing kickbacks for referrals is broken. Thinking the referral mentioned in your email signature was going to work is broken.

Joining group after group so you’re constantly networking is broken. Referrals are so much more than one script, one tactic, one marketing gimmick, one more group to join.

It’s no wonder people are confused and overwhelmed on how to generate referrals.

So I thought it might be helpful to share how I teach my clients to generate referrals without asking, without incentivizing, without marketing gimmicks or networking all the time to show you what’s the work behind the referral results.

Before we dive into that though, three things. First, you need to know I operate from one philosophy about referrals.

You should not compromise yourself or your relationships to generate referrals, period.

Second, for referrals to exist, you need desire and opportunity. You only control desire, meaning the desire a referral source feels to refer to you and not someone else. And that desire is built through your relationship with them.

What you don’t control is how often they’re going to come across the opportunity to refer. So being strategic and focused is necessary.

Third, referrals live in an ecosystem within your business. They are so much more than one script, one tactic, one marketing gimmick, one more group to join.

So knowing those three things, let me break down the work that we do for the referral results my clients receive.

The work we do breaks down into three categories and it’s what we call the three Ps. The three Ps of referral work are one, processes, two, plans, and three, parlance. That’s the language.

Okay, first, processes. Simple processes or workflows, whatever you want to call them. Some automated, some partially automated.

You need processes to run to gather and track the right information when you receive a referral, add ease to remembering to write that thank you note, how to follow up with a referred prospect or those previously referred in the past, following up with referral sources, re-engaging inactive referral sources, and more.

When you put them in place, they’re the processes, they’re the workflows, right? When you put them in place, you make sure you have a mechanism to keep them running. That’s what makes them a process.

So sometimes it’s automation or maybe it’s a checklist, sometimes a task reminder or a simple if-then rule that you operate from, the processes.

All right, the second P, plans. This is building out the foundational three plans that I teach, one for each of the three groups of people who refer.

So the first plan is a plan to take care of your existing referral sources, those who are referring you now.

The second plan is a plan to cultivate new, potential referral sources, new people to start referring you.

And the third plan is tweaking your client experience to be referable and bridge the gap to referrals.

Those are the three plans. Once built, you run them year after year. When the plan says it’s time to do something, you do it. You or you and your team execute.

The third P, parlance. This is the language, the what you say.

Now, quick shout out to my client, Emily Sumner, an immigration attorney. She is the one who came up with the third P.

She found the word for me for the third P because let’s be honest, three Ps sound so much better than two Ps and an L.

So this is where it all comes together, the language. Knowing what to say, how to plant referral seeds, using the language, mastering the language.

It’s based on the formula I teach and examples I provide so that you can first learn it to be able to memorize it, which once you memorize it, it then allows you to professionalize it.

And from there, finally, you can personalize it to fit you. But it’s always following the formula of understanding how we plant referral seeds.

And it fitting you is very important, but that language piece is what drives everything else and the two Ps prior.

So processes, plans, parlance. That’s the work, the three Ps.

And I teach it to you all, right? I teach it all to you systematically, however you work with me, the Referral Accelerator, the referrals coaching program, or the VIP Referrals Experience.

Are the three Ps complicated and complex? No, of course not. Slightly overwhelming when you’re first learning all of it, but then it clicks. And really you see how the parts of the system start to connect.

So they actually start to feed themselves. You built a system, a referral engine within your business that stays with you for as long as you want it to. It’s the engine that comes along in the background year after year.

You do deserve referrals. You’re just not owed them. There’s work involved.

But that work means you never ask, never feel desperate, never break rules, offering kickbacks.

Never manipulate relationships that matter to you, never feel gimmicky, never stop being seen as the expert, the guide, the partner to your clients and referral sources.

That’s the type of referrals you deserve. And the type of referral work you’ll feel proud doing.

And yes, it’s possible.

You can access the transcripts, plus the resources mentioned like the application and upcoming summer school in the links below the video. You know where to find them, just scroll down.

Or of course, if you’re listening to this on the podcast, go to the show notes page at StaceyBrownRandall.com/422.

And hey, if you’re watching this on YouTube, please like this video, leave me a comment on your thoughts of the three Ps and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel.

If you’re listening to this in your favorite podcast app, you’re listening to the podcast episode, please make sure you subscribe to the show, so you never miss a new episode.

And while you’re at it, I’d love it if you would leave a five-star rating.

Until next week, take control of your referrals and build a referable business. Bye for now.