How to Ask For and Get Referrals That 2X Your Business

Welcome to ReferralHero, the best place to 2x your business through referrals. This article is most useful if you have an offline business or if you meet face-to-face with your customers. If you run an primarily online business, check out our other killer resources.

Why Is a Referral the Best Compliment?

“The best compliment is a referral”.

A referral is the highest form of flattery. It proves that a current customer loves you and your business so much that they are willing to recommend you to their friend. It’s something that you should strive for as a business.

How to Get More Referrals

1. Provide an Exceptional Service or Product

This one should be a no-brainer. If you want people to refer you to their friends and family, then you need to provide an exceptional service or product. This means going above and beyond for your customers and making sure that they have a great experience. People are more likely to refer you when you,

1. Save them money
2. Solve their problem

2. Stay Top of Mind

It’s important to stay top of mind with your past customers and network. You can do this by staying in touch with them on a regular basis.

3. Make It Easy

Make sure that you have an easy-to-use referral system in place. This will make it easier for people to refer you and it will also help to increase the chances that they’ll actually follow through with the referral.

4. Give Incentives

One of the best ways to generate referral business is to give referral gifts. A simple thank you can go a long way in building goodwill and showing your appreciation for someone’s referral.

5. Ask

Sometimes the simplest strategy is the best strategy. A simple ask is sometimes all it takes to start generating a flow of referrals.

Why You Should Be Asking for Referrals

Your business relies on new leads to grow your business. However, generating new leads can be very costly and time-consuming. You’ll need to invest in marketing and advertising to reach new people, and you’ll need to put in the time to cultivate those relationships and close the sale.

On the other hand, marketing to past clients and your network is a great way to generate referral business. These are people who already know, like, and trust you. They’re also much more likely to give you referral business.

If you’re looking for a more efficient way to grow your business, marketing to past clients and setting up a referral program, is a no-brainer.
- Lamar Duffy, CEO of ReferralHero

How to Ask for a Referral?

There are many ways to ask for referrals, but the most important thing is to make it part of your regular routine. You should have a system in place for requesting, following up, and nurturing referral leads to ensure that they’re getting the best possible experience.

1. Talk to your past clients. They’re the ones who are most likely to give you a referral, so start by reaching out to them
2. Participate in online communities or attend local events. Get out there and meet new people. You never know who you’ll meet and who they could refer to you
3. Get in the habit. Make the “ask” a part of your branding in every single communication with your customers, e.g. include a line in your email signature, post-checkout page, or on the back of your business card
4. Follow up with your referral leads. Once you’ve got a referral, make sure to follow up and provide an excellent experience.

Copy These Email Referral Templates

Referral emails are the simplest way to ask for referrals from your customers. When requesting a referral, you don’t want to appear like an opportunistic sales rep. You want to start naturally like you’re talking with a friend. This genuine interest will signal that you care about them, not just as a potential lead.  

In addition, when asking for a referral, it's important to be specific about who you're looking to meet. This way, your client can easily think of someone they know who might be interested. And if they're not sure, they can always ask you for more information. The key is to focus on your client, be specific about who you're looking to meet, and make the process as easy as possible.

Copy our free referral email templates to help you go about breaking the ice with your past clients and requesting a referral.

Asking a New Client for a Referral

Template I

Hi [Client Name],

Thank you for choosing [your business] for your [service type] needs. I’m very happy to hear you’re satisfied with [service work] we provided the past week. Please let me know if there’s anything else we can do for you!

We are looking to grow our [scope of business] business through referral recommendations from our clients for [brief description of ideal client]. If there’s anyone you know who would be interested in our [product/service], please have them contact me using the information below or email me with them cc’d on the message.

We are also offering [incentive] for every referred client brought in.

Thank you again for your business.

[Your Name][Title][Business Name][Phone][Websites]

Template II

Hi [Client Name],

Thank you for your business. We’re grateful that you chose us for your [project]. Our team is happy that we managed to pull off such awesome results together.

Now that our project is over, we have time on our hands and are wondering if you might know any [friends/peers] who are also looking to [meet needs/achieve goals that you can meet] and who would benefit from our [service]. If so, could you refer them to us using our referral program?

You can access our referral program by clicking on this link: www.yourreferralprogramlandingpage.com 

Once your referral becomes a new client, we’ll send you [incentive] as thanks for bringing them to us.

Thanks in advance,

[Your Name][Title][Business Name][Phone][Websites]

Asking a Loyal Client for a Referral

Template I

Hi [Client Name],

Hope things are going well with you.

I’m so glad to hear that [product/service] has been working so well for you and your team. I knew that we’d be able to drive significant impact for your company. I’d love to extend the value you obtained to any of your [business partners] who are also looking to achieve [specific goals] through our referral program.

The automated referral program we implemented has made referring extremely easy. You can simply forward your unique referral link below if anyone comes to mind. For every person who clicks the link and [makes a purchase/completes a service with us], you’ll receive an [incentive] in your account.

Your unique referral link: https://yourwebsite.com/referral-program?mwr=b36673a1 

Thanks in advance,

[Your Name][Title][Business Name][Phone][Websites]

Template II

Hi [Client Name],

Thank you for continuing to trust us for [specific business needs]. It’s a pleasure to serve you! You’re one of our best clients. It’s clients like you who keep us going and we’re grateful for your loyalty. If there is any area that you think we need to improve on, feel free to let me know.

As things are going well for you, I couldn’t help but wonder if you have anyone in your network that might find value in our [product/service]. I would love it if you could refer them to us. I’ll gladly meet up with them and discuss how we can work together.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks in advance,

[Your Name][Title][Business Name][Phone][Websites]

Referral Request Following a Client Satisfaction Survey

Template I

Hi [Client Name],

Thank you for taking the time to fill out our satisfaction survey. We’re grateful that you gave us a great score and we’re committed to providing you with the best possible service.

Since you find such high value in [product/service]. I’m reaching out to see if there is anyone you can think of who might also have a need for the same features you’ve enjoyed. If so, could you facilitate an intro?

I’d be happy to sit down with them for a completely free consultation to figure out their needs and what we could offer them. If they want to know more about what we do, please direct them to our website: www.yourwebsite.com. 

Feel free to give me a buzz if you have any questions or if there’s anything else I can do for you. I’d really love to chat with anyone else in your circle of influence.

Thank you,

[Your Name][Title][Business Name][Phone][Websites]

Template II

Hi [Client Name],

Thank you for your recent feedback. I'm so glad to hear you're happy with the results of working with [your business name] so far. I'm pleased you're seeing results so quickly and that our [product/service] has met -and possibly even exceeded -your expectations. :)

In case you haven’t heard, I wanted to let you know about our referral program. If any of your friends and family you think would benefit from our [product/service] as much as you do, would you consider referring them to us? In return, for every person you refer who becomes a new customer, you’ll receive [incentive].

You can learn more about our referral program here: www.yourreferralprogramlandingpage.com 

Thank you,

[Your Name][Title][Business Name][Phone][Websites]