You want more referrals, but you don't want to ask your existing customers. I get it, I really do. It feels a wee bit... desperate! Well I wanted to talk about it in todays show.

Show Notes:-

There are 3 types of referrals. Passive, Reactive and Orchestrated.

Passive Referrals:- Someone calls you up and books a table based on a friends recommendation. Thats great, your getting passive referrals for free without doing anything yourself. Whats not so great is you don't have very much control. It's hit and miss.

Reactive Referrals:- The second type of referral is reactive and requires you to actually go and do something in order to make it happen.. This type of referral would require you to pick up the phone and follow up with someone. Maybe a client mentions their brother is looking for a venue for his child's birthday party and gives you his number.

However there is  third type of referral:-

An Orchestrated Referral:- This type of referral is more exciting, and something you have total control over. Frankly, this is where the real opportunity lies.

The truth is that the vast majority of business owners are extremely reluctant to ask for referrals from their customers. They somehow see that as a weakness and therefore they don't do it. Nobody wants to be seen as begging for business right?. The real value to be realised from this post is that here, is getting your existing customers to refer your business. We require a process to make this happen on purpose.

So what is it that makes your customers refer their friends, or more importantly how do you create and implement a process that inspires or motivates your customers to refer your restaurant or business to their friends and acquaintances?

Firstly we need to understand that we like to refer and its something that occurs in conversation fairly naturally. Secondly, when a referral works out well, we feel good for making it. ( This is especially true when its medically related. ). In fact, everyone feels better. The person being referred has a good experience and appreciates you making it. The owner of the business feels good because he has a new customer, and of course they both appreciate you.

For that conversation to turn into a referral 3 things have to happen.

1. They have to stop and notice they are having a conversation that relates to YOUR business.

2. They have to think about YOU in particular.

3. They have to introduce YOU into the conversation.

The secret here is to understand that your clients are having conversations like this with their friends everyday. The opportunity to refer your business or services is right there but the money making secret is to make sure that your customers know how to notice those conversation that are related to your business AND exactly how to introduce you into the conversation.