REFERRAL SOURCES: YOUR KEY TO OPPORTUNITY

By Carolyn Smith, APR, TRA

In our Trusted Risk Advisor program, participants are asked to reflect on their current status, future goals, and indicators of success. Referrals emerge as a common metric, with participants aspiring for a continuous flow of referrals, earned trust from current clients leading to referrals, and a noticeable uptick in customer-initiated referrals.

Many agents equate a consistent stream of referrals with success.

They know that, while there are various methods for acquiring new clients, referrals stand out as the most effective. Prospects who come to you through referrals are predisposed to trust you, making them easier to convert into clients. They’ve already heard positive feedback from someone they trust, which reduces their price sensitivity and increases their perceived value of your services.

So, how do you get these referrals? Who do they come from? Quite simply, they come from other people.

However, building a network of reliable referral sources requires effort and dedication. They won’t magically appear overnight or sprout from trees. To consistently receive referrals, you must cultivate a dedicated group of referral sources and nurture those relationships consistently.

By maintaining strong connections and demonstrating your expertise and trustworthiness, you can encourage your sources to recommend you to their networks.

When building your referral network, it’s important to prioritize cultivating and nurturing relationships with your clients and centers of influence (COIs). Also, remember to build and maintain strong relationships with your underwriters—they are a good source of leads as they can often direct you to organizations they would like to write. They can also provide you with a great deal of information about these businesses.

Let’s look at seven essential steps to boost your referral network:

1. Assessing current referral sources. If you’ve received referrals before, take a moment to reflect on those experiences. Consider individuals who have referred you in the past, whether they are clients, COIs, family, friends, or underwriters. List their names and identify any commonalities among them. Look for patterns that could indicate characteristics shared by potential referral sources.

Include individuals who have made introductions for you as well, such as people from your prospect research evaluation program (PREP) Board—your personal board of directors who review your prospect list, provide insights and referrals, and play a critical role in expanding your network (See the “Beyond Insurance” column in the December 2017 issue of Rough Notes).

Jot down their names and brainstorm any similarities they may have, such as their industry, networking prowess, or specialized knowledge. This exercise will help you identify potential referral sources and guide your approach moving forward.

2. Enlisting clients as referral sources. Now that you’ve identified commonalities among your previous or current referral sources, let’s focus on expanding this pool to increase your overall number of referrals.

If you are a new producer or your previous list of referral sources was short or non-existent, don’t worry. This step will address that issue.

Write down the names of clients you haven’t received referrals from but would like to. Remember, not all of these clients will necessarily become reliable referral sources, and it may take some trial and error to find the right ones.

Additionally, you’re not compiling a list of every client you’ve ever worked with. Focus on identifying potential referral sources who are likely to recommend your services based on their positive experiences.

3. Identifying COIs as referral sources. Now, let’s focus on adding Centers of Influence (COIs) to your referral sources. COIs are individuals who know what you do, operate in different fields, and frequently interact with your ideal clients.

Start broadly by considering people from your general network, whether you know them well or not. Write down the names of individuals who you believe could become valuable COI referral sources.

Use these tips to expand your list:

• Review your calendar for any coffee or meeting appointments with COIs over the last six months.
• Scroll through your first- and second-degree connections on LinkedIn.
• Sort through your collection of business cards, if you have any, from your community and networking.

Exercise caution when adding individuals to your potential COI list. If you haven’t been in touch with someone for an extended period, they may not be worth including.

Now, take a moment to highlight the names of COIs you believe could serve as potential referral sources.

4. Creating the ideal COI profile. After compiling your list of potential COI referral sources, it’s time to develop an ideal COI profile. This step will help you identify characteristics that define your ideal COI, similar to how you define your ideal client.

Consider the following factors when creating your ideal COI profile:

• Types of industries
• Specific job roles
• Relevant organizations or associations
• Their client base and its similarity to yours

For instance, if your target clients are nonprofits, consider financial advisors, CPAs, and business consultants who specialize in serving nonprofits. This targeted approach will help you identify other professionals who could become valuable COIs.

5. Determining your referral source targets.

To meet more COIs:

• Attend community events and professional association meetings.
• Visit their offices or invite them to have coffee or lunch.
• Offer free lectures on topics within your expertise.
• Actively participate in local chambers of commerce or small business associations.
• Host an open house and invite professionals you’ve identified.
• Send an email or letter of introduction with a business card and brochure.
• Use postcards to announce new services, website updates, or speaking engagements.
• Establish an online presence with a website and listings in locator services.
• During COI meetings:
• Utilize listening skills and focus on how you can help rather than being transactional and sales oriented.
• Exchange business cards and LinkedIn links for easy contact information retrieval.
• Follow up promptly with a personalized email or mailed handwritten note and brochure.
• Keep interactions personable, concise, and focused on relationship-building.
• Take notes about each contact to aid memory and future follow-ups.
• Dedicate regular time to expanding your network and track referral sources.

6. Defining your annual new client goal. To gain clarity, align your referral strategy with your annual new client target. For example, if you aim to acquire 50 new clients this year, having around two dozen referral sources who provide one to two referrals each can bring you close to your goal.

While not every referral will convert, having a significant portion of new clients sourced through referrals streamlines your acquisition process.

7. Determining your ideal number of referral sources. After understanding your yearly referral needs based on your new client target, you’ll realize that you don’t need hundreds of referral sources. However, relying on just a handful of sources isn’t sufficient either. Aim for a manageable yet impactful number of referral sources to start and expand from there as needed.

The number of new clients you target annually indicates the required number of referral sources, considering how reliably these sources can produce results.

Remember, not every referral will result in a new client. However, receiving referrals from dedicated sources significantly facilitates reaching your annual goal. Therefore, cultivating a committed list of sources who actively refer you is crucial to your success.

Consider what your referral sources need while you cultivate

It’s important to remember that people refer those whom they trust, and trust is often built through relationships. Now that you’ve identified potential COIs who can refer you, your next step is to start building relationships with them. While this may seem daunting, it can be made easier with a structured approach.

Increasing your referral sources is about building meaningful relationships with those who have the potential to refer you. However, this doesn’t happen overnight or with a single meeting.

It requires time and effort to establish and nurture trust and community. Remember, this is a long-term strategy aimed at sustaining your business through referrals, offering a reliable and stress-free way to acquire new clients.

Keeping the momentum going

Stay connected and add value to your referral network by maintaining regular communication and offering valuable support. Ensure your interactions are helpful, pertinent, and memorable to reinforce the strength of your referral network.

• Communicate regularly through calls, emails, letters, or meetings.
• Express gratitude for referrals received, especially from consistent sources.
• Share newsletters, articles, podcasts, or webinars.
• Invite them to events, webinars, or workshops.
• Send holiday cards or small tokens of appreciation.
• Reciprocate referrals whenever possible to foster mutual benefit.
• Leverage established relationships to expand your network further.
• By following these steps, you’ll unlock a rich reserve of referral sources. By nurturing stronger relationships with your centers of influence and existing clients—your referral sources—you’ll swiftly pave the path towards generating a higher volume of quality referrals.

The author

Carolyn Smith, chief training officer for Beyond Insurance, creates and delivers transformative programs that have positively impacted the lives and careers of countless professionals, including the Trusted Risk Advisor certification, BIGN Producer Boot Camp, and Quest for Success. These programs help industry professionals build a career that they love and achieve the success they deserve.