The Psychology of Referrals

Last week we stated a topic on getting more referrals in your business, and who doesn’t want that!?! To see where we’ve been, visit my blog here. Now, we’ll discuss some of the psychology that of why people refer and how you can get more people to do it.

There are three main psychological reasons why people refer:

1. For personal gain
2. To help people they know
3. To Help YOU!

#1 is probably the one people think of the most when it comes to getting more referrals. And quite frankly I can easily see why. After all, as marketers we are constantly trying to answer the question of, “What’s in it for me (your client)?”

There are tons of ways to get more referrals through the personal gain of your clients. You can give them gifts, discounts, prizes, entries to drawings, recognition. The list is virtually endless on what you can do to get your clients to refer more through their own person gain.

#2, helping people they know, is something they usually need to be encouraged to do. It can be as simply as a mention when you have them on the phone, or a short blurb in your printed newsletter. Whatever you do, be sure you are constantly and consistently reminding your clients to tell their friends.

#3, to help YOU, is the best place for you to be in your client’s mind. Whenever you WOW them to a degree that they feel they need to repay you for the experience in the form of a referral, you know you have something special!

So, what are you going to do today to WOW your clients in order to get them to send unsolicited referrals?