The Art of Referral Marketing

An art? I think it's a science.

Nevertheless, here's the full NYT piece with a few take-away-points:

¶ “Start by making a list of all the people who might be a referral source for you. These may include people you do business with, such as your banker, accountant, attorney, printer, consultant, broker, and so on. This list will also include at least some of your existing clients.”

¶ Then, zero in on the people who are already frequently recommending prospects to you. “Almost always, you’ll have better results by developing stronger relationships with a few referral sources rather than shallow relationships with lots of sources.”

¶ Help those referral sources help you by telling them exactly what kind of clients you are looking for, explaining in detail how you can help those potential clients. Also, be sure to point out the types of clients you do not want. “When you are clear about describing the recommendations you want, you make it easier for your referral partners to identify prospective customers for you.”