So many entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals fail to tap into their existing client/customer base in order to grow their business. They suffer from the "what’s next" or "who’s next" syndrome and only focus on new business.

I’m not saying it’s not important to go after new business in your community, but there is a ton of new business just waiting for you in the minds of your existing patients, clients, or customers.

My first question for you is: how many different ways do you give your patients/clients/customers a chance to refer to you? Do you provide them with multiple opportunities to refer throughout the month/year? If so, how? After you answer that question, it’s important for you to evaluate all of those different "ways."

Once you’ve identified all of the different ways in which you can enable your patients/clients/customers to refer, dissect those different ways; break them down and figure out a turn-key, staff-driven way to automate all of those procedures in order to get your patients/clients/customers to refer more.

Generally speaking, if you don’t make it easy for your "people" to refer to you, then it’s likely they won’t… or at least not as much as they could/would. So, education is essential. If you don’t have education as an ongoing initiative in your practice or in your business, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to effortlessly stimulate referrals.

So, make that rule or initiative #1. After you educate your patients/clients/customers about how and why you are better / different, (no need to brag, just highlight the unique features or benefits they receive by working with you) make it easy for them to refer to you, but don’t pressure OR harass anyone for referrals…they will come as a natural process of doing business with you.

There are lots of different ways to stimulate referrals without asking for them.

So, for today, dissect all of the different ways in which you give your patients, clients and /or customers a chance to refer to you. Break it down, review it with your staff and create turn-key solutions /systems that automate the entire internal referral process.

Action Steps:

1. Establish ways to get your current client base to refer to you (CDs with audios, brochures, handouts, research, surveys, questionnaires, etc)

2. Educate patients/clients/customers about how/why you’re different.

3. Sit with your staff and break down and review way to get referrals.

Dr. Len Schwartz

Pres/CEO of Pro2Pro Network

http://www.pro2pronetwork.com