Solo Summit Recap: How to Get More Referrals for Your Solo Business

Referrals are one of the most effective ways to grow your solo business, yet many solopreneurs avoid asking for them.

Why? Well, putting yourself out there is nerve-racking. “If it’s awkward and uncomfortable, people are unwilling to do it,” explained Stacey Brown Randall, author of “The Referable Client Experience,” during her “Referrals Without Asking” session at Lettuce’s recent Solo Summit. 

But if you’re just delivering great work and hoping that referrals will land in your lap as a result, you’re bound to be disappointed. That’s why Stacey shared her best strategies for getting high-quality client referrals—without even asking for them.

Understanding the Nuts and Bolts of Referrals

Referrals seem simple enough: a person recommends you to someone who’s looking for your skills and expertise. However, there’s a little more complexity happening under the surface.

To get referrals, you need two things in place: desire and opportunity. Somebody needs to want to refer you, and they also need to have the appropriate chance to make that recommendation. “But you, as the business owner, only control desire,” said Stacey. “What you don’t control is how often I’m going to come across an opportunity.”

That’s why you need to be “really targeted on who you’re trying to create referrals from, because you want to make sure you’re pitching the folks who actually come across your ideal clients,” Stacey added.

Another common misconception about referrals? That they’re all about you. In reality, other people don’t recommend your business because of you—they do it because they want to help someone else. “You’re the solution provider,” explained Stacey. “You’re how I help them solve the problem.” 

With those basics in mind, let’s take a closer look at Stacey’s recommendations to get more referrals from two different outlets: your existing referral sources and your client experience.

How to Tap Into Your Existing Referral Sources

You might already have a group of people who refer your business—and your first step is figuring out who these people are. Stacey explained that you can do this by:

• Listing out all of your clients from the past year (or even further back, if you have that information).
• Determining the source of each client. Where did they first hear about you? If you were referred by someone, put their name down.
• Sort your list. Stacey recommends doing this in Excel or Google Sheets so you can sort the data and see a list of all of your existing referral sources.

Once you know who is supporting your business, it’s time to figure out what to do. Stacey said you can never go wrong with a handwritten (seriously, it’s so much better than a digital version) thank-you note. “That sounds so simple. But the majority of you probably don’t send a handwritten thank-you note,” she added.

Ultimately, this is all about showing appreciation for the ways this person supports your business. This strengthens your relationship with that referral source (and keeps you and your business top of mind), without you needing to be explicitly salesy or pushy—which minimizes a lot of the nerves that typically accompany asking for referrals.

Do This Next:

A handwritten thank-you note can go a long way, but it’s only the start. Stacey is a strong believer that “you should take care of the people who take care of your business,” and recommended variety when doing so. So, think of at least five other ways you can show appreciation to the people on your list of existing referral sources throughout the year—whether it’s a coffee, small gift, or even a genuine compliment. 

How to Curate a Referable Client Experience

Remember, you can’t control the opportunities other people have to refer your business, but you can control their desire—and that all hinges on your client experience.

“There’s a client experience happening every day as you work with a client,” shared Stacey. It’s helpful to map this out on paper from start to finish (including any of the behind-the-scenes work your client never sees).

For example, maybe your client engagements typically start like this:

• Discovery call
• Proposal
• Signed contract
• Onboarding packet

…and so on. Once you have everything mapped out, go through and mark any client-facing work with a “W” and anything that’s more relationship-focused with an R. 

All of the above are client-facing tasks, so there’s room to incorporate at least one relationship touchpoint. For example, Stacey said she kicks off her coaching program engagements by sending a welcome box. But maybe you could send a handwritten “welcome” note or a personalized video. 

Aim for at least 20% of your client touchpoints to be relationship touchpoints. “Being referable means that you have a curated client experience where you not only deliver great work, but you also impact how your clients feel,” she shared. “We’re trying to evoke these emotions we want just from great work, and it’s not working.”

Instead, Stacey said that “relationship touchpoints infused throughout your client experience are the best opportunity to evoke these emotions that really connect your client to you.” And when they’re connected to you, they want to refer you. 

Get More Referrals (Without the Reticence)

Referrals don’t have to feel awkward or out of reach. With the right approach, you can cultivate them naturally—without cold asks, cringey scripts, or forcing anything that doesn’t feel like you. Put simply, when you take care of the relationships behind your business, the referrals take care of themselves.

Learn more by watching Stacey’s full session or check out the complete video library to get more insights from the other experts at Solo Summit.