For many salespeople, the most dreaded, cringeworthy moment of the sales process arrives during the close: asking people to refer them to friends and family.

No matter how they approach it or what language they use, it inevitably just feels so . . . salesy.

Ultimately, though, requesting referrals is worth it because they are one of the most powerful tools for growing your business. Here are some easy ways you can turn your network of clients into raving, referring fans.

Start simple

First and foremost, it’s crucial that you’re strategic about the more passive type of referrals: reviews. Make it easy for clients to leave feedback by creating a dedicated referral page on your website and offering multiple review channels—think email, social media, and text messaging. This will emphasize that you don’t just welcome but eagerly want to hear their opinions. (As a bonus, you’ll come across as super confident about your products or services.) Then be sure to share the most positive customer testimonials wherever you can in your marketing.

Value quantity over quality

You’ve surely heard of “truth in advertising”: by law, you have to be truthful, not misleading, when marketing a product or service. But in a sense, that only goes so far—especially when it comes to self-promotion. Seriously, do you think a business would ever make an ad that says, “We’re OK, but others out there are better”? No way! One hundred percent of the time, it will say something along the lines of “We’re the best, and here’s why.”

That’s why what really matters to customers is other customers’ opinions about a business. And, interestingly, the volume of reviews is way more important than the quality of them. I know that sounds counterintuitive—you always want positive feedback—but the truth is that no matter how incredible a review from someone is, if it’s only one of five, it won’t have much of an impact. Say you’re shopping online for a lawnmower. If your choice is down to one with dozens of reviews versus one with thousands and the average star rating is even remotely close, you’ll choose the one that shows strength in numbers.

Another factor to consider is whether you should cast a narrow, specific referral net or a wide, broader one. I highly recommend doing the latter, and here’s why. By going broad, you are guaranteed to reach more people—even those at the top of your funnel. Through this touchpoint, you can plant the seed of a relationship with each of them, which you can then nurture and potentially turn into a customer down the line. In other words, if you include as many people as possible when seeking referrals, you can potentially multiply your client base dramatically.

Prioritize relationship building

Never underestimate how often business success comes down to how many people know, like, and trust you. After all, by recommending you to a friend, a raving fan is putting both their relationship with that person and their own credibility on the line—so you must earn that commitment.

The easiest way to do this is to connect with clients on a personal level, either directly or, if you lead a large company, through your people. I love what Garrett Maroon, a Virginia-based real estate agent, succinctly called it as a guest on our Stay Paid podcast: systematic relationship building. “People don’t want to be a transaction,” he said. “They want a relationship. You need to take a real interest in your client relationships and consistently prove that you care.”

That means staying in touch with them regularly—not just to sell your wares but to ask how they are doing and celebrate life events like birthdays, as a friend would. It’s also an opportunity to make their lives easier, such as by referring them to trustworthy professionals in other fields, highlighting a local community event, offering discounts, or even making a donation in their name. If you put effort into your client relationships and provide them with more true value, you’ll be amazed by how the referrals keep coming in.

Make referral asking a routine

Finally, practice makes perfect. Don’t just ask for referrals once in a while; make it a regular part of your sales process by training your sales team—and even yourself, if you don’t already—to continuously seek them. Something as simple as requesting one in your email signature can do the trick. On the other end of the spectrum, consider running regular referral campaigns to boost your momentum. Most importantly, get in the habit of asking for a referral at the peak of client engagement: at, or even right before getting to, the closing table.

When it comes to referrals, businesses sometimes blow my mind. They’ll pay thousands of dollars for an ad lead, and yet they’ll ignore the free ones literally right in front of them in the form of their existing clients. So shed the shyness and show confidence in your rock-solid business relationships, knowing that reviews and referrals—if done right—are a win-win for everybody.

TAKE ACTION:
Integrate at least one of these referral strategies into your sales process, and track how it impacts your bottom line.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Luke Acree is an authority on leadership, a lead-generation specialist, and a referral expert who has helped more than 100,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses grow their companies. He hosts Stay Paid, a sales and marketing podcast, and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Foundr.com.