Roadmap to Referrals: Episode #330 Summary – Referral Q&A Episode
Release Date: October 8, 2024
Host: Stacey Brown Randall
Introduction and Milestone Reflection
In Episode #330 of the Roadmap to Referrals podcast, host Stacey Brown Randall celebrates a significant milestone, reflecting on over six years and 330 episodes dedicated to empowering professionals to generate referrals naturally. She shares her gratitude towards her loyal listeners and emphasizes the podcast's mission: helping experts like attorneys, financial advisors, realtors, consultants, coaches, and interior designers build businesses through authentic referral strategies without appearing as "always hustling salespeople."
“I just want to pause for a moment and be like, holy cow, 330 episodes. That's six plus years... That’s crazy. That’s awesome.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [00:01]
Stacey expresses her commitment to providing valuable content weekly, ensuring listeners have the resources needed to increase referrals and grow their businesses authentically.
Q&A Session
Stacey dedicates this episode to answering listener-submitted questions, addressing common challenges faced by her audience in generating and managing referrals.
1. Building Time and Processes for Real Relationships
Question:
A business evaluation consultant asks about the biggest challenge in making time and establishing processes to build real relationships.
Stacey’s Insight:
Stacey acknowledges the difficulty in prioritizing time for relationship-building amidst busy schedules. She underscores the importance of cultivating deep, genuine relationships rather than surface-level connections.
“These are not surface relationships. These are not relationships where you are only seeking what can you get out of it versus what can you put into it.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [03:15]
She advises creating a routine to dedicate specific times for referral-related activities. For example, one client allocates every Monday morning exclusively for referral business development, which Stacey refers to as his "Stacy space."
“If you are putting things on your calendar and then you're blowing past them... You're choosing not to do it. You're choosing to blow past it to do something else.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [10:45]
Stacey emphasizes that making time is a matter of prioritization and commitment, likening it to essential business tasks like bookkeeping. Without prioritizing, important activities become neglected until they turn into urgent problems.
“You have to decide it's a priority, and only you as a grown adult running a business can decide that for yourself.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [13:20]
Process Implementation:
She highlights the necessity of implementing reliable processes, such as her "Referring Machines" strategy, which helps convert clients and contacts into consistent referral sources.
“If you have a process to follow, it makes everything easier.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [18:50]
2. Non-Cheesy Ways to Encourage Referrals and Meaningful Thank Yous
Question:
An interior designer seeks non-cheesy methods to encourage client referrals and meaningful ways to thank those who refer her.
Stacey’s Strategy:
Stacey recommends authenticity and gratitude as foundational elements to avoid coming across as cheesy. She advises creating a personalized touchpoint plan, incorporating multiple meaningful interactions throughout the year rather than generic gestures.
“Non cheesy is the goal. You’ve got to find a way that's authentic and genuine for you.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [20:30]
Thank You Practices:
She suggests sending handwritten thank you notes without additional incentives like gift cards or business cards, ensuring the appreciation feels sincere.
“You do not need to include a gift card. Do not include your business card either, if you still have those.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [23:10]
Framework Utilization:
Stacey shares her framework based on the "Platinum Principles" and behavioral economics, advocating for memorable and meaningful interactions beyond standard holiday cards. This approach enhances client relationships and fosters a conducive environment for referrals.
“Minding Your M&Ms, which is memorable and meaningful... understanding the framework and the science behind that allows you to build something that will allow you to be meaningful.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [25:45]
Encouraging Referrals:
She emphasizes the importance of planting referral seeds through the right language and timing, ensuring that the idea of referring her to others arises naturally from genuine conversations.
“The language that we plant referral seeds matters. And that’s my secret sauce.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [29:00]
3. Maintaining Authenticity While Generating Referrals
Question:
A real estate agent struggles with maintaining authenticity and avoiding a pushy or salesy demeanor while generating referrals, aiming to uphold values like transparency and integrity.
Stacey’s Response:
Stacey empathizes with the challenge, recognizing that many clients aim to generate referrals without compromising their authenticity. She assures that her programs are designed to help professionals like realtors maintain their values while effectively generating referrals.
“Everyone wants to be authentic. They don’t want to be pushy, they don’t want to be salesy... they want to keep those values while still being able to receive referrals.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [31:15]
Program Solutions:
She outlines that her coaching programs, such as the "Your Next Five Referrals" starter course and the "Building a Referable Business™" 12-month coaching program, provide strategies to balance authenticity with effective referral generation.
“I teach you exactly how to do that... but that is the exact question.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [34:00]
Language and Process:
Stacey reiterates the significance of using the right language and following proven processes that align with one’s authentic self, ensuring that referral generation feels natural and integrity-driven.
“You just got to follow the path to get there.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [35:30]
Conclusion and Call to Action
Wrapping up the Q&A session, Stacey invites listeners to submit their questions via email for future episodes. She directs them to the show notes page on her website for additional resources and information about collaborating with her.
“Take control of your referrals and build a referable business. Bye for now.”
— Stacey Brown Randall [39:55]
Stacey concludes by reaffirming her commitment to supporting her audience in building successful, referral-driven businesses through authentic and effective strategies.
Resources Mentioned:
- Stacey Brown Randall’s Website - Episode 330 Show Notes
- Coaching Programs:
- Your Next Five Referrals (Online Program)
- Building a Referable Business™ (12-Month Coaching Program)
- VIP Referrals In a Day Experience
Join the Community: For more insights and personalized support, consider joining Stacey’s coaching programs to delve deeper into building a referable business.
Thank you for tuning into Episode #330 of the Roadmap to Referrals podcast. Stay committed to authentic business growth and harness the power of natural referrals to elevate your professional journey.