Referral marketing is one of the simplest forms of generating new clients and customers. Working by word-of-mouth referrals not only reduces your marketing costs, but it fills your pipeline full of new referral opportunities. So what prevents others from sending referrals to you more often and frequently?

There are three issues with generating more referrals more often and more frequently.

1. The Referral Perspective Of The Other Person. Simply, most people look at referrals from a receiving perspective. They never look at it from the perspective of what the referring party must "give" or (give-up) in order to refer a person to you. In all instances, they are either giving away a portion of their relationship. This can be intimidating to someone, who may not understand how you will treat the referral they send your way. An important question you need to ask when wanting more referrals from people:

"Why should referring someone to me be important to you?"

2. Risk Association When Referring Someone. There's always fear present. Fear that a person refers someone to you, and you mishandle the relationship. Fear of them not knowing what you will do with the referral source. Even fear that perhaps that new referred piece of business will enjoy their new relationship more than yours. But the biggest fear is this: That you could potential harm or mishandle the relationship, making the referral source look bad. Ask yourself this important question:

"How can I ensure when you refer a person to me, you won't feel any risk."

3. Making It As Easy As Possible to Refer. Quite frankly, we need to make it as easy as possible for others to "create buyers" for us and refer business to you. We don't do this consistently. We want their referrals, but it amazes me how many referral sources do not fully understand the product and services we provide to others. You can make it as easy as possible to refer business to other people by simply involving them in your business world, and create opportunities that are fun to educate them. One of the best way of doing this with your referral sources is look for ways to involve them, and have them experience your work. Providing pro-bono services, volunteering or providing additional value-add to a person brings your work to real-life, and also brings it full fold. Ask yourself this important question:

"How can I make it more easier and simpler for my referral sources to refer business to me, by experiencing more of my work."