4 out of 4 stars
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As a business owner, do you feel manipulative or inauthentic when you attempt to increase client referrals by following the advice from the so-called experts? As a consumer, do you cringe and look for the door when someone asks you for a business referral? Business coach and author, Stacey Brown Randall explains why the age-old practices aren't effective in her book, Generating Business Referrals Without Asking: A Simple 5 Step Plan to Referral Explosion. She equips readers with the tactics, tools, and processes to generate referrals and gain results--without asking.
After Randall's first business failed, she knew it was time for a change. She believed generating new clients through referrals to be the easiest way to grow a business, but the conventional "just ask" method of seeking referrals wasn't working. After reflecting on her business failure, Randall realized that she had failed to implement a system that worked for her personally. Stepping away from the experts' advice, she devised a plan based on trust-based relationships and connections. By following her new philosophy, she has been able to generate over a hundred new clients year after year, and her clients have experienced similar results.
What I like most about this concise information-packed book is the author's upbeat and conversational writing style as she teaches her 5 step plan. In addition to providing detailed steps that challenge a "that's the way we've always done it" philosophy, she also thoroughly explains why conventional methods fail. Readers are encouraged to shift their thinking to adopt a more effective strategy. In addition to learning how to increase referral success, equally important, the reader learns what not to do, as well. Additionally, most chapters conclude with a link to the author's cheat sheets for additional information on the discussed topics found on her website.
Some of the clients Randall works with are realtors, attorneys, and financial firms. Though not everything in her process applies to all businesses, generating referrals is key. I appreciated her suggestions for showing gratitude to existing clients and referral sources whom she refers to as the heroes of the process. As a small business owner myself, I identified some simple changes I can implement without any added expense. For example, sending handwritten thank-you notes is an effective and inexpensive way to convey to clients that you value them. The author stresses that thank-you emails or eCards don't have the same impact, and I agree.
The book was professionally edited as I noted only one error. Otherwise, I can't think of any improvements that are needed. I'm pleased to rate this informative resource book 4 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to business owners who want to increase their referrals. It would also be a helpful resource for readers who are considering starting a business.
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Generating Business Referrals Without Asking
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