Most businesses I know get the majority of their work through recommendations.

I know we certainly do at The Bright Click, and there’s nothing quite like getting an enquiry from somebody who’s been told by a friend or colleague that you’re worth speaking to.

It’s a lovely way to win business, not least because somebody else has already done a pretty good job of selling you before you’ve even had a conversation.

But how often do we actually ask for referrals?

I suspect a lot of us, myself included, are guilty of just hoping they’ll happen naturally.

We do a good job, keep our customers happy and trust that somebody will mention us when the opportunity arises.

Which is fine, except our customers have almost certainly got more important things to think about than finding us new business!

Think about the last time you had a really good experience with a company.

Perhaps a builder who did a fantastic job, a restaurant you loved or somebody who sorted out a problem you’d been putting off for ages.

You might have told a few people about it, perhaps even left a nice review, but I doubt you spent the following week actively looking for people to recommend them to.

And why would you?

Most people are perfectly happy to recommend a business they’ve had a good experience with.

They just need a reason to think about it.

Now, I’m not suggesting you start pestering every customer for introductions.

There’s a time and a place, and preferably it’s not five minutes after they’ve paid your invoice.

But if you’ve just finished a successful project or somebody’s told you how pleased they are with your work, there’s nothing wrong with asking whether they know anyone else you might be able to help.

There’s another side to this that I think businesses often overlook, and that’s building relationships with other businesses that work with the same sorts of customers.

For example, an accountant might regularly speak to business owners who need legal advice, financial planning or help with their IT.

A commercial property agent might know businesses looking for office fit-outs, signage or telecoms.

None of those businesses are competing with each other, but they could all be introducing customers to one another.

We have similar arrangements with other agencies who don’t offer the full suite of services that we do, and it works brilliantly for us.

And the benefits go beyond simply swapping leads.

You might run a joint event, introduce each other to useful contacts, share expertise or put together something that offers customers a more complete service.

Over time, a handful of good partnerships can become a really valuable source of business, particularly when there’s genuine trust on both sides.

Of course, the important thing is that you’re recommending people because you know they’re good at what they do, rather than because you’re expecting something in return.

Nobody wants to be introduced to somebody who’s only interested in selling them something.

So perhaps this week, think about two things.

Firstly, are there a few happy customers you could get back in touch with and gently ask for a recommendation?

And secondly, are there businesses you already know, or would like to get to know, where a closer working relationship could benefit both of you?

It doesn’t need to be anything particularly formal – sometimes a coffee and a conversation is a perfectly good place to start.

And given how much time and money we all spend trying to attract new customers, it’s worth remembering that some of the best opportunities might already be sitting in our existing relationships.

Have a great end to the week!

Matt

P.S. And while we’re on the subject, if you happen to know anybody who could do with a hand with their website, SEO, Google Ads or marketing generally, feel free to point them in our direction!