Shoptalk: How to get more client referrals (without the hard sell)

A recommendation from a satisfied client can be one of the most effective ways to generate new business, but even happy clients may not think to make an introduction unless an advisor gives them a nudge.

The challenge for advisors is making the ask without making the relationship feel transactional or turning every interaction into a sales pitch.

PAX spoke with two advisors who have built strong referral businesses about how to ask, stay top of mind and generate a steady stream of client recommendations. 

Make the ask part of your process

"Referrals are a really big part of my business," says Anne Blanchard, a training manager and travel advisor with TravelOnly in Cambridge, ON.

Rather than making a one-time request, Blanchard regularly reminds existing clients that referrals are welcome.

"I'm always planting that seed that referrals are appreciated," she says. "Not everyone thinks of travel until they need to book, so it's about staying top of mind."

Blanchard includes a referral prompt when she sends the email confirming a client’s booking, asking whether anyone else might want to experience the trip with them.

She raises the subject again after the trip in her welcome home message, when clients may already be sharing their experiences with friends and family.

"Whenever you have an opportunity to thank a client, whenever you have an opportunity to remind them of the good experience that they had on their trip, that’s a good time to introduce that ask," she says.

She says those simple prompts sometimes expand one booking into several.

"You think you're just putting out that message, but I don't know how many times it's happened where they bring in two or three other friends," Blanchard says.

Angela Douglas, director of operations and strategy at Murdoch Travel in Waterloo, ON, takes a similar approach, with their advisors asking clients whether friends or family members might want to join an upcoming trip. 

They may also give satisfied clients a few business cards to pass along.

In addition, Douglas says Murdoch Travel uses an automatic post-booking email that invites clients to recommend the agency or leave a five-star Google review. 

The agency can send the message early in the booking process, shortly before departure or after the client returns, depending on the relationship.

"We get to customize that based on that rapport that we're building with the client," says Douglas. "So if we've already started to have that conversation about a referral, then we might send it out a little bit earlier."

The right approach also depends on how an advisor prefers to communicate. 

Douglas finds it easier to ask in person at Murdoch Travel’s bricks-and-mortar office, while Blanchard generally makes the request by email.

"I think it's important that it suits you in terms of your engagement style with clients," Blanchard says. "If it's something where it becomes awkward and uncomfortable for you, then it's going to come across that way to clients as well."

With practice, referral requests can become a natural part of an advisor’s regular client communications. 

"Be consistent about it," says Blancard. "If you develop a process, it becomes part of what you do, and so it's not something that you have to really think about."

Turn reviews & relationships into referrals

Direct introductions are not the only way satisfied clients can help generate business.

Douglas views positive Google reviews as a form of indirect referral. Prospective clients searching for an agency can see that other travellers have already trusted the business and were satisfied with its service.

"Google reviews are really helpful because people will go on there and they'll see the Google reviews, and that's almost getting a referral in itself," she says.

Referral opportunities can also come through relationships with complementary businesses.

One of Blanchard’s clients owns an insurance brokerage that does not sell travel insurance. When customers ask the brokerage about travel coverage, its staff direct them to Blanchard.

Although those customers may initially contact her only for travel insurance, Blanchard includes a line in the confirmation email explaining that she also books travel. 

That small addition gives her an opportunity to turn a one-time insurance transaction into a broader planning relationship.

Advisors can also reinforce referrals by acknowledging the clients who make them.

Blanchard sends a handwritten thank you note to anyone who refers a new customer. 

She also considers frequent referrers VIPs and may provide them with additional perks when they book.

Similarly, Douglas says Murdoch Travel may recognize clients who make referrals with perks during their next trip, such as sending a gift to their cabin when they take a cruise. 

For advisors who remain uncomfortable asking for referrals, Douglas recommends starting with a small, manageable target.

"Get into the habit of asking a few of your clients – even if you just ask one a week and then you can increase it to two," she says. "Step outside your comfort zone and see where it can take you."

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.