Referral
A referral is a new client who comes to you because an existing client actively recommended you, not just because they happened to mention your name. It’s the cheapest new client you’ll ever get — and it almost never happens without someone actually asking.
What it means
Word of mouth sounds passive, like it just happens to businesses that do good work. In practice, most referrals come from a client being asked directly — “if you know anyone who could use this, I’d really appreciate the introduction” — not from a happy client spontaneously thinking to mention you unprompted.
The best moment to ask is after a client has hired you more than once, when the relationship’s proven itself, not right after the very first job. Naming something specific — “anyone on your street,” rather than a vague “anyone you know” — also gives a client an actual, concrete reason to think of someone, instead of a request they mean to act on and forget.
After a client’s second job with you, you ask if they know anyone else nearby who could use similar work. They introduce you to a neighbor — a new client who cost you nothing to acquire beyond the ask itself.
Waiting for referrals to happen on their own instead of asking for them directly — most satisfied clients would happily refer you, but the introduction usually needs a nudge, not just good work in the past.
See also
Where this shows up
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- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
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- guide What to do after the job — the follow-up that wins the next one One fixed routine covers the thank-you, the review ask, and the referral ask below.
- tool Client follow-up planner Put in the date a job finished and get the six follow-ups that win the next one — thank-you, review ask, one nudge, referral, check-in, win-back — as real dates you can copy or drop straight into your calendar.
- tool Job profit check Type in the price you charged, your direct costs, and the hours the job actually took — on site, travel, quoting and admin — and see the real hourly rate it paid against your own target.