Did you know that 80% of coaching clients come from referrals (on average)?

Now with that said, coaches with thriving practices aren’t sitting home eating bonbons while referrals magically roll in.  That is the misconception.  Whether or not they are conscious of it, the coaches with thriving practices built on referrals are doing a few things really well.

Thriving Coaches Give a Great Client Experience

Just today, one of my clients was telling me about how she had gotten four referrals recently from one person who was a Center of Influence who knew her work really well and knew first-hand that she helped her clients get great, life changing results.

People only give referrals if they had a great experience of working with you or know first-hand that your clients have a great experience working with you.  You will never get a referral from someone who thought you were marginally good at what you do.  So, if you aren’t getting referrals today, the first place to look is your client experience:

1. Do I have a great coaching process?
2. Are my clients consistently getting results?
3. Do most of my clients choose to continue with me after our initial engagement?
4. Do I get emails from my clients talking about what a difference I’ve made in their life?
5. Do I have tools and resources that help my clients deepen their coaching experience with me?
6. Do I get glowing testimonials from clients who have worked with me?

If you can’t say emphatically “yes” to those questions, it’s time to take a look at the client experience you are delivering today and what needs to be up-leveled to create a better experience (Hint: it’s almost never more coach training.  If you aren’t creating the client experience you want, feel free to reach out for support and guidance).

Thriving Coaches Enroll the Right Clients with Ease

When referrals come your way, you want to make sure you can have a powerful enrollment conversation and convert the right prospects into clients.  This is not only savvy for enrolling clients, but it also insures referrals will continue.  Think about it:  If you refer several people to Betty and those folks all report back to you that they weren’t impressed and chose not to hire her, you’d stop referring people to Betty.  You don’t want your biggest fans to lose faith in you because you fumble the perfect pass at the 5 yard line time and time again.

Thriving Coaches are Top of Mind when a Need Arises

When a member of your network encounters someone who is your ideal client, you want to be the first person that pops into their mind. This sounds hard, but it’s as easy as staying in touch.

Since you want to get the most value out of the time you invest, don’t treat everyone in your network the same. I recommend categorizing the people in your network so you have a strategy to stay top of mind of everyone in your network.  You might categorize in A, B and C, with the C’s only getting your bi-monthly newsletter (with their permission!) and your B’s getting a few personalized touch points a year.  This way, you put your most personalized efforts into the “A” people. These are your former and current rock star clients, key Centers of Influence in your niche, plus anyone who has ever referred someone to you (because they likely will again if that person had a great experience and you stay top of mind!).

It’s important not only to be connecting with these “A’s”, but to stay in meaningful dialogue with them.  I have a spreadsheet template I share with my clients to help keep track of these important people.  As I always say, it’s key to have a process to keep YOU on top of this, but you never want it to feel like a “process” on the receiving side.  Instead, it should feel personal, meaningful and special.  It’s never been a better time to connect with people and let them know you are thinking of them and showing genuine care for how they are doing.

What are your takeaways from this article?  What will you do to up-level so that referrals flow easily your way?  I’d love to hear from you!

With appreciation,

Tara Butler Floch