Of all the tactics I’ve seen consultants using to land new business, this one works the best: đŻ
Referrals from current and former clients.
But here’s the problem.
đ Consultants don’t make it a habit of asking for referrals. When they do, they put the onus on their clients to think of who to refer them to. “If you think of anyone, please let me know.”
To this, clients will typically say, “I’ll let you know when I come across someone who needs your services…”
And that’s the end of that.
But there is a better way to ask for referrals so you consistently fill your pipeline with prospects who already trust you.
You need to make it easy for your clients to refer you people they know. By this I mean you should ask to be referred to SPECIFIC people your clients know. This way, your clients don’t have to do the work of thinking about WHO to refer you to. đ„
Here are five ideas for discovering potential connections through your clients that could be viable prospects:
â LinkedIn Network: Explore your clients’ âConnectionsâ list and filter by industry, job title, or location to find people who fit your ideal client profile. Now, this may not always work because people often connect with people they don’t know and your clients may not personally know everyone on their connection list. So, ensure you pick a list of 6-7 names from your client’s connections and ask for introductions to them. Even if you get 1-2 referrals from that list, that’s still a good outcome.
â Website Case Studies or Testimonials: Look at your clientâs website for case studies, testimonials, or âOur Clientsâ sections. Often, clients openly showcase other companies theyâve worked with, and these companies could be great prospects if they align with your target audience.
â Industry Events or Conferences: If your client is part of industry associations, councils, or has spoken at conferences, check the attendee or participant list for these events. The other companies involved are likely peers and may share similar needs.
â Social Media Mentions and Tagging: Review your clientâs social media activity for any mentions, tags, or engagements with other companies. This can help you identify businesses they interact with and consider valuable enough to highlight publicly.
â News Coverage: If your clientâs business is covered in news stories, check for mentions of partner companies, joint ventures, or collaboration announcements. Businesses they partner with or are publicly associated with are more likely to share overlapping needs.
When you make it easy for clients to refer you, you increase the likelihood of getting referrals. Do this constantly and you’ll build yourself a strong lead generation channel for your consulting business.
Ready to add $100k-$500k revenue to your consulting business in 12 months or less without burning out? Schedule a call and let me show you how.
Image credit: Dalle-3
