Referrals Start With You

Why good service is just the start - and how trusted relationships fuel real growth

Everyone says they want more referrals. But few treat them like a strategy.

The truth is: you don’t get referred just for being good at your job. You get referred when people know you, like you, and trust that putting their name next to yours won’t backfire.

In a market where everyone claims “great service”, referrals aren’t about being excellent. They’re about being visible, memorable, and worth sticking your neck out for.

Good service is the standard, not the story.

If you’re delivering quality work - great. That’s step one.

But it’s not why someone’s going to send their best client or oldest friend your way.

Referrals aren’t a reward for competence. They’re a vote of confidence.

Confidence that you’ll show up. That you’ll handle it. That they won’t regret introducing you.

If you're not turning satisfied clients into advocates, you're leaving growth on the table.

People refer people - not businesses.

No one refers a website. They refer a person.

The adviser who followed through.

The consultant who made them feel understood.

The person they could sit next to at a dinner table and say, “You’d love working with them.”

It’s not just trust - it’s likability.

If you want more referrals, start by being someone people want to introduce.

Networking isn’t transactional - it’s relational.

Relationships don’t scale, but they compound.

A quick check-in.

A coffee you didn’t cancel.

A message that says “Saw this and thought of you.”

These things build trust. They keep you visible. They make you referable.

Professional connections need maintenance - not just contact when you’re looking for work.

Your friends are your secret sales team.

You don’t need to “network” in a forced way.

You’ve likely already got a group of people who believe in you.

The question is: do they know what you do? And do they know you’re open for business?

Your friends, old colleagues, even your gym buddy - these people are walking referral engines. But only if you remind them what kind of problems you solve.

Feedback isn’t scary - it’s social proof.

Many firms are scared to ask clients for feedback. They don’t want to be a bother. They’re nervous it’ll be awkward.

This silence isn’t neutral - it’s missed opportunity.

Ask how things went. Ask what helped.

Use that feedback - with permission - in your marketing. On your site. In your email footer. Anywhere your next client is Googling you. Think about how you can gather more feedback and use it as marketing - sites like Vouchedfor can be the biggest driver for new business for a firm when implemented well.

If you’re proud of your work, let your clients help you tell the story.

You still have to ask.

This is the part people squirm about. But let’s be honest - when did you last say to a client “If you know someone who’s in a similar spot, I’d love an introduction.”?

It’s not pushy. It’s confident. You’ve solved something real - and there are others out there who need the same.

Referrals are like relationships. If you want them to grow, you have to be in them.

In a recent contract assessing Consumer Duty outcomes, we organised a client survey. Zero of the survey respondents recalled ever being asked if they knew anyone who could benefit from the firm’s services.

One hundred percent of the respondents said they would be happy to introduce anyone who could benefit from the firm’s services.

Some do it organically. Some are behind you all the way, proactively, supporting your business. But some don’t think about it because you’ve never asked. And there is no better referral than “I think you should use [your name here], they did a great job for me”.

Final thought:

Organic growth is earned.

Referrals aren’t magic.

They don’t “just happen” because you’re good.

They happen because you built something worth referring - and because you stayed visible, stayed connected, and weren’t afraid to ask.

Good people want to help you.

Make it easy for them to do it.