Know-How Exchange : Strategy

It can not be done the easy way. Meaningful referrals must be asked for and nurtured.

I am afraid you are going to get on the phone and ask...

I agree as well. This is the perfect time of the year to get on the phone, thank your clients for their business and ask for a referral. An impersonal note on an email would not inspire me to act.

If you really want to kick start referrals-- give your clients one. The best way to ingratiate your clients is to make them some money. Look for referrals for them, and you will get them back. You are partners with your clients. This is a perfect way to prove it, and walk your talk!

Sell Well and Prosper tm

Have you considered having a third party contact some of your customers to ask them how happy they are with your services? If they are happy, you can have a third party PR agency write user stories and testimonials which you can publish, creating press for you as well as your client.

If your customer has wonderful things to say about you, this creates an opportunity for you to call in as for referrals.

If your customer has problems with your services, this creates an opportunity for you to knit a problem in the bud.

Also, such a campaign may uncover opportunities for follow-on sales.

My recommendation would be to have someone with business experience make calls to your customers on behalf of your president. I believe such calls are especially appropriate in economic times such as we have today, and we all know that the best source of future sales is past customers.