It’s human nature to want to help others, and we do that by having knowledge others don’t have. 

Social media outlets and websites can serve to refer clients to you.  Think of them as your personal secretary or gatekeeper, answering common questions and providing a means of contacting you.

Here are 7 strategies you can implement today to start getting referrals.

Choose a Specialty

Target markets don’t just serve the purpose of knowing how to market our practice. They help your clients know what you do, and who to recommend to you.

If you have an eye problem, would you visit your primary physician and expect them to fix it? If you had a toothache, would you visit a cardiologist? Of course not! You would want an appropriate specialist to handle your specific issue.  Because the medical community is so great about declaring their specialties out loud, it’s easy to determine who you should see when you have a specific problem.

I worked in the field of massage therapy for 15 years where declaring a specialty is not typical. If we begin choosing a niche or two that we love working with, it will cut down on the frustration clients may feel, and the amount of money they spend as they go from therapist to therapist trying to figure out who can solve their problems. This translates to every business niche.

There are a lot of therapists who are determined to work with everyone and be everything to them. You can’t become an expert on everything, but you can become an expert in a few things, so choose a niche. A niche is a specialty that you’re not only good at, you enjoy it so much that you could work on clients with that problem all day and not grow tired of it. Choosing a niche will help prevent you from feeling the effects of burnout since you’re working with problems you enjoy solving, with clients you enjoy working with.

Clients who benefit from your specialty work will send you anyone they encounter who may also benefit from your work.

You don't have to be an expert immediately! We tend to learn as much as we can about the things we enjoy. By declaring a specialty, you are setting your own focus on what CEUs to take, material to read, tools to purchase, and you’re establishing that you’re a local expert massage therapist on the topic. 

You’re also setting your boundaries. Trying to work with everyone gets exhausting. Doing things we are passionate about gives us energy. People who are visibly passionate about the work they’re doing are naturally more pleasant to be around and this kind of excitement is contagious! Your clients will be excited to send people to you when they see how much you love the work you're doing.

Being an expert also means you can set your rates higher than the average relaxation session. People are happy to pay more if they can have confidence that you’ll be the last therapist they need to see for their problem.

Ask for Referrals

Any referral program should make it insanely easy for your clients to refer their friends to you, and it’s as simple as asking. Many of the therapists I’ve talked with don’t ask for referrals. It is intimidating to them. Maybe it is for you too, but I’m going to make it simple for you.

If you have clients you love working on, either because they have a sparkling personality or a condition you're good at working with, they will know others who are like them. Follow these two easy steps to ask for referrals:

1.     Have three business cards ready with your name and hours on them after the session.

2.     Say something like, “I really enjoyed working with you. Can I give you a few cards to pass on to your friends?”  You might also add to the beginning, “I’m new to this clinic/I just started this business and am working on building up my clientele.”

I’ve never had anyone tell me no.

You want referrals from people who have actually seen you. People love telling others about a great experience, so make it memorable. 

Invite An Influencer

Every community has at least one person who seems to know everything going on in their town or neighborhood, and the rest of the community knows this.

Figure out who those people are in your area and invite them in for a session. Then give them the best client experience you possibly can.

This can work for anyone who has an audience, online or off. Just make sure their audience is one you want to reach.

Reward Referrals

Send a handwritten thank-you note. If your handwriting isn’t legible, have someone else do it for you. There are plenty of services that offer this. 

If you have a client who refers several clients to you, give that client 15 extra minutes on their session, or a free add-on that doesn’t cost much to perform. A purchase should be necessary to prevent an interruption in your regular income, and no saving up for a freebie!  

I never give away free massage sessions, but an extra 15 minutes of massage tacked onto a purchase is a nice upgrade for clients.

Transactions

Include your referral reward promotions on every transaction you make with your client. Receipts, text reminders, confirmation emails, etc.

Inform Your Clients

Make sure that your clients know about all your services.  They can't buy a service if they don't know it's available! By informing them of your services, not only will they use them, they’ll be able to tell others about what you do and make appropriate referrals when they hear someone say they need to find a therapist that does x,y, or z.

If you want to encourage your clients to try a variety of services, offer a reward passport that has different services they can have stamped. When they fill their card, they are rewarded with a V.I.P. gift or service.

Referral Network

Have a local referral network. If your client has a problem you can’t solve, it’s good to have a network of therapists you can feel confident referring them to.

When you refer clients out for specialized work, it demonstrates that you know the extent of your knowledge and are secure in your work and your professional relationships with your clients.  Your clients will respect you more for being able to admit you’re not an expert about everything and they will come back.

Conclusion

These are simple strategies that you can start implementing immediately into your practice. I've used them for years and have coached other therapists to do the same with excellent results.

I'd love to hear from you! What referral strategies do you use? Let me know how well these tips work for you.