Latest / WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas / 23. Get Clients With Ease Through Referrals and Renewals

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23. Get Clients With Ease Through Referrals and Renewals · WOC and Allies: Business and Career Realtalk with Elaine Lou Cartas

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: I just got back from New York City where I spoke and led a discussion on how building relationships can create more referrals and renewals.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, it can be that easy.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I do understand we live in a modern world where social media and automation runs our life.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: But just a reminder for you, legacy maker, behind every product and service is a human being who paid for it.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: Think about it.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: Those amazing cookies you probably buy from a neighbor, you heard of word of mouth.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: That hairstylist you go to that you trust and no one else can touch your hair.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: A friend told you about.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: So, how can we do this in your own business where people are constantly raving and talking about you?
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Well, in this podcast episode, I delve deeper on how you can continue to get clades who both rin you and refer you nonstop.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: But before we do, let's drop the beat.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Hey legacy maker, I'm your host and MC, Elaine Lucartis, business and career coach for Women of Color and Allies.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: And welcome to the Call Your Dreams podcast, where we have conscious conversations to help you create a business or career that is sustainable, abundant, and equitable to the lifestyle you deserve.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Because our ancestors sacrificed so much so we can have this life of choice.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Now, grab your coffee, tea, andor boba, and let's call your dreams to create your legacy.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Not just now as a business and career coach, but even before when I was a former grassroots organizer and nonprofit fundraiser.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: And looking even at my current coaching business as of today, which is June 28th, 2022, when I'm recording this episode, 84% of my clients come from referrals and renewals, and 16% from this podcast and Google SEO.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I have a multi-six-figure business.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: I'm about to hit my five years in business.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: I share this because I think we live in this world of automation, social media.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: We look at everything kind of like we unfortunately see the smoke and mirrors that we need X number of followers.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: We need to have these perfect pictures.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_00: But in reality, like I said, those are smoke and mirrors.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: What's more important is the substance.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_00: It's the relationships.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's knowing that the clients are getting the service that they deserve.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_00: And being in this pandemic for the past two years, this is the first summer, right?
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: Where we all feel safe to finally go out because of vaccinations, see others, and realizing the importance of real authentic relationship building.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not even talking about business, but even personal, even seeing people in person, right?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm pretty sure everyone listening here, you want to have a date in person, not via Zoom.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I just came back from New York and it was so nice hugging and seeing people in person, going to a networking event with 70 people, and I wasn't Zoomed out.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, I was just more excited and energized seeing people.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: I now have a three-month-year-old nephew.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to FaceTime him.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: I want to like carry him and play with him.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: And we're really craving this because just a reminder, we are human beings.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: We're supposed to be, be with ourselves, be with other people, socialize.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: We're social human beings.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: Here's what I've been observing.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Like I said, I've been in this coaching space, online space for the past five years.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't know if you've noticed this, but there is a cleanse that is happening in the online space.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: And these are my opinions, but here are five reasons why I think it is one, well, the economy we're in a recession, right?
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: Two, because there's been so much online service providers, like it has boomed, which is great, but clients are becoming smarter, right?
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: They've worked with so many X amount of different service providers that they know what is smoke and mirrors that having a big name is not.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: The only thing that's important, it's making sure that they're receiving the service that they deserve.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not just the pretty shit that matters anymore.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: It's the, well, am I gonna get what I want?
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_00: Is it just gonna be something that's automated where I'm self-studying and doing it online, or do I actually get the real coach?
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: Do I get the real coach or do I get one of the other coaches?
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: So clients truly want to have that high client service.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_00: The third thing of why I think things are cleansing out on the online space.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is also me through learning and growing, by the way.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_00: But what the third thing is the inability for service providers to hold safe space.
• 5:23
  SPEAKER_00: I have been going through a trauma-informed certification working with Adria Moses, who's amazing.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I'll put her in the show notes.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: And through that, I've just realized, wow, just making sure I am holding space ethically and safely for my clients.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason why I did it was because I've been unfortunately in spaces where it hasn't been safe.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: So holding space for clients is really important, especially with all the things that are happening.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying you go be a therapist.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, I believe in therapy, but being able to hold space for your clients when they're sharing something vulnerable to you is really important.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth reason why I think there's a client in the online space is people not knowing their numbers.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I am spiritual, I am Reiki certified, and I connect with my ancestors all the time.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe in the law of attraction.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, when you're running a business, you need to understand your numbers.
• 6:23
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, where are your clients coming from?
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: What are your profit margins?
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: How much are you spending?
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: All of that.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_00: And then, fifth, the cleansing on the online space is realizing, hey, the person that's buying your service or product is a human being.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm sharing these reasons.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I know this episode is about how to get more client referrals or annuals, but just really emphasizing why it's important during this time if you are a business owner about the importance of building relationships and how to create a better service so you have a high client retention and high referral rate.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm gonna give you tips.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_00: And before I do, I actually want to explain to you my background.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: I was a former grassroots organizer.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_00: I was one of those people that called on the phone, recruited volunteers.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: I worked on targeted congressional races throughout the country.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I worked on targeted congressional races in Iowa, Indiana, Montana, New Mexico, and Massachusetts.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_00: I was doing 300 calls a day, knocking on 30 doors an hour, recruiting volunteers, reminding voters to get out to vote.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: And I learned rejection real fast.
• 7:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I hated my job for the first three months.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: But within that experience of connecting with people over the phone or knocking on doors, I understood the importance of listening to others.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: I would take notes on these calls.
• 7:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember following up with people who may have been busy and be like, hey, Karen, I know your husband had hip surgery two weeks ago.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: How is he?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: Even that small little remembrance actually allowed me within six months to recruit 557 volunteers in Iowa.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not even from there.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_00: It was just understanding how to connect with other people.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I was also a former nonprofit fundraiser.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: In six months, I raised over 1.1 million in student scholarships from a list of 300 folks, just 300.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: And guess what?
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: They didn't come from an email funnel.
• 8:25
  SPEAKER_00: They come from connecting with them in person.
• 8:28
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, this is pre-pandemic days.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: This is like 2014.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: I would have lunch, coffee, dinner with them, listen to what their philanthropic goals are, and how we could create a scholarship that honored what they wanted to give back to.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, and even in that, a huge thing that I learned in the nonprofit world and even when I was a grassroots organizer was the retention.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: How do you retain volunteers, how to retain donors?
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: So it really is surprising to me that in the online or entrepreneurial space, there's no conversation about that, right?
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: And or maybe you have the service where it you can't retain them, but how do you get people to refer to you as opposed to just like, how do I just grow my audience so big?
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: And yes, you can grow your audience so big, but it's more so how do you grow more of the right audience?
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_00: How do you grow more of getting more of the paying clients?
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_00: And before I go through the referral tips, I want to actually emphasize the importance of having great client service.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I am not saying I am perfect, trust me.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: I've had feedback calls with clients in my past five years in business or even this past year of what I needed to do to improve, both me and my team.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_00: And they seem so simple of how to continue having great client service, but it really is doing feedback calls or target market calls, however you want to call it, but having conversations once a quarter with your clients.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying it has to be all of your clients, it could be two or three.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: Now, some people will tell you you could do surveys, which is fine.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: And if you do a survey, I would recommend don't ask for their name.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_00: You want to make sure they feel safe.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_00: So keep it anonymous.
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: But I prefer doing phone calls because I could do follow-up questions with my clients.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: And here's some questions.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, get a pen and paper because I'm going to give you some questions I can ask your clients.
• 10:30
  SPEAKER_00: So one is, why did you decide to work with me or to continue to work with me?
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: The second question to ask is, what do you value the most from our work together?
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: Three, what do you feel was not needed in our coaching together?
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: Four, what topics did you enjoy the most?
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Five, what topics and discussions did you not enjoy the most?
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_00: Six, and I'll preface this.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: If you've added something into your service, you can say, hey, I added this to the service.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Was this helpful?
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Seven, I'm thinking about adding this or editing this.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Do you think it will find it helpful?
• 11:08
  SPEAKER_00: So I know those questions are geared towards more service providers or consultants or coaches.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: So those are questions that I've used.
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_00: Feel free to edit and gear it towards what they need.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_00: And then afterwards, send them a little thank you.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's a$5 Starbucks card of some sort.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I say to do this quarterly because so much does change within a quarter.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I'll share what's happened in my own business for me, both personally and professional.
• 11:37
  SPEAKER_00: One is I got feedback about my accountability process.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I now have edited my accountability program for my clients where they are enjoying it.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: They are staying on top of their personal and professional goals.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: They rave about when they receive their individualized accountability docs.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: And I didn't have that before.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I did receive feedback, and it was hard for me to hear like, hey, I didn't receive the accountability I had once I started working with you compared to before.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_00: And now I've made sure to continue doing that.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I'm being like really vulnerable right now because, like I said, I don't get things perfect.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: A second thing that I've even done my business by doing these feedback calls was realizing I need to, I got feedback.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, like getting more training and holding safe and ethical spaces.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm doing my trauma-informed certification with Adria Moses.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to give a shout out to my former boss who has been an incredible friend and mentor.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: Her name is Bobby Abrams.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: She is executive director for Pasadena City College.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_00: She shared this with me, but the moment people stop giving you feedback is the moment they've given up on you to change.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: Others giving you feedback is a huge compliment.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_00: And you should be grateful that they know that you're willing to listen and grow from it.
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: So even as uncomfortable as it is to get feedback from others, it allows us to grow and learn.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: And it's also such a compliment to know that someone feels safe enough to give us feedback.
• 13:23
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm constantly reminding my team members, hey, I mean, yes, I'm paying you, but I don't want to be that yes person.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to share with me what I can do to improve because one of the things I do on my agendas with my team, it's like, what are things we can improve for client service?
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just really grateful.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I even share that with my clients too.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_00: Please give me feedback.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_00: I am here to serve you.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: So really want to emphasize the importance of having amazing client service, asking for feedback.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not saying you do every single thing that your clients tell you may need support in.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: Like I know some sometimes clients need further support on certain things.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: And if they do, I will refer them out.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: But also, I want to share this.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I noticed that my clients needed more support with marketing and messaging and mindset.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: And what did I do?
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_00: I hired marketing and mindset coaches into my program to supplement what I provide and just even make the program stronger.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: The changes and additions and even deletions from my business comes from having those feedback conversations.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: All right, let's get to it.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_00: How to have great referrals.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I have six tips for you.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: I hope once again you have a pen and paper.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are driving right now, obviously do not write while driving.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_00: But I hope you take it in and then feel free to replay it.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: So first reiterating what we just talked about.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_00: How to have great referrals.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: Shout out to my former client and friend, Eric Audrey.
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: Be good at what you do.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: Sounds so simple, right?
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: But if you are so good at what you do, you'll continue to get referrals.
• 15:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's why before I even talked about how to have great referrals is really having the best client service.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I have one client who's generated, I don't know the exact number, but more than$100,000 of referrals for me because I of the service I've provided them.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: And you better believe I'm consistently doing feedback calls with this person.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: The second tip to getting more referrals is support your existing clients, promote their work, even refer them.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: If you want referrals, my question to you is are you referring people as well?
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_00: I am constantly referring not just my clients, but even service providers I work with, whether it's my own bookkeeper or my own lawyer, I'm constantly referring both of them all the time.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_00: Because let's bring back law of attraction or karma.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_00: What comes around goes back around.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: So I know like constantly referring other people.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, people also do the same to me if it happens to be a good fit.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: So how do you refer your clients or other service providers?
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I do promote them on your social media, on your newsletter, on your podcasts, right?
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: I get my clients in here in my podcast episodes where I'm promoting their services.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_00: So you could do it that way.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes I even just get emails from people like, hey, I'm thinking about this person, but it's such a compliment and you're creating that like, no, and trust factor where people are emailing you, hey, Elaine, I'm looking for this person.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_00: Do you have any referrals for this?
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: Because you don't, obviously, we're not meant to be experts for everything, but being that go-to person where you could refer them to the right person is great.
• 16:52
  SPEAKER_00: I even referred like my therapist to one of my clients.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_00: So, third is seeking out complimentary partners to create a referral program.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: What I mean by complementary referral partners, for example, I have people that constantly come to me, right?
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: Because I'm a business coach and I mentioned this earlier, where they want legal advice, but ethically, I obviously can't give legal advice.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I refer them to my lawyer, Andrea Sager.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_00: Or I have people who want more marketing and messaging.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then I refer them to Monica Schock.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: And then what ends up happening is that they'll refer others to me.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: And when this happens, it just becomes easier and people will have you top of mind.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not just the service itself, but maybe one of your friends, like a complimentary partner, has a free virtual event that's coming event, or even a paid event.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_00: So even before the point of conversion for a service, but maybe they have something like a podcast episode, a newsletter, a freebie.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: Can you promote that to your list, to your social media?
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: So how are you putting other people front in mind and promoting them?
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: So that's the third tip to getting referrals.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: The fourth, this sounds so dinosaur age, but send handwritten thank you cards.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is actually something that I did when I was a former fundraiser and I still do it now to this day.
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: We live in an online world.
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_00: We're so used to getting emails and DMs.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: But how often did we actually get a handwritten thank you card?
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: And in the nonprofit world, we did this, we were sending handwritten thank you cards.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_00: And here's a little tip: don't put it on a branded letterhead from PU.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_00: You could buy the simple, easy cards from Target.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: I love Target.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, I'm promoting them.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: I am not an affiliate for Target, but I wish to be an ambassador.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: Anyways, that's not what this episode's about.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: Get a regular thank you card and just thank them.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, I just was thinking about you.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm on this trip.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_00: I just want to say thank you so much for all of your support.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_00: Put something personal.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: Not even kidding.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: I got a message Monday morning from someone who I presented to.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: I, like I said earlier, I came back from New York.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: I presented for my friend Lisa Johnson and her clients.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_00: And we were talking about building relationships to get more referrals.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: I talked about doing hand-written thank you cards.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: And this person, let's say his name is Kevin.
• 19:14
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, Elaine, I sent a thank you card to, or a birthday card actually, to one of my former clients.
• 19:20
  SPEAKER_00: And he was so grateful, messaged me back, and he said he wanted to continue working with me.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_00: So he just got a client again, send hand-written thank you cards and do it frequently.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's once a month where you just look at your list of past current or leads or supporters that you could send thank you cards.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying you send to every single person.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: And actually, that goes to my fifth tip: create a running list.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: You should constantly have a running list of clients, past clients, supporters, referrals.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: Look at it once a week.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: See who you should personally message, whether it is sending a handwritten thank you cards, sending a DM.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: And it doesn't always have to be so transactional, but really checking in with them because it is relationship building, right?
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just, oh, what does this person want from me?
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: So for example, there is this person who I'm actually, they just don't do it in the right way, but they DM me and like, God, they want me to work with them.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: And never checking in on me personally, right?
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: No, like happy birthday.
• 20:22
  SPEAKER_00: It was great connecting.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: It was just like, hey, how are you?
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: I was thinking about you.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: That message would happen like once a quarter from this person, not even kidding.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_00: And it just feels so icky.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_00: It feels so transactional, as opposed to, for example, there is this one client that I have now.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: We connected a year ago over Zoom.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_00: She mentioned she wanted to work with me.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: And she said, you know, June of this year.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: So I messaged her in May.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: I'm like, hey, I was thinking about you.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: How are things?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: I know you just moved into a new home.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: I also know you want to work with me in June, but let me know if you're open to a phone call.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you notice from that message, I referred back to things I remembered about her.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: Like I knew she was moving.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: And then we had a phone conversation, and now she is a six-month one-to-one client.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_00: So are you taking notes of people that you're connecting with those small things as opposed to just like notes?
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_00: I need to follow up with this person.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: But even the small things of husbands getting hip surgery, they're moving, all of those things.
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's those touch points.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_00: A sixth tip, especially as things are safer and things are opened up and vaccinations, try to meet with people in person if it's possible.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: This is not just for referrals, but even for your own mental and emotional health.
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: I've even realized that for me, I need to meet with people in person.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: Try to meet with have a coffee date with someone in person, listen to them.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm not saying the goal at the end of the conversation is to sell or pitch.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you realize they're not even a good referral partner or a client.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you can see how you can refer them.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: But when you're that person, when you could figure out, hey, you Should meet this person.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: I even try to do that by the end of a conversation I have with people is seeing if I could connect them with one or two people, whether it's a possible referral or client, or maybe I'm like, you know what?
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: These people could be good friends.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: That actually happened.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: I connected with a friend of mine who names Alis Pinkel, who does affiliate launches.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I was telling her, I just want to meet with other amazing women of color.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then she introduced me to Indian Erica Corday, who are now my DI consultants, part of Pause on the Play.
• 22:33
  SPEAKER_00: You should definitely listen to that episode.
• 22:35
  SPEAKER_00: But she just connected me with them and we met in person.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I ended being a client.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_00: So I just want to let you know, even though it was not per se me who was trying to get clients, I end up becoming a client because I met with these two people in person.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm going to go over those six tips again on how you can have great referrals.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_00: One, be great at your service.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_00: Two, support your existing clients and your current service providers, promote their work.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: Three, seek out complimentary partners to create a referral program.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Four, send heteron thank you cards.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: Five, create a running list of supporters.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: And six, try to meet with people in person.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, how does that sound, right?
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't sound so technical.
• 23:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's literally just being a human being.
• 23:26
  SPEAKER_00: So, as you know, I always love ending Call Your Dreams podcast episodes with a reflective question and takeaway.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just gonna combine it all in one.
• 23:35
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know who your top referrals are?
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_00: Can you list one or three of them?
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: And from those one to three referral partners, can you touch base with them?
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe send them a message, say, hey, I was thinking about you.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's summertime.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_00: I just want to see how much I appreciate your referrals.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_00: Can you even send them like a small handwritten thank you card?
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe a gift.
• 23:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if you're gonna send them a gift, really maybe try to make it thoughtful, or maybe it could be as simple as like a target gift card.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: Or if you know somebody, I did this with one of my top referrals.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_00: They are obsessed with Harry Potter.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I bought a Harry Potter robe for them.
• 24:11
  SPEAKER_00: So do you know your top one to three referrals?
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_00: And how can you touch space with them?
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_00: Just to thank them.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: Legacy maker, remember, granting and scaling can't be that simple where you could constantly get renewals and referrals.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_00: And when you do, you can create a business that revolves around your life, not the other way around.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_00: You know, create the life you want where you spend time with your loved ones, go on vacation, especially since it's summer, binge watch on Bridget, no judgment.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's true abundance.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're an entrepreneur who has proven service and you want to learn how to scale, and what I mean by scale is have your life back.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm here to support you to create a business that provides a sustainable and equitable future for you.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: So if you happen to be in the LA area, I am doing a one-day sustainable summer retreat on Sunday, July 17th, limited to eight to 10 folks, helping you create a 90-day plan and get ready for Q4.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're interested in attending or want to schedule a call, see if it's a good fit, go to elaneloo.com slash retreat.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_00: And if you can't make it and you are interested in working with me, you could schedule a complimentary 30-minute call where you receive three action items at elanelu.com forward slash call.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_00: Legacymaker, if you love this call your dreams episode, we would love it if you can leave a rating and review on Apple.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: So more women of color and allies can benefit too.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: And if you have one or two friends that would get so much from this particular episode, please share.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_00: The intention behind the Call Your Dreams podcast was to contribute and give back to our people.
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: All right.