Building a referral-only Virtual Assistant business is a dream that most of us have.
Picture it: you effortlessly get regular new clients from the people who know you are the best at what you do.
I did it – and you can too!
Getting referrals is one of the best ways to grow your business. But not all referrals are great – so that’s what I want to talk about in this article.
Have you ever gotten a bad referral?
I have, and it stinks.
If you know the person that referred someone to you, you might feel obligated to work with them, for fear of upsetting your friend or colleague that sent them your way.
But just like any potential client you talk to – you need to make sure that any referral would be a good fit for you.
I went through a long period of getting less than ideal referrals – and I had to figure out why that was happening.
It didn’t take long!
First, I said yes to everyone.
For exactly the reason that I stated above. I didn’t want to let my connections down if they sent someone my way. And then I worked with clients that I didn’t fit with, or that didn’t need my level of expertise.
Second, some of my referral sources didn’t know exactly what I did.
They knew I was a VA, but they didn’t know what I did day to day. So they sent me people that needed skills or services that differed from my favourite things to do.
And third, I didn’t qualify the budgets of the new clients.
Some of my clients sent me their own clients as referrals – people who were earning a lot less than my clients were. That meant their budgets were lower than my ideal clients.
When you want to grow your VA business with referrals, it’s essential that you map out exactly what these things look like, so your referral partners know too.
Here’s how:
1. Keep Doing Sales Conversations
Just because someone sends you a referral does not mean that you have to work with that person. Should I repeat that?
It may feel like you need to when someone sends you a referral, but you only have to work with clients that are a good fit, that fit your ideal client profile, and that you want to work with. And of course, that they need your level of expertise!
Which means that you can decline a client for any reason – no matter where they come from.
So, you should thank your colleague for the referral, and let them know you hope their connection will be a good fit, and then proceed with a normal sales conversation to see if they are.
Referrals shouldn’t carry any obligation. Period. Don’t treat them as though they do.
2. Be Clear About What You Do
We can get referrals from anywhere. Some of them are our current or former clients, some of them might be social connections, some may be colleagues – and some may be people you don’t even know very well.
No matter who you are getting referrals from, they need to understand exactly what you do.
I wasted a lot of conversations because I received referrals for things that I didn’t offer as services in my VA business.
This comes down to your marketing message – it is essential to make sure that everywhere someone can read about you, conveys very clearly who you work with and what you do to help them.
Yeah, you knew I’d find a way to sneak that in, didn’t you – it’s something I teach you all the time – but it’s absolutely imperative that you do this so that people can you the right kinds of referrals. (And it’s so simple!)
3. Make Sure The Referrals Fit You
Referrals are only good if they fit with what your VA business needs as clients. So aside from being able to turn them down, and making sure that everyone knows what you do – you have to be sure they honestly fit your business.
Define who your target market is, and network with big pools of them. It makes getting the right kind of referrals so much easier when your name is getting dropped in the circles you intend to find clients in.
Be sure that they earn enough, that they use the systems you want them to use, and that they are growing their business at the rate you need them to.
Some of my clients used to refer me to their clients – who didn’t have the budget for my services, who were maybe just starting out – and who weren’t at the same level as my clients were (which is who I wanted to work with).
I was getting referred because I was amazing at what I did – but there were plenty of other VAs who were more suitable for those people than me.
So, getting GREAT referrals means getting your ideal clients through referrals.
That’s a simple as choosing your target market, and finding big pools of them to network with.
When I was working with 6- and 7-figure business coaches, that’s who I networked with. I got lots of great referrals because I put the right message out there, to the right people. And when someone was looking for a great VA, my name came up easily.
You can do the same. Just focus on those three simple points above and you will get there too!
What You Should Do Next:
If you need some help with getting great referrals for your VA business, The Virtual Circle is where you should be.
TVC is a small group of professional VAs who are getting things done in their business through weekly support and training. It’s a low cost, high-value coaching alternative to private coaching.
If you are struggling through your VA business at all it’s time to sign up. Your investment of $129 can translate into clients in just ONE month, because we will help you set up your plan and take those daily actions. Let’s go!