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Word-of-mouth referral is one of the best strategies to employ to keep your service business full. The best way to manifest these referrals is by creating "cheerleader clients", or those clients who think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread and eagerly and enthusiastically tell everyone they meet about you and your services.

The one trait that all of my clients seem to have in common is a sincere

desire to help others. They're all fairly well connected, and when someone in

their networking circle talks about their frustrations with their Internet

marketing efforts, my client recommends me right away. Not all of the referrals

are ones that I take, as many times I don't have the time to take on another

client or I don't think it's a good fit for some reason, and I refer them on.

The part I do play in this referral piece, however, is in how I treat my

clients, which makes them enthusiastic about working with me and willing to tell

everyone they know about me.

The traits I possess that turn my clients into "raving fans" are:

1. Being in a true long-term collaborative partnership with my clients.

I've gotten to know them and their businesses well and serve as another set of

eyes and ears for them. Anytime that I am reading something that I think one of

them might use, I forward it to that client, with a "I thought you might be

interested" note attached. I occasionally even do this for clients with whom I'm

no longer working.

2. Practicing the "Golden Rule". I treat my clients the way I would want

to be treated as a business owner, which means if I know of a

better/cheaper/faster way of doing something, I tell them about it. The final

decision still belongs to my client, but I know I have saved my clients lots of

time and money over the years and earned their undying gratitude in the process.

3. Taking initiative in my relationship with clients. I'm an INFP in

Myers-Briggs terms, which means I'm a big picture person. Seeing what comes next

as a natural progression of things comes very easily to me, and this gift

enables me to help my clients clearly map out the road ahead. Keeping my clients

organized and accountable is of great benefit to them, and having discussions

about what comes next helps them in their planning processes.

4. Never telling my clients "no". If my client asks me to do something

and I either don't have time to do it or don't how to do it, I try not to

counter with a "no" but instead with an option of a later time to do something,

another resource they can use to get it down, or an offer to use my contacts to

find out how to get it done. To the point that you're able, try to never tell a

client "no".

5. Being an expert problem-solver and idea generator. One of the things I

love to do is brainstorm with my clients, and I tell them that I'm not offended

if they don't take my ideas if they're not offended that I keep offering them.

Over the years, I've probably had as many ideas rejected as accepted, but it

continues to be a fun experience for me, and my clients benefit as well.

6. Playing to my gifts and talents. I've come to realize that there are

things I absolutely love to do as a coach and an online business manager --

anything to do with Internet marketing and writing, along with the opportunity

to solve problems and generate ideas. I stick with what I do well and what I

enjoy, and that's where I shine with the client, so the payoff for me comes when

the clients refer me to friends like themselves who need very results for their

businesses. It's like a never-ending circle of referrals for me, and who can

argue with that?

To create your own cheerleader clients, ask your clients who absolutely adore

you to send out a letter to their contact database. Offer to draft this letter,

outlining the benefits that the client has experienced as a result of working

with you and how his/her business or life has changed as a result. You ask the

client to sign off on the letter and to provide his/her contact database, and

you pay for the printing, sending, and mailing of the letter. This has worked

extraordinarily well with colleagues of mine, and I think you'll begin to see

the magic happen if you request this of your clients.

Comments or questions? If so, please post them to the discussion forum.