Marketing Your Writing Services With Referrals - They Really, Really Like You

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Referrals are the best way to market your writing services, but most writers won’t ask for them. Here’s how to boost your business so that each client gets you ten more clients.

Business people use referrals because the best way to get new business is from current and past customers. But I know from some of my writing students that they struggle with asking for referrals simply because they don’t know how. Other students are completely unaware of referrals and how they work.

Your clients will refer you to others for two reasons: they like the services you’ve provided to them, and you’ve asked them for referrals.

Yes, you need to ask.

Think about the last time you hired someone - a gardener, let’s say. Did you refer him to your friends? No, you didn’t, unless a friend asked you specifically for the name of your gardener, or unless the gardener shoved 20 business cards into your hands and asked you give them to your friends.

How to Ask for Referrals and Follow Up

Your clients won’t refer you unless you ask, and even after you’ve asked, you need to follow up on your request.

Everyone’s busy. I’m busy, you’re busy, and when we’re asked for referrals it’s dropped into the “when I have time” basket.

So always ask for a referral as soon as you complete a project. The main reason to ask is that people will assume that you’re too busy to take on new clients if you don’t.

Just say something like: “Do you know of any other companies which could use my writing services?”

Most clients will give you some names.

Then you say: “I wouldn’t like to call them out of the blue - could you see whether they’d like me to call them?”

This tactic works brilliantly. Your client will pre-sell you to his contacts. He’ll be getting in touch with them anyway, and by telling them about you, he’s doing them a favor. People love to brag about the great writer they’ve found, so you’ll find they’re more than happy to do it.

Then just follow up. Call your client within a week or so to see what his results were, and he’ll give you the names. You may even find that others call you directly.

So use referrals. It’s a great way to make money with your writing services - let the people who really, really like you pass your name around.

Discover more secrets to marketing your services with Angela Booth’s video series and marketing ebook. Give your business a marketing boost today - you’ll be thrilled with the results.

Recession-proof your freelance writing career

“Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” gives you all the tools you need for a thriving writing career, no matter what the economic climate.

Three weeks after completing the class one student wrote:

“Thanks Angela, for all your help and advice in class. I’m quitting my job next week. I printed out my letter of resignation tonight after landing a contract writing job that will pay me more for three months part-time work than I earned in from my day job in the whole of 2007! You were right – the great gigs are out there, and now I’ve got the skills to land them. Your class opened my eyes. Bless you…”

“Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process” shows you how to thrive as a freelance writer. Would you like to write five times more than you’re writing now, and sell to higher-paying markets? Take the class.

Technorati Tags: marketing, home based business, writing, writing jobs, writing tips

Tagged as: home based business, marketing, writing, writing jobs, writing tips