Referrals feel unpredictable because they are unpredictable, at least in the way they are typically approached.
Do good work, connect with people, build a strong brand, write clear messaging, and ask your contacts to remember you if they come across a certain type of prospect. All very important things in themselves and definitely a way to improve referral flow.
But this approach still relies on a big amount of luck. It’s still unpredictable.
You can have all of the above pieces in place and do them really well but receive few or poor-fit referrals.
It’s the business version of waiting for the rain to fall to nourish your crops.
And as any landowner in arid regions knows, a better way is to build waterways and irrigation canals from existing rivers.
The same applies to a powerful referral strategy.
Instead of meeting random people and hoping you form a connection that leads to recommendations, you build an acequia.
A watercourse you connect to from which you receive referrals on tap from multiple sources, come rain or shine.
For example, an SEO agency specialising in the SaaS industry could build tailor-made, two-way referral channels with product marketing consultants, positioning consultants, RevOps consultants, GTM consultants, data analysis experts, investment specialists, cybersecurity professionals, and more.
All businesses that usually work with their ideal client before (or at the same time) as they do.
There’s no need to rely on remembering.
You are plugged directly into the acequia.
Whether you’re a local agency, a big international company, or a solo professional, the same principle can apply.
The self-employed podcast producer identifies who else targets his ideal client and builds referral channels with these people.
In other words, he builds an ecosystem around his perfect-fit clientele.
Building these intentional systems with strategic partners already sending referrals (and this is key) guarantees a more predictable referral stream than anything else.
A strong brand helps, good copy helps, and clarity around what you do definitely helps, but these are secondary to building the right referral flow systems with the right people.