Referral makers don’t want your money. They want to know you’re trustworthy.
You’re going to pay me how much for referral business? No thanks! When I refer you, I put my reputation on the line, so I need to trust that you’ll take care of my connection as I would. You won’t pitch, you’ll share best practices, and you’ll follow up. You’ll let me know if this was a good referral for you. You’ll send me a handwritten thank-you note, whether the referral worked out … or not.
Referrals aren’t about money. A winning referral system is about multiplying trust.
Think about it this way. I refer you to someone I know well. They like me and trust me implicitly. They know I won’t waste their time, and they’ll gain insights from anyone I refer. So, when I refer you, this person’s trust in me gets transferred to you.
That’s the multiplier effect of