The Roundabout Roadmap to Referrals, Part 3: "I'm Ready. How Do I Sign Up?"

A referral isn't the same as a new client  

"I'm interested" and "I'm ready" are different places

This distinction matters, particularly when someone is considering a holistic approach they haven’t tried before. They may be interested in what you offer but still have questions. 

• What exactly do you do?
• Who do you usually work with?
• Is your service appropriate for someone like me?
• Do we meet online or at a location near me?
• What should I expect?
• How much does it cost?
• How long does it take?
• What happens first?
• And, perhaps most importantly, Do I feel comfortable contacting you?

Your marketing isn’t finished when someone finds you. In some ways, that’s when its most important job begins.

Look at your business through the eyes of a referral

Imagine someone has just been told, “You should look up Jane. I think she does exactly what you’re looking for.” Great. They search for Jane and find her. Now what?

• Can they tell within a reasonable amount of time what Jane does?
• Can they see who she works with?
• Can they understand her approach without already knowing the terminology of her profession?
• Can they find answers to their most likely questions?

And when they’re ready, can they figure out what they’re supposed to do next?

• Call?
• Email?
• Fill out a form?
• Schedule a consultation?
• Book an appointment?
• Register for an event?

If someone has to hunt for the next step, you’ve added an unnecessary turn to the roundabout.

Your directory listing is part of this journey

This is one reason we encourage Holistix Online members to pay attention to their directory listings rather than treating them as an online business card with little thought.

Someone may be arriving at that listing because another person sent them there. They already have a little momentum. Your listing’s job is to help them keep moving.

• Is your information current?
• Does your description make sense to someone who isn’t already familiar with your work?
• Do your keywords bring you up when someone is exploring?
• Does it explain the problem you help solve or the experience you provide?
• Is there a clear way to learn more or contact you?
• And if you have events to post, articles to share or other ways for someone to get to know you, are you sharing them?

Remember, not everybody who finds you today is ready today. Give them ways to stay on the road. That way, they can sign up when they are ready.

The invisible waiting room

There’s a place in this process that most businesses can’t see. I think of it as the invisible waiting room.

It’s filled with people who know about you but haven’t contacted you. Some aren’t a fit and never will be. Some are interested but aren’t ready yet. Some are considering several options. Some need to talk to a spouse. Some are waiting until payday. Some have another priority demanding their attention. Some simply need time.

Of all of your connections, you don’t know who’s who and who is watching. This is another reason it’s dangerous to judge every visibility opportunity by whether it produces an immediate client. People don’t necessarily move according to our marketing calendars or the due dates for our bills.

When they're ready, make it easy

Eventually, someone moves out of that invisible waiting room. They’ve looked. They’ve learned. They’ve considered. Now they’re ready.

This is the moment when simplicity matters. Don’t make a motivated potential client work unnecessarily hard to become an actual client. Make the next step clear. And then take the next step yourself. Respond.

Answer their questions. Explain what happens next. Help them decide whether you’re the right fit. A referral can bring someone to your door. What happens at the door is up to you. Invite them in and make it easy to say, "Yes!"

The whole roundabout

And that brings us back to where this series began. A Facebook post. A friend looking for help for another friend. A directory search passed along without a lot of private information. Potential providers to explore.

From there, the journey becomes largely invisible to me. And that’s okay. Because the referral process isn’t really about being able to take credit for every person who eventually becomes someone’s client. It’s about creating more opportunities for the right connections to happen, to help someone find you for when they are ready.

• “I’m looking.” Help me discover possibilities.
• “I found you.” Help me understand whether you’re right for me.
• “I’m ready.” Make it easy for me to take the next step.

That’s the Roundabout Roadmap to Referrals.

As holistic professionals, we can’t control every turn someone takes before reaching us. But we can make sure there are roads leading our way. And when they finally arrive, we can make it easy for them to come in.