Back in 2008 - 2010, it felt like the world was ending…
Consultants, entrepreneurs, and firms were closing up shop left and right…
We were in the heart of the Great Recession.
Nothing seemed to work to bring in new business.
Advertising was VERY expensive…
It was impossible to get credit…
And most firms were clinging desperately to the accounts they already had.
Because if just one “anchor” client fled…
Most firms would crumble.
But during all this…
The firm where I worked was actually posting GROWTH.
I was just a newbie at the time and didn’t quite understand what was going on…
All I knew is that the VP of Sales would spend some time on the phone in his office with his feet propped up on the desk…
Then emerge, all smiles, to announce, “Got a new account!”
It was mind boggling to me…
Because I knew for a fact that most execs were NOT doing business with strangers.
So finally I — again, brand-new — got up the courage to ask:
“What’s going on? How are we doing so well while most firms are going bankrupt?”
“Secret salespeople,” the VP told me.
“But we haven't added anyone to our sales team,” I observed. “And isn't it costly to bring new sales staff on?"
"Oh, I don't pay them. In fact, they pay us!”
I must have looked bewildered because he chuckled and said, “I’m talking about referrals… our clients often refer us to others.”
“Referrals? But that’s not predictable or controllable at all! Isn’t it dangerous to rely on that?”
“Nope,” he said. “In fact… when you do it the way I do it…
It’s MUCH safer to depend on referrals rather than any other lead source….
ESPECIALLY in times of crisis!”
I didn’t understand fully at the time…
But soon after starting my own firm I realized exactly what he was talking about.
If you have a predictable, repeatable referral system in place…
It can be the most reliable way to consistently bring in easy-to-close leads…
No matter what the economy and markets are doing.
So even though I run ads, email outreach, and good old thought leadership content…
I realize that my Predictable Referrals System gives me the steadiest, easiest-to-close stream of leads of them all.
Now I realize a lot of consultants have tried referrals, and had problems…
Because they found that referrals aren’t predictable or scalable!
Well, the problem is NOT referrals…
The problem is something I call “The Referral Rollercoaster.”
The Referral Rollercoaster is actually caused by consultants who are TOO BUSY.
Which seems counterintuitive…
But it’s true.
Consultants are often so absorbed in their work that they end up in this cycle:
Complete project —> get referred —> complete project —> etc.
But that cycle is not scalable.
So you can’t grow…
Because you’re on a “rollercoaster” of ups and downs in business.
No control.
No predictability.
No ability to scale.
You end up hitting a “wall...”
And if you feel like you’re constantly “putting out fires”...
Or going around “taking orders” from clients…
You know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.
But the good news is this:
The Referral Rollercoaster is 100% AVOIDABLE.
ESPECIALLY in the sort of times people keep calling “uncertain.”
In fact, a predictable referrals system can be the most “certain” part of your whole marketing operation.
It’s because when times are hard…
People only want to do business with those they TRUST.
Which is why…
My system allows you to show up as a “trusted advisor…”
Even for people who have never met you before!
This is the CORE of what I call “Predictable Referrals.
It works because people only refer you when it makes them feel good.
And when you can “engineer” this feeling…
(Which is very easy)…
You can generate floods of referrals that fill up your pipeline…
Half-sold and ready to close at around 60–70%.
In fact…
As opposed to ads which can be shut down…
And emails which are sent to “spam…”
And LI outreach which can be throttled…
A Predictable Referrals System can be the MOST predictable, controllable way to bring in new business.
I teach this Predictable Referrals System to paying clients in my flagship program:
The 90 Day Pipeline.
This training program is the best & deepest program for consultants & entrepreneurs of its type.
Access to this program is $8k - $15k and we carefully qualify who gets in.
But due to the “uncertain” times…
And because many consultants do not know where their next client is coming from…
I'm opening this up
