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Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz. Featured Biz Question Advertising is so costly. I'd like to develop a strong referral base. I have had hundreds of customers but few referrals. I'm an independent paralegal, preparing noncontested paperwork for people representing themselves in a court of law. What do people want so I can get referrals, should I be sending them printed ink pens or what? Answer from our Guest Expert Kent Capener of Capener Consulting Don't we all want to eat where "they" say is the best? Just like that fine restaurant, the best way to build your base of customer referrals is from the very beginning with your first customers. Then you can go from there. referral Strategies for Your Small Business Presuming you're using some kind of method to determine your fees in advance -- say, an uncontested divorce is $500 -- make an offer up front to new customers that offers them a discount with a referral. Divorce isn't the best situation to deal with, but I think you get the idea. As a paralegal, be vigilant as to how you approach this. I can't picture you standing up and giving a two-minute high-pressures sales pitch and then a dance number. I can, however, picture a paralegal saying, "I'm offering an X discount if you refer other customers." Your customers are probably individuals and companies, and trying to determine their needs is crucial in developing a strong customer base. This can be tricky, sometimes, especially when evaluating individual needs. For instance, asking for a referral from a customer dealing with a property tax protestation might not net you much. However, making a relationship with the local tax protesting organization and putting up posters, for example, may make more sense. The idea here is for you to examine your needs too -- just like your diet and nutritional needs! If you can determine that the work you want to do originates from targeted groups, such as real estate developers, community groups, political action organizations, then create a menu of services for these prospective clients. Once you make an entry, then you can build on referrals from the group. (continued) Page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 Enter your search terms Submit search form       Search Idea Cafe Web Small Business Tax Center • Idea Cafe Home • Sign Up • Biz Grant Center • CyberSchmooz •Coffee Talk with Experts • People in Biz Profiles • Starting Your Biz • Biz Planning • Running Your Biz • FREE Trade Publications • Marketing • Financing Your Biz • Human Resources • Legal & Biz Forms • Managing Your Biz • eCommerce • You and Your Biz • Gen X • Work@Home • The Fridge • De-Stress • Send an Award • Send an eGreeting • Yoga @ Your Desk • Web Guide • Idea Cafe in the News • About Idea Cafe • Advertise on Idea Cafe • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Site Map • Small Biz News Copyright 1995-2023, Idea Cafe Inc. Downloads are for personal use only, not for resale to others, and may not be reprinted in any form without written permission from Idea Cafe Inc. DISCLAIMER: We hope whatever you find on this site is helpful, but be cautioned that it may not apply to your own situation, or be totally current at any given time. Idea Cafe Inc. and all of its current and past experts, sponsors, advertisers, agents, contractors and advisors disclaim all warranties with regard to anything found anywhere on this family of websites, quoted from, or sent from Idea Cafe. and its related sites, publications and companies. We also take no responsibility for comments published by others on these pages. TRADEMARKS: The following are Registered Trademarks or Servicemarks of DevStart, Inc.: Idea Cafe®, Online Coffee Break®, The Small Business Gathering Place®, Take out Info®, Biz Bar & Grill®, Complaint-O-Meter®, A Fun Approach to Serious Business™, CyberSchmooz™, and BizCafe™.

About the Expert Kent Capener Owner of Capener Consulting Kent is an expert on marketing; advertising; print, radio, and TV production; biz plan writing; trade show services; and direct response television. He relishes helping start-ups grow. more