These steps are taken from the Referral Flood Marketing Program. Referral Flood is an insider’s shortcut to referral marketing and features over 4 hours of audio training, 54 real-world referral marketing systems, and a host of referral marketing tools, letters, postcards and forms.

Step #1 - Create a referral target market(s) – you must create a target list of companies and individuals who can be motivated to refer. This can be clients or a network of related businesses.

Step #2 – Identify your ideal referral client – In order to receive high quality referrals you must be able to quickly communicate the exact type of person or business that makes a great referral.

Step #3 – Create and communicate your core referral message – you must be able to easily explain the value you can bring to anyone who is referred. “We show estate attorneys how to become famous.”

Step #4 – Design a referral education system – When you meet with a potential referral source you can substantially increase the number and quality of referrals if you systematically educate them on: Who makes a great referral, what’s in it for them to provide a referral, how to refer you, and the exact steps you plan to take with that referral

Step #5 – Outline your

Step #6 – Create a referral conversion strategy – what good are referral leads if they don’t become referral clients? You must map out a specific set of steps that will allow you to convert your referral leads. What do you do with a lead when the phone rings?

Step #7 – Identify a referral follow-up strategy – to bring your referral system full circle you need to devise two follow-up steps. 1) a way to continue to market to your referral leads that don’t immediately turn into clients and 2) a way to systematically communicate the progress of a referral back to your referral sources to keep them motivated.

Copyright 2004 John Jantsch

John Jantsch is a marketing coach and creator of the Duct Tape Marketing System. You can get more information about the Duct Tape System and download your free copy of “How To Create the Ultimate Small Business Marketing System in 7 Simple Steps” by visiting http://www.DuctTapeMarketing.com