ISSN 2562- 5330 ( Print) ISSN 2562- 5349 ( Online)

Tap into your network:

When I first started taking photographs, I focused mainly on helping close friends with their photography projects and needs. I did this without a charge. However, after deciding to turn my passion into a business, I had to figure out a way to get paying clients. I did this by reaching out to friends I had worked with and asked that they refer me to people who were in need of photography services. One benefit of tapping into your network is that you can leverage your social ties to test out and introduce your

services to the market.

Give people a reason to want to refer you.

In my case, a lot of individuals I worked with feedback about how quickly my turnaround is. This is one of their selling-points when referring my services to people in their network. Being aware of this, I go the extra mile to ensure I do not disappoint, and the photos are delivered within the agreed timeframe. In instances when your delivery schedule is impacted for any reason, be sure to give the client a heads-up and agree upon a new achievable timeframe. Communication is key!

Manage expectations

Receiving a referral is an exciting feeling; however, you still have a service to deliver as a business owner. Your job is to understand your client’s needs and help them understand you are able to offer a service. It is totally fine if a referral does not result in a sale. However, it would have been worse if you got excited, heard the client’s needs, over-promised then under-delivered. If you are not sure about any item on their list of requirements, it is ok to ask if you can get back to them on that. Run your numbers, assess the feasibility and determine a path forward for execution before agreeing to deliver a service that is out of your usual scope or current capacity.

Use social media

Send direct messages to people. In order to do this, you should have a game-plan. Write a concise note that includes a personalized compliment about this individual, your reason(s) for offering your services to them and your business contact information for how they can reach you if they have further questions. Including these elements into your message would reduce the chances of your message coming across as spam. Get comfortable with not getting a response from people and be prepared to follow-through when they do respond.

Follow-up

Following up with a phone call or email helps gain new referrals from existing clients. Do not start a follow-up conversation asking the client for referrals. Always keep the focus on making the client feel good about the service they received, which you delivered. Talk about how you enjoyed having them at your place of business, and how they were great to work with. Ask how they felt about the services they received and address any concerns that come up in their response to your question. After you are satisfied with making the client happy, proceed to let them know you would appreciate it if they referred you to anyone they know who would require your services. Remember, you are not entitled to a referral, but you may never get one if you do not ask.