There is a big difference in the number of referrals you receive from clients and referral sources that are satisfied with your agency to those that are engaged with your agency. In fact, a study by Advisor Impact called "Anatomy of the Referral" shows that almost ALL referrals come from people who are actively engaged with you or your agency at some level. I had a good reminder of this fact last week when I hosted a contest for National Jelly Bean Day on April 22nd.
During the last week and a half of April I gave my clients and prospects the opportunity to celebrate jelly bean day by guessing how many jelly beans I had placed in a jar (pictured below). The closest guess took home the jar of beans and an Olive Garden gift card that I had placed inside. During the 10 days that I accepted guesses, I had about 50 clients place their guess for the number of beans. However, during that same 10 day period, I received 5 new referrals from clients who had participated in my jelly bean contest! But that's just the half of things.
It's great to have referral sources and clients who are satisfied with your agency, but it's something completely different when your clients and referral sources are engaged with your agency. Although jelly bean day has come and gone, there is always something you can do to get some participation from the people you work with. Take the initiative, find new ways to engage people with your agency and watch your referrals go through the roof!
