At a certain point in your freelancing career, you move past the stage of always looking for new clients. Instead, clients come to you. And a common way this happens is through client referrals. 

Client referrals are when a current client connects you to a new client because they find your work valuable. Many freelancers rely on client referrals or word-of-mouth to get consistent work and build their network. In fact, one survey found that 89% of freelance writers get new work through client referrals.

If you’ve been wanting to generate more client referrals for your business, let’s go over a few ways to increase your referrals and exactly how to ask for a referral from a client. 

What is a Client Referral?

A client referral is a recommendation you receive from a current client that is used to help you land more clients. Client referrals are a form of word-of-mouth marketing and usually happen organically. Let’s say your client is talking to a colleague in your industry and they happen to mention that they’re looking for a designer or writer (or whatever your service is). If your client has been happy with your work and relationship, then they’ll likely recommend you or even connect you with this person directly. 

You can also ask your clients directly for a referral. After you’ve worked with a client for a while or as a project is wrapping up, mention that you’re available for new projects if they happen to know anyone who’s looking (we’ll expand more on how to ask for a referral below). 

How Freelancers Can Use Referrals to Grow Their Business

When you’re building an independent business as a freelancer, you are the face of your business. You’re solely responsible for growing your network, marketing your services, conducting sales calls, sending proposals, and closing deals. These things are necessary to scale your business, but when you combine this with all of the other tasks on your plate — from managing your finances to handling client work — that leaves very little time left in your day.

Referrals take some of the load off of you by helping to grow your freelance business organically. The more clients you work with, the more people will find out about you and your services — and the less time you’ll have to spend promoting yourself. 

Another benefit of referrals is that they cut down on the sales process by building trust quicker. When it comes to business, 81% of consumers trust their friend’s and family’s advice over advice that comes from a business. This is due to “social proof” which is a psychological concept that people are influenced by the decisions and evidence of others. Similar to testimonials, referrals and recommendations are a great way to provide social proof for your business. 

6 Ways to Increase Your Client Referrals 

Now that you’re sold on why you need more client referrals to scale your business, it’s time to go out there and get them. Follow these best practices to make it easy for clients to recommend you and increase the number of client referrals that come your way.

1. Provide excellent service 

This should go without saying, but for a current client to recommend you to someone else, they have to enjoy working with you. Being great to work with has just as much to do with the work you deliver as it does with how you are as a colleague.

With every client relationship, strive to exceed expectations, establish smooth processes, and communicate professionally. These qualities may seem easy enough to achieve, but they go a long way in making a lasting impression and building a good reputation as a freelancer. 

2. Ask for a testimonial first  

In a recent issue of Dear Freelancer, a weekly newsletter by Brooklin Nash, Brooklin answered a reader’s question about how to ask for client referrals. He suggests starting with a smaller ask: a client testimonial. 

Asking your client for a testimonial is a great way to test the waters before asking for a full recommendation. A testimonial gives them an opportunity to write a glowing review about you without the pressure of having to also connect you with someone they know. Plus, as Brooklin mentioned, a client testimonial goes a long way because you can continue to use it as social proof for your business in different capacities, whether on your website or to beef up your LinkedIn profile. 

3. Let clients know you’re available for new projects 

If you’ve impressed your clients enough, they’re probably eager to recommend you to others but they may not be sure if you’re accepting new clients. Make it easy for them to refer you by simply letting them know you’re available for new work. 

This doesn’t have to be a huge ask, either. The next time you’re in a meeting with them, you can casually mention that you’re taking on new clients if they happen to know anyone. Even if they don’t, you’ll be top of mind if any opportunities come up in their network. 

4. Provide an incentive 

As you grow your business and maybe even start to build a small studio, you’ll probably have more resources and a bigger budget available for sales and marketing opportunities. If this is the case, consider building a referral program. 

A referral program is a way to incentivize your current clients to recommend you to new clients. This means that in exchange for a referral, you can offer discounted services or rewards.

Your program could look something like this: a client sends a lead your way and if that lead converts into a client, then the first client can get a discount on their monthly services. If you go this route, make sure you have a tool that makes it easy to discount your services. For instance, Wethos users can easily apply a 10% discount on their client invoices. Consider what your budget is and what type of reward would incentivize your clients if you want to execute a program like this. 

5. Join industry communities 

As a freelancer, you’re probably already part of many online communities whether to grow your network, gain industry insights, or commiserate with fellow freelancers. But another benefit of being active in an industry community is that it can help you increase referrals. 

Let’s say you’re part of a Slack community for freelancers and you actively participate in discussions by sharing your expertise, experiences, and advice. When another member has a relevant client opportunity come up that they want to pass along to someone else, there’s a good chance that they’ll recommend you purely based on the positive interactions they’ve had with you in the community.  

This may not be a client referral, per se, but getting a referral from another freelancer or peer can be just as beneficial. 

Looking to connect with like-minded freelancers? Join the Wethos Freelance Slack Community.

6. Be ready to pitch yourself 

When you’re working on increasing your client referrals, another best practice to follow is to be ready to pitch yourself. One of your clients may recommend you to someone out of the blue and you’ll want to have your elevator pitch ready so you don’t miss the opportunity. 

Have an email template (or a short DM-style template if the referral happens in an online community) to send to potential clients that gives them a snapshot of what you do. 

If the conversation moves into a discovery call or accelerates into the proposal process, be ready to put together a proposal that your new clients can review and accept so you can get started right away.  

When you are referred to someone, there’s a good chance they are coming into the situation with high expectations of you. Having a seamless and professional onboarding process ready to go fulfills that expectation and assures them that you’ll be great to work with. 

How to Ask For a Referral From a Client [Template] 

If you follow all of the steps above, you’re sure to start increasing your client referrals organically. But if you want to accelerate the process and ask your current clients directly for a recommendation, here’s a template you can use to get started. Use this script as a framework and edit it where you see fit! 

Client referral template 

Hi [client name], 

I hope all is well! [Add a personal line here]. 

I enjoyed working with you on [recent project] and am glad to hear you’re happy with my work. I wanted to see if you happen to know anyone else who’s looking for similar services. 

I’m available for new projects/clients starting [share your availability details here]. As a reminder, I offer [list your services, types of clients you work with, etc. here]. 

Just putting this out there in case anyone comes to mind! Feel free to share my contact information and website with others who you think could be a good fit. 

Thanks! 

[your name]

Referrals are great for business and asking for them doesn’t have to be intimidating. As long as you provide excellent service, share your industry expertise in relevant communities, and are pleasant to work with, organic client referrals will come rolling into your business in no time. 

Looking for more ways to scale your freelance business? Sign up for your Wethos account.