Most small business owners miss the boat when it comes to getting a constant flow of referrals because they start off in the wrong direction.

If they seek referrals at all, most small business owners head straight to their clients. Now, your existing clients can be a good source of referrals. And when you think about it, who better to sing your praises than someone who has actually experienced your rare abilities.

The problem though is that your existing clients don’t have much motivation.

When it comes to figuring out a referral marketing system, the number one question you need to answer is this. Who is, or can be convinced to be, highly motivated to refer business to me.

When you look at it from that point of view you begin to realize that no matter who you approach you better be able to propose a motivation that has something in it for them.

In most cases, the best referral sources, those that can be motivated, are businesses like yours that sell to the same target market.

There are many ways to motivate this type of referral lead source. You likely have something they want or can at least propose a way for them to get more of what they want. I’m afraid it’s hard to say the same for your clients.

The best way to put this thinking on steroids is to think in terms of building your very own strategic partnership network. Try to fill every need your clients have by plugging in and referring members of your private network. If you do this, you will never need to search for business again.