The Referral Dilemma

A client recently asked me about my referral bonus structure for sending me a new client. The question surprised me, I don’t think it had crossed my mind in a long time. How odd.

Interesting question, what do you mean, I asked.

Well you know, maybe a free session or something when someone refers a new client, he responded. 

I immediately felt this strange pang of FOMO. Oh no, had I accidentally not allowed more clients to come in by not having a solid referral policy? Should I offer a percentage of the coaching fee as a bonus, maybe a cash sign-on bonus, maybe it should be in the form of non-payable sessions, maybe Amazon Gift-Cards!?

The more I considered it, the more wrong it felt. 

So I told him, I don’t think I will offer a referral bonus at all. I think it’s the wrong incentive. 

People should refer other people to me, not because of some monetary incentive, but because they care for those people and trust me to be a strong partner in their growth. That’s it. Referring should be an act of service and love. 

Simultaneously this keeps me on my toes. It means I must always grow as a coach and continuously provide top-notch experiences. Win-Win!

You may say that I am naive and that this is a stupid way to build a business. You may be right, but I believe in it. :)

That all being said, I always try to be generous and take care of people, I just don’t want to have a policy around it. 

Less focus on $

More focus on <3