202. Do Referral Requests Feel Awkward?

I think most of us can agree that some of the best clients come through referrals. They often show up ready to hire you because they trust the person who recommended them to you in the first place, right? Referral marketing is one of the three paths I teach inside my course, Client Surge for this very reason. But what if you're a coach who does deep transformational, trauma informed work that's a little touchy for folks to talk about? If you're a LinkedIn coach who helps business owners find quality leads...asking for referrals is extremely straightforward. But if you're a health coach, how are you supposed to ask people to refer their friends without insulting them? This was the conundrum today's guest and I will tackle inside the episode. Marielle Fois helps women stop negative self-talk so they can increase their self-confidence and show up with authenticity at work and in their relationships. She'll also be the first to tell you that she's on the introverted side and she doesn't feel like she has a big network. So the two of us had to put our heads together to figure out how we could tweak the Client Surge system to match her comfort level while making it as simple as possible for folks to send her referrals. And by the end of our conversation we were both very excited about the plan, which still leverages referral marketing, but instead of asking folks to send referrals into a 1:1 sales call, Marielle will ask them to recommend a free intro workshop instead. If you're a coach who feels like it's awkward for folks to refer their friends, Marielle's plan could be the solution to your referral getting problem. Before I hand Marielle the mic, I want to just say that the kind of creative resourcefulness you'll hear me tap into throughout the episode is the same kind of support you'll get from me inside Client Surge. Enrollment closes on February 29th, so please visit joinclientsurge.com now to see if joining Client Surge feels right for you. And now... here's Marielle Fois. Key Takeaways: Lighter Engagement Approach Post-Workshop Follow-Up Focus on Providing Traction Use Storytelling Effectively Promote Discovery Calls Leverage Recorded Content Timestamps & Key Topics [03:04] Introductions [04:00] Marielle explains her evolving message and challenges [06:50] Exploring new approaches for referral requests [15:31] Using experiential marketing to build trust with referrals [16:48] The technical setup of Marielle's free workshop [19:50] Post-workshop engagement structure [24:20] Delivering teaching content to give people traction and help them experience their own capabilities [26:47] Using the "Full Picture Framework" for the workshop [30:16] The power of storytelling in teaching and converting learners [35:30] Integrating the new class strategy with Marielle's existing client surge process [36:06] Promoting discovery calls versus promoting the class in social media strategy [36:50] Using the recording of the class as a free resource or lead magnet [38:55] The universal value of Marielle's class topic and its potential for reaching various audiences CONNECT WITH MARIELLE: INSTAGRAM: @mariellefois WEBSITE: mariellefois.com CONNECT WITH ME: INSTAGRAM: @dallastravers