Get After It 014: Identify, build, and use your referral network

Earlier this year, when what should have been an anchor client pulled the rug out from under me  because my manager wasn’t acquainted with the company’s labor laws, I panicked. Losing this client meant losing over five figures of work for the rest of this year. Even after a decade of freelancing and learning how to manage the emotional rollercoaster of the business, I’ve resigned to the fact that I’m human and that my first response to anything will still be that — emotional. 

After I gathered myself and assessed the situation, I knew I just had to truck on forward. And instead of wallowing in my own self-pity and frustration with the situation, I told everyone.

And guess what? The more people I told, the more opportunities for work sprung up. Folks that knew me and my work were more than happy to help. And although I’m not getting stability in my business from one content client, I now have enough leads on other client work that can turn into something more regular.

What I did here by telling “everyone” was really telling everyone in my referral network. 

In the business of sole proprietorship, we talk about two things: building your "network" and leveraging your "referrals."

The two are not equivalent: I’d argue that your "network" is just people in your line of work who you have a relationship with. Your referral network, on the other hand, is made up of people who can vouch for you as a person and the quality of your work. 

The folks who I was reaching out to weren’t just folks I have casual relationships with. These are folks who I’ve known for years and years. I’ve read their work. They’ve read mine. We bounce work opportunities to each other all! the! time! And in many cases, I’d also consider these people friends — folks that I’d happily host in my guest bedroom or reach out to if I’m passing through where they live. 

We talk about having a strong network. Even more important is intentionally making sure you have a strong referral network. And at the same time, not everyone in your professional network is necessarily a referral!

For this newsletter, I wanted to share some frameworks for how to think about your referral network and how to ask them for work.