A New Take On Referral Marketing Most of us would like more enquiries , because more enquiries equals more bookings , and more bookings equals more money! If we can get those enquires by spending either zero money or very little, that’s even better! In this article I want to share some tactics for picking up enquires that are working really well for me right now . These are all based around setting up partnerships with other companies, and require very little in the way of financial investment – just a bit of time and effort.
Partnerships have always worked well for me. In my early days as a DJ these partnerships were with agencies that had venue contracts. They knew I was a good and reliable DJ, and filled my diary with work at the places they managed. Later I realized that I could make more money working directly for the venues, so built up partnerships with them.
This included a partnership with one of the busiest wedding venues in the country, so I always had a steady stream of bookings for myself and the other DJs who worked for me, it was like a licence to print money! A few years ago my personal circumstances changed, which meant my work priorities also changed and I left the cash cow that was my residency. I became 100% freelance, competing with every other DJ for those nonpackage bookings. As I worked out ways of attracting private clients, I realised that there are lots of other partnerships that can be productive for a mobile DJ.
Other DJs The easiest partnership to setup is with other DJs. If I get an enquiry for a date that I’m already booked, I refer them to one of my local DJ friends who I know will do a good job. If they get an enquiry they can’t cover, they do the same for me. How easy is that?
The only downside comes when you realise that you are passing on significantly more referrals to someone than they are sending to you. This is where you might have to become brutal. If it's not an equal partnership, find another DJ to refer as this needs to be a two way street. Join A Referral Circle The logical way of taking this concept to the next level is to join, or setup, a ‘referral circle’ of complementing event suppliers.
The idea is to get together a group of like-minded suppliers who will all recommend each other. I joined a circle with a photographer, videographer, dress supplier, florist, photobooth company and a stationery supplier. In theory this should have been perfect and we all should have been super busy, but in reality there will always be those that contribute more to the circle then the rest. It’s particularly disheartening when you find out that you have been recommending someone from the circle, but they have been recommending another DJ!
It’s particularly disheartening when you find out that you have been recommending someone, but they have been recommending another DJ! 53PARTNERSHIPS Individual Partnerships As the circle strategy wasn’t working 100%, I decided to go for a one-to-one approach. I realised that I was passing work to the photographer and florist, but wasn’t getting any referrals from them. So I found another photographer and florist to recommend, where the partnerships are more equal.
So now I have dropped the circle and deal with each partnership individually. I recommend one of each type of supplier and they recommend me, but we all don’t recommend each other. I recommend a photographer, who recommends me, but we don’t recommend the same florist. To help these suppliers, I have customised flyers made which say something along the lines of: ‘mention ABC supplier and receive XYZ offer ’ and they give me the same.
This has been working really well for me, creating at least 20 enquiries a year. Think Outside The Box Up until recently I actually thought I had the partnership thing covered. But then a few months ago a new Debenhams opened in my local town and in this shop there were other businesses: a Nandos, a Costa Coffee, a Patisserie Valerie and a Creams ice cream parlour. This setup seems to be working well; the food places bring in customers for Debenhams and Debenhams brings in customers for the food outlets.
It occurred to me that this is a little bit like my referral partnerships, although Debenhams and these catering brands are a little bit further removed from one another than my DJ business is from a photographer. I then started to see partnerships everywhere: Costa Coffee and Starbucks in all sorts of places; clothes outlets, bookshops and even banks operating within other larger businesses. I became obsessed with looking for these arrangements, and then realised I had been using one of the most successful partnerships on a weekly basis: the one between BP garages and Marks & Spencer.
I looked into this and found that this partnership was instrumental in saving M&S as a brand, so much so that they are starting to close many of their large clothing stores in favour of the smaller ‘convenience’ locations. I thought to myself, what businesses outside of the obvious can I partner with? As a DJ I used to avoid general business networking meetings, as I thought that there was nothing for me there. But, with my new found interest in partnerships, I started attending a few.
I looked at the businesses that were there, and asked myself who can I set up a partnership with? There were the usual businesses: accountants, web designers and solicitors, but then at one meeting there was a beautician. I had my target! A beautician provides services for weddings, so would value my referrals, but also has regular clients who are sure to share big news like getting engaged!
I chatted with her and set up a deal where I recommend her and she recommends me. This got me on a roll! I set up partnerships with hairdressers, mortgage consultants and fitness instructors… anyone who might have future brides or grooms as their clients. This is a new initiative for me, but in the last few months I have already confirmed two bookings from these new partnerships.
So I guess that joining networking groups can work! Just make sure you think creatively about mutually beneficial partnerships that could provide introductions to your target market of potential clients. Good luck!
