How do you say “Thank You” for referrals?

Recently, many of my clients have been struggling with their websites - the cost, not getting what they want, difficulty communicating what they need, and on and on. I have been on the lookout for people to solve these problems and support my clients in getting the help they need.

I recently provided a consult to a woman whose website we reviewed as part of the assessment. I liked her site and she had a good experience with the designer. He was easy to work with, reasonably priced, and really led her in the right direction. This was music to my ears!

I contacted him and we set up a “meet and greet.” In getting to know more about him and the work he does, I saw that he was a good fit for some of my clients. In fact, I referred several people to him right away.

I got an email from the designer last week, following up on our meeting and my referrals. When we met, I had told him about a WordPress issue we were having and asked him if I could hire him to fix it. As a thank you for the referrals, he offered to solve the problem for me pro bono! Did this make my day? You bet it did!

Referrals are the lifeblood of any business and expressing thanks is essential

I make it a point to always send a branded snail mail thank you card along with a gift certificate for cupcakes, an hour of my time, something that is appropriate in expressing gratitude. One of my colleagues sends a dozen cookies (purchased from a colleague who has a baking business) each time she receives a referral. One bookkeeper I regularly refer to sends me restaurant gift certificates. Referrals are the lifeblood of any business and expressing thanks is essential.

What do you do to appreciate your referral sources? Ideas welcome!