To effectively educate others to refer you, it's crucial to shift the focus from what you do to the value you provide to others.

Here's how you can apply the information in the sources to enhance your referral strategy:

• It's not about you, it's about them

  Instead of focusing on your own needs and what you do, concentrate on what the other person needs to hear to be able to refer you. People need to understand your value to the person you want to be introduced to.

• Educate, don't just present

  It's your responsibility to teach people how to refer you, not the other way around. Don't expect people to understand how to refer you without your guidance. It's important to empower people to want to help you, then give them the tools they need to help you.

• Be specific about who you want

  Being specific is key to getting the referrals you desire. Don't be broad; go as deep as you can to identify your ideal client. Include details such as the name of the person, their position in the company, the name of the company, and the industry they work in. If it’s business to consumer, specify the age group, where they live, and relevant family details. Many people are not specific enough, and think they are because no one has told them they are not.

• Highlight your value

  Understand your value to the person you are trying to reach. Explain how you can provide a solution to their needs. People will be more excited to refer you if they understand how you can help the person they are introducing you to. The more that your referrers understand your value to the other person, the easier it will be for them to refer you.

• Provide a 'line of entry'

  Teach your referrers a line of entry, an example of what they can say to a prospect to introduce you. For example, a sales trainer might ask "Do your team sell as many cars as you like?" before offering an introduction. This gives your referrers a way to start a conversation about you that can lead to a referral.

• Why are you good?

  People need to know why you are good. Your confidence in yourself isn't as important as the confidence your referrers have in your ability to provide a quality product or service. You need to show them why they should be confident in your abilities.

• Research

  Do your research to understand who you want and to learn how to educate people to refer you. If you ask for small, you'll get small. If you ask for big and use the same strategy, then everyone knows people you want.

• Solve problems

  Think of yourself as a solution provider. When talking to your referrers, focus on how you solve problems.

• Don't take your value for granted

  It's important to understand why your business is good, rather than taking it for granted. You may need to search for the reasons why you are good. It may be important to understand how you differ from the competition, and be able to explain it.

Applying these points to your web design business, as you mentioned in your notes:

• Ideal client

  You should focus on small business owners in your area and those aged 50 plus. When explaining this to your referrers, include the specific industry or type of small business you're targeting. Include the age range to make it even more specific.

• Line of Entry

  Develop a line of entry that your referrers can use. For example, "Are you happy with your current website?" or "Is your current website generating leads?"

• Personality

  You can use your personality and strengths, such as Clifton Strengthsfinder and being friendly, as part of your value proposition and to establish trust.

• Value Proposition

  Explain how you provide a valuable service to your clients. The value should be about how you can make a difference for your ideal clients. For example, you may focus on the idea that having a website can provide an important sense of credibility and legitimacy for a small business, or that a website can make a small business more competitive.

• Problem Solver

  Your value proposition should show how you solve a specific problem that your client may have better than your competitors. You could say that you have expertise in building user-friendly, mobile-responsive websites for small business owners or websites tailored for the 50 plus demographic, or that you are very responsive and work to solve problems quickly.

By implementing these strategies, you can enhance your ability to educate people to refer you, and you may receive more referrals of the kind of clients you are seeking.

Also read and listen to these two podcast:

1. https://podcasts.matchpro.co.za/Podcasts/social-media-conversion-strategy/#wbb1

2. https://podcasts.matchpro.co.za/Podcasts/co-networking-strategy-business-leads/#wbb1