How do they do it, and \u2028how can you follow their lead?<\/p>\n The Win-Win is a hugely effective referral tactic.<\/p>\n Consider Plated<\/i><\/a>, a startup that delivers chef-inspired recipes and locally-sourced ingredients to customers who want to cook gourmet meals (cofounders pictured above). Once customers join, they get a special referral link that Plated<\/i> asks them to share with friends. It\u2019s a double incentive\u201d the friend who signs up gets the first two meals free and the existing customer gets a bonus of two meals credited to their account.<\/p>\n You can adopt a similar strategy. It could be straightforward – perhaps you give the referring client a small discount on services and offer the potential client a free initial report. Or get creative! When a new client signs on, the referring client gets to join them for some awesome experience, like a cooking class or wine tasting event (with you footing the bill, of course).<\/p>\n Successful startup marketers know how to choose the right moments for referrals. The best time to ask customers to sing your praises is when they\u2019re closest to the brand. For an online retailer like Rue La La<\/i><\/a>, that means giving customers the chance to tell their friends about a sale the moment after their own purchase is complete.<\/p>\n For financial advisors, that means being strategic about when you ask your clients for referrals. Maybe you just helped a client grasp a new concept, or made an awesome move that your client is fawning over, or showed them the super awesome features in Blueleaf\u2019s client portal. Don\u2019t wait; that\u2019s your time to swoop in and make the ask.<\/p>\n Asking for a referral is great, but giving clients a clear next step for taking action is even better. Just ask The Startup Institute<\/i><\/a>, a career accelerator that prepares their \u201cstudents\u201d of all ages to work and thrive at startups. In order to get qualified students to apply to the program each season, The Startup Institute <\/i>reaches out to its network of alumni and provides them with pre-written tweets, emails, and Facebook posts that they can use to spread the word. They\u2019ve made it incredibly easy for happy customers to send referrals.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t leave clients wondering how to refer you. Give them clear next steps. Maybe you host a panel event, and ask clients to bring a +1 who might be interested in learning more about your services. You can also create an email template that they can easily adapt to send to their contacts. Better yet, give them a list of the type of other professional service providers you\u2019d love to meet, and ask them to make an introduction.<\/p>\n — Brief\u00a0excerpt from:\u00a0How To Grow Like Today\u2019s Hot Startups<\/i>. Download a full copy here.<\/a>![\"plated-cofounders\"](\"https:\/\/www.blueleaf.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/plated-cofounders.jpg\")
Startups get this.<\/strong> Beyond asking for referrals, startups INSPIRE their audience to refer.\u00a0They\u2019ve found referral strategies that work, without adding unnecessary time to your schedule. (If anyone understands the value of time-saving strategies, it’s small startups!)<\/p>\nHow Today’s Best\u00a0Startups Inspire Referrals<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Win-Win<\/h3>\n
Choose Your Moment<\/h3>\n
Make it Easy<\/h3>\n
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