You’ve finally taken that giant leap and created your own Facebook advertising agency. Now, you can design a life of your own and actually have a say in what it is you do.
And, you’ve found it to be pretty thrilling to go out and get you some new clients—even though it might be a bit terrifying. Heck, I don’t think you’d be human if you didn’t think it was at least a little scary to break free from your comfort zone and try to get more people onboard.
Thus, at this point, you probably have, what, one to two clients behind you? If so, we raise you a cold one and cheers to you! But, you’re 100% ready to take on more. You know it. We know it. You’re confident in your abilities and are working hard to make a difference for businesses in your area—bringing in new leads each and every week that passes by.
That’s something to be proud of! So, how in the world do you start the process of reeling in new prospects? Is it by cold emailing a randomly-generated list of people? Nope. Not quite. We don’t recommend emailing potential clients unless they’re a warm prospect (a referral).
If that’s the case, how do you earn those contacts, you ask? Well, I’m sure your clients are more than happy to refer you to others who might be interested in your services. And, when they do, a gigantic barrier is removed to getting more conversions: trust.
But, once you gather their contact information from your current clients, where do you even begin the outreach process to take your agency to the next level? Well, that’s why I’m here. Today, I’m sharing with you the six steps to take to handle client referrals and actually win you new clients.
And, I won’t keep you waiting any longer. I know just how eager you are to get moving on adding some fresh people to your roster. Let’s dig in…
1. Play detective & do your research on them.
Just because your client knows them, doesn’t eliminate those referrals from the vetting process. So, here’s the checklist you need to play the ultimate detective role and ensure they have what it takes to join your Facebook ad agency roster.
- Been in business for at least 3-5 years. In general, this will tell you they’re more stable, they have a strong grip on the lifetime value of their customers, a working upsell process, and a good understanding of what marketing can do for their business.
- Member of the local Chamber of Commerce. This means they’re not only dedicated to their business, but also to promoting and protecting their local business community.
- Advertising on Google. While this isn’t a gigantic stumbling block, it can give you a hint that they’re savvy and already spending advertising dollars.
- A website. Run far and run fast if they don’t have one. Seriously.
- An active Facebook business page. If they don’t have this, chances are they’re not ideal for your agency. If they do, however, they’re aware of how the platform works and that it has true growth potential for their business.
- Good online ratings. On both Facebook and Google. This tells you they do a good job creating loyal customers.
While not all of these are deal breakers, this list will definitely help you weed out potentially bad referrals—despite them being recommended to you by a current client.
2. Reach out to those who fit the bill.
Obviously, those who fit the bill should have an active Facebook page presence. Thus, you can tackle this step using Facebook Messenger—that’s certainly the direction the world is going!
But, picking up the phone and ringing their office is just as efficient. And, if you don’t love talking on the phone, you’re not out of the woods just yet as you’ll definitely need to do that here shortly (stick around).
Just keep in mind, you won’t be speaking to the main person (aka the office manager or owner of the practice/business) during this step. Instead, the person on the other end will most likely be a gatekeeper of some sort—an office assistant or receptionist.
So, to kick off your initial outreach—whether on Facebook Messenger or the good ol’ teléfono—use the following script and tweak it to your liking to start off on the right foot with your referral:
Hey! My name is [YOUR NAME] and I am a friend of [ORIGINAL CLIENT]. He referred me over to [REFERRAL CLIENT], who works at your office, to possibly get some help with a marketing program that we’re working on.
Could I possibly setup a time to speak with him/her for about 10 minutes?
Simple and painless, am I right? The key to getting that call scheduled is leveraging your current client relationship—mentioning you’re a friend of a friend. This puts you on the fast track to earning their trust and business.
3. Get a call on the books & walk them through your biz.
Once you get a call on the books with the prospective client, you’ll finally get the chance to dig into what it is you do.
While the last step could’ve been tackled on Facebook Messenger, we highly recommend you conquer this part of the referral outreach process via phone. And, we promise it won’t take up too much of your time—maybe 10 minutes at most to get your foot in the door.
We’ve even created another script for you to copy, saving you even more time! Check it out, and fill it in with the information you’d like to highlight to win you some new biz.
Hey [REFERRAL CLIENT],
My name is [YOUR NAME] and I have recently been working with your friend [ORIGINAL CLIENT]. He/She and I put together a Facebook program that [SPEAK ON SPECIFIC RESULTS].
I’m looking to partner with another office like yours, and he/she told me to speak to you about it.
[EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS YOU DO]
So, I’m going to send you a super short video of how it works…
What is the best email to send it to?
[REFERRAL CLIENT WILL SHARE EMAIL]
Awesome. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and thank you so much for chatting with me.
Talk soon.
Okay… that’s not too bad, is it? Didn’t think so. But, what’s the deal with that testimonial video mentioned in the script? We’ve got you covered in the next step.
4. Deliver that winning testimonial video to their email.
Did you have a brief moment of panic when we mentioned a video testimonial in the last script? If you’ve yet to record one featuring your current client, no worries.
The idea is pretty simple. After all, it’s difficult to fully explain what it is you do over the phone. So, to help make it easier, you’ll use your current client to record a testimonial of them recapping their results and experience with you. Then, leverage it to acquire more clients.
And, no, you don’t need to be some sort of video and editing guru to do this. All you need is a list of questions to ask them as you film, a smartphone to film them on (you can edit out their voice later), and an inexpensive tripod to set up your phone on your desk.
If you’re looking for more information on this step, head over to our blog post titled 90 Day Hustle: How to Build A Successful 6-Figure Facebook Agency From Home, step #7. Here, you’ll learn more about video testimonials, the ideal questions you should ask your clients when filming, how to edit the video, and how to create a Referral Connection page to send your referrals to.
5. Close with “The Clincher.”
How can you ensure you make it easy for your referrals to actually want to watch the video testimonial you sent them? By using what we call “The Clincher.”
It’s a special closing method you can use after speaking to your potential client on the phone (whether it was the office manager or the owner of the practice/business) and sending them an email with a link to watch the video.
So, let’s get to closing! Jump over to 1-800-Baskets, The Popcorn Factory, or someplace local to pick out something that’s not only tasty, but also looks amazing to send to their office.
And, on the card that goes along with it, mention the name of the gatekeeper (receptionist or office assistant), the referral (office manager or business/practice owner), and that you’re excited to hear their thoughts about the video (no link; simply refer to it). Conclude with your name and phone number, and get ready to grow your client roster.
Is it really that easy? Yes. Reason being, people appreciate hustlers. And, while a thoughtful arrangement can be pricey, they show your referral that you care about investing in this new business relationship.
6. But, don’t just send it and end it. Follow-up.
Just because you did your part and sent a nice arrangement to your prospect, doesn’t mean you should stop there. Especially if they don’t respond. Remember, they’re busy! Thus, if you have yet to get the reply you’ve been waiting for after a series of communications, it’s okay to follow-up with a call back or email.
Actually, the follow-up is where you have the greatest opportunity to win over a new client! So, use it to bring new value to your recipient.
Here’s the script we use to reach back out after the referral has had time to review the video testimonial:
Hey [REFERRAL CLIENT],
What did you think about the video? Would you be open to helping us test out this Facebook program in your area to recreate the results we helped your friend achieve?
If so, we’d be happy to offer you a free trial and $100 to get started with ad spends.
Doing that should earn you a message back, don’t ya think?
If not, move onto the next one and try again. This is a marathon, not a sprint! You’re working on building your client list, and you’re off to a great start.
Now, over to you!
Your best source of new business is referrals from happy clients. Thus, when you follow the steps we shared today, you’ll be well on your way to making a better first impression and growing your roster.
And if you find yourself wanting more of what was shared here, and help navigating the waters of growing your Facebook ad agency, we’ve got just the thing. It’s called AdLab—an ever-evolving ad strategy course surrounding the popular social media platform. Join now to generate profit for years to come.
Have questions or something to share about your experience with handling client referrals? Drop us a message in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.
