Connection Before Conversion: Why Engagement Is the Key to Referrals
Apr 23, 2025
We often think of referrals as transactions. Rewards. Quid pro quo.
But they’re not.
Referrals are a reflection of how someone remembers you when you’re not in the room.
They’re not about something you can sell - they’re about how you make someone feel.
In business, people remember those who make them feel seen, safe and significant. Referrals grow in the soil of trust.
In practical terms this happens in real conversations.
- Ditch the Pitch.
Avoid reaching out only when you need something. Develop a Connection Strategy where you add value, where you help another first. - Acknowledge Their Achievements.
Send a handwritten note when they publish something meaningful. It tells them: “I see your life, not just your LinkedIn.” - Make Introductions.
Make connections live on Zoom. Or organize a small event. This Friday, for example, I’m co-hosting a lunch with Dan Rogers. We’re inviting people who could elevate one another. It’s personal and makes a big impact. - Collaborate.
Invite someone in your community to co-author an article, join a panel or be featured in your newsletter. Share the spotlight. It shines back. - Reconnect For No Reason.
Every week, reach out to three people with no agenda but this: “You came to mind. How are you, really?” Yesterday, for example, I reached out to an associate and learned her Mother had died. My heart is broken with hers. This is where connection lives.
In a world racing toward automation and scale, referrals are people. They’re passed from heart to heart, not CRM to CRM.
Show up like it matters - because it does. Root your engagement strategy in service. Let it be less about marketing, and more about meaning.
Because in the end, it’s people like you who refer you. They remember how you made them feel: Valued. Known. Held.
Jennifer Beale helps leaders build strategic partnerships for business growth. Her clients call her "the Queen of Connecting," "formidably connected," and an "ace" at matching people. Jennifer cuts through the networking confusion so you build the right connections fast. An award winning networker and event producer, her connection strategies have helped hundreds of business professionals earn hundreds of millions of dollars.
If you want to get more referrals and build strategic partnerships, Jennifer leads workshops, trainings, and interactive keynotes. Her ideas have been featured in major media including the National Post and on Global TV. If you're looking to get bigger results in a shorter amount of time through strategic partnerships, connect with Jennifer at https://www.JenniferBeale.com
