Make It Easy to Recommend You: The Art of Consistent Messaging
Most businesses treat referrals like a happy accident. Someone “remembers” you in a meeting, or a client forwards your name after a casual conversation. You’re grateful, but the process feels unpredictable —because it is.
Here’s the truth: the best referrals aren’t random. They’re the product of clarity, consistency, and care. When you approach referrals as part of your overall communications strategy, you turn them from occasional windfalls into a steady, sustainable source of opportunities.
And if you do it right, your clients, your team, your partners — even the media — become a chorus of champions telling your story the way you want it told.
Referrals Are PR in Disguise
A great referral is earned credibility, delivered through someone else’s voice. That’s public relations at its purest.
The same rules apply:
The story must be clear.
The message must be consistent.
The experience must match the promise.
If your clients, team, and partners each describe your business differently, you’re diluting your brand equity. But when they all speak from the same page — sharing the same core story — you create a kind of brand shorthand that sticks.
Build the Story Before You Need the Referral
People remember stories far more than service lists. If you want others to champion you, give them something memorable to work with:
Anchor messages – The two or three things you want repeated every time your name comes up.
Proof points – Specific examples or wins that show your value in action.
Human details – Something relatable about how you work or why you do what you do.
The goal isn’t to script people — it’s to equip them. A partner who can say, “They’re the PR firm that got my client in three national outlets in six weeks” is far more powerful than one who says, “They do marketing, I think?”
Make the Experience Consistent Across Every Audience
Your referral network isn’t just past clients—it’s everyone who’s experienced your business in some way. That includes:
Clients, who can speak firsthand to your results and responsiveness.
Team members, who should be able to articulate your purpose, your differentiator, and your latest wins.
Media contacts, who can reference you accurately and confidently when your expertise fits a story.
Those who weren’t the right fit at the time, but respected your process enough to recommend you to someone else.
When each of these groups has a consistent, positive, memorable experience, they become natural advocates.
Make Advocacy Feel Natural
No one wants to be put on the spot with a “can you refer me?” request. Instead, make it easy for people to talk about you by:
Sharing updates, news, and wins they can pass along.
Giving them simple, confident language to introduce you.
Responding quickly and personally when they do make a connection.
Recognition is fuel. A quick, heartfelt thank-you — whether public or private — tells your advocates that their efforts matter.
The PR + Referral Flywheel
Referrals and PR feed each other.
Media coverage gives your network a credible, third-party reason to recommend you.
Referrals lead to new clients, which create new stories worth sharing with the media.
The more intentional you are about both, the stronger — and faster — this flywheel spins.
The Revolution Starts With You
Referrals don’t have to be rare, and they certainly don’t have to be random. If you want others to champion your business, give them a story worth telling, and make it easy — and rewarding — to tell it.
Your next great client might not come from an ad or a cold pitch. They might come from someone who already believes in you, speaking up at exactly the right moment.
That’s not luck. That’s the power of a referral revolution.
About The Author
Lauren Kwedar Cockerell is founder and president of Kwedar & Co. She is also the firm’s lead PR and marketing strategist, host of our podcast The Impatient Entrepreneur, and is a frequent podcast guest.
Over the past 20+ years, she has worked with 100s of leaders and organizations to create PR and marketing strategies and tactics that support visions and reach goals.
To connect with Lauren, please send an email above, or book a consultation.