Professionals and service business owners who have been operating for a while always say they get most of their clients by word of mouth. But if you’re relatively new in business, no one is talking about you yet. How can you start building word of mouth right away instead of just waiting for it to happen?

The fastest and most effective way to do this is by actively working to generate referrals. A referral acts as an endorsement for your business. A prospective client who is referred to you by someone they trust is much more likely to hire you than a client you attract through advertising or promotion. Referred clients are also much less likely to question your credentials or your pricing, so you can close the sale more quickly.

Referrals come from a wide variety of sources, including satisfied clients, your friends and family, colleagues and competitors, and business owners who share the same market niche as you. Here are four ways you can work with each group to increase the number of referrals they give you.

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