Refer an independent consultant
“Maintain your reputation by referring only those that you would stake your reputation on.”
Loren Weisman
If you have a colleague, friend, family member, or anyone else who is in need of the help that I can provide, I invite you to connect them with me.
My solemn promise to you is that I will provide your referral with whatever help I can to within the best of my abilities — and if I can’t help, I will see to it that they’re connected with someone who can help them. And if you’re someone who was referred to me who landed on this document, I’m delighted to connect with you.
Read through this for a sense of who I can best help, the problems I can best help with, and how I might be able to help you. Then, reach out to me and tell me more about your business, the problem you’re facing, and how I can help.
You’re reading this page because you’re a trusted friend, client, or colleague and you’re curious how to refer someone to me.
First off, let me thank you deeply. I appreciate any and all referrals that you are gracious enough to provide. You have my promise that any person you refer to me, I will provide with whatever help I can to the best of my abilities.
If you’re curious about who would make an ideal referral and how to refer someone to me, read on. This has been one of the most frequently asked questions I’ve received and this page was written to give you helpful, specific instructions on how to refer someone you know.
“What type of clients do you work best with?”
My ideal clients are independent consultants providing high value B2B services.
They should be looking to grow in the coming ~3-12 months by increasing revenue, generating more leads, or building their authority in their market.
“What challenges do your ideal clients face?”
The challenges my ideal clients face generally fall into two buckets, depending on what stage they’re in.
Sometimes, they know they have a problem, but are unaware of how podcasting can help solve it. Common examples include:
- Their business has so far relied on their referral network which is drying up, and they’re looking for new sources of leads and referrals
- They find themselves constantly in a fast and famine cycle i.e. being too busy with work to market their businesses, and scrambling to market their businesses when out of work
- Feeling like the world’s best kept secret – being invisible with their target market
Alternatively, they’re curious about podcasting, but have some hurdles to overcome, including:
- Not knowing exactly where to start
- Concerned about the level of commitment and effort required
- Being aware of some of the benefits of launching a podcast but lacking a full understanding of the options available to them
My ideal clients are often looking for help with marketing, growth, lead generation, or positioning themselves as an authority in their market.
“How do you help solve these challenges?”
Here’s how I help them:
- Understanding how podcasting fits within their current sales and marketing strategy
- Identifying which form of podcasting (launching your own v guesting v advertising) makes the most sense for their business
- What it takes to launch a podcast and how my production agency (Spotlight Podcasting) can support that, both with strategy and execution
- Auditing your current podcast if you already have one which covers audience growth, monetization (see my instant show audit and premium show audit services)
“How should I refer people to you?”
The best way to refer someone to me is to send them a link to my call discovery page. That is the best way for us to start the conversation, so I can best understand how I can help them and their business.
Send them a link to this page: SpotlightPodcasting.com/call. Please let them know that when they fill out the booking form, they should put down your name as the person who referred them to me.
Further on down this document, I’ve included an email that you can copy and paste and send to anyone you’d like to refer to me. The email introduces me and explains what I can help with. (Feel free to make any changes you’d like before you send it.)
“Who should I refer to you?”
An exercise that I often do when I’m thinking of who I can refer to my friends or my colleagues is this:
I block out 20 minutes on my calendar
I write down, on a piece of paper, the type of client that they work best with (In my case, that’s Independent Consultants and boutique firms who want to get more leads, increase their revenue, and grow)
Then, I go through my contact list on my phone, in my address book, in my email client, and in my LinkedIn and for anyone that I think might be a good person to connect them with, I write down their name.
In 20 minutes, I can have 5, 10, 20, or even more names written down to refer to a friend or colleague.
I recommend that you do this same process.
Block out 20 minutes on your calendar and follow the above process. Then, for each person on your list, feel free to refer them to me or send them the referral introduction email included below.
“Do you have an introductory email I can use?”
Absolutely — just copy and paste this, swapping in their name and the relevant bits (marked “TK” so you can easily find them) and send the email off to someone that you’ve identified (CC or BCC’ing me, preferably, so I know that you’ve referred them to me and can prepare for them to reach out to me).
NAME,
You mentioned that you were looking for help with [TK – podcasting OR an outcome they’re looking for, ideally related to growing their Indie Consulting business, generating more leads, or building their authority in their market]
I’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Baillie Strong, founder of SpotlightPodcasting.com, who specializes in helping consulting firms grow, generate more leads, and build their authority using podcasting.
I’m familiar with Jonathan’s work and highly recommend him as someone that you speak with. I’ve CC’d Jonathan on this email. He’ll be replying in a day or two to learn more and set up an initial call with you.
Looking forward to hearing how the conversation goes,
— [TK Your name and signature here]
Thank You
I deeply appreciate you taking the time to read this page. As a next step, you can connect me with 2-3 (or more) of your colleagues or friends who are looking for help with growing their Indie Consultancy, generating more leads, or building their authority.
And if there is anyone I can refer to you, just email me and let me know and I’ll see who in my network is a match for your business.
Thanks,
— Jonathan Baillie Strong, CEO and Founder, Spotlight Podcasting