Half the new business came from referrals. Nobody’s job includes it.

The cheapest, highest-converting channel in most service businesses is also the only one with no owner, no budget and no forecast. That asymmetry has a cost.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for Half the new business came from referrals. Nobody’s job includes it.

Ask a service business where its customers come from and a familiar answer appears: most of it is word of mouth. Ask who is accountable for that, and the conversation stalls. Paid search has a budget, a dashboard and someone who defends it in the monthly meeting. Outbound has a target and a headcount. Referral, which frequently outperforms both on conversion rate, sales cycle and retention, has none of these things. It is treated as weather. The asymmetry is not irrational. It is what happens when a channel has no…

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