Building a referral network: 6 mistakes to avoid

Everyone needs a team.

As a health coach, you can become an expert in multiple areas: nutrition, the psychology of behavior change, fitness and athletic performance, stress management and recovery, and more.

However, no matter how many certifications you earn, you will invariably encounter clients with progress-blocking problems that you do not have the skills, training, expertise, or legal right to resolve.

Here's the thing…

you may not be an expert in fixing marriages, treating GERD, or counseling someone with an eating disorder, but someone else is.

That's where a healthy referral network comes in.

By connecting your client with such a person, you can stay within your scope of practice, offer welcome business to respected colleagues, AND help your customer solve their problem.

(All. Supercoach. Move.)

All of our certification programs include sections dedicated to teaching trainers how to build strong referral networks of professionals skilled in solving common client problems.

In this article, we will discuss how to do this – by exploring the upper part the mistakes we see coaches do. Avoid them and you'll be able to refer to them with confidence.

First, what is a referral network?

A referral network is a list of professionals, businesses and additional resources that benefit clients.

Your network may include local or virtual:

• Medical doctors, psychologists, registered dietitians, and other professionals with training and credentials to help clients with problems outside your scope of practice. (For an in-depth refresher, see our Scope of Practice Worksheet.)
• Fellow health coaches and personal trainers with deep knowledge in an area outside of your expertise. (For example, maybe a client is interested in learning yoga, but you haven't the faintest idea how to do sun salutations.)
• Workshops, fitness groups, webinars, food services, and other resources that support clients on their behavior change journey.

To confidently refer clients to skilled practitioners with excellent reputations, you'll want to do some legwork. This brings us to the main mistakes to avoid.

Mistake #1: You build your own network ahead starting your own business.

For recently certified health coaches, the task of “building a referral network” can double as a procrastination tool, says PN Director of Community Engagement Kate Solovieva.

Instead of taking on clients, these trainers seek out a growing number of professionals, valiantly trying to be prepared for any possible referral situation. However, as much as they keep working on it, their list is never “complete”.

This is because…

“We can't be prepared for everything,” says Solovieva.

The solution

Get clients as soon as you get certified.

yes! This may sound scary, but the best way to understand your “gaps” is to start your own practice and see where your clients actually need help beyond what you can provide.

Add people to your referral network over time while:

• Connect with professionals on LinkedIn and other virtual networking sites
• Lean on peer networks (such as the Precision Nutrition Facebook communities)
• Join members of your local Chamber of Commerce
• Talk to family, friends and clients about the professionals and resources they want
• Attend health conventions and other local events where a variety of health professionals tend to gather
• Search (and try!) providers based on your health needs

Mistake #2: You assume your referral list will cover all of them customer needs.

As we mentioned above, you'll never be able to predict every referral or customer question ahead of time—and that's okay.

This is especially true if you practice hands-on with clients around the world.

(You may know three fantastic massage therapists where you live in Toronto, Canada, but that knowledge won't help if your client is based in Wellington, New Zealand.)

Similarly, some professionals or resources may work for some clients but not for others.

(You may, for example, know of several meal delivery options, but none are suitable for that plant-based customer who is on a strict gluten-free diet.)

The solution

Learn how to help clients find the professionals and resources they need.

You can:

• Ask customers to describe their preferences. (Do they prefer to work with a certain gender? Do they want to meet in person or online? Do they like the drive and creativity of a younger professional, or the “I've seen it all” wisdom of a more seasoned professional?)
• Devote a training session to searching the Internet for potential professionals and services together.
• Encourage customers to contact three practitioners, ask questions and use what they learn to select a winner.

Mistake #3: You let social awkwardness get in the way of networking opportunities.

Reaching out to a stranger takes some courage. You have to put yourself out there, explain who you are and what your motives are, and risk being ignored or rejected.

This is where many trainers get stuck, says Toni Bauer, PN's Director of Training and Education Operations.

As a result, many coaches may put off the conversation.

The solution

Turn networking into a challenge. Coach Solovieva calls it “Operation 100”.

• Set a goal to contact 100 professionals over 12 months.
• Work towards your goal every week for about 20 minutes.
• Follow up with each non-responder once or twice.
• Instead of expecting a “yes” from every person you approach, realize that only about 10 percent of people will respond.

To ease yourself into the challenge, map out your elevator pitch, suggests Bauer.

Don't overdo it. Your point does not have to be a multi-page persuasive essay. Nor should it contain magic talking points. Just be yourself.

Mistake #4: You use persuasive tactics.

If you use LinkedIn, then you've likely been on the receiving end of old-school cold sales tactics. We're talking about direct messages from strangers who don't seem to have read anything on your profile and know nothing about you.

These spam messages are about as welcome as a stranger standing next to you at a bar and saying, “So you're coming back to my house?”

We are not here to discourage you from using cold calling. She has a place. However, to increase your response rate, we'd like to introduce you to a rarely used technique.

The solution

Get to know people before you ask a question onlinesuggests coach Solovieva.

Follow them, read their content, download and consume their free resources, comment on their posts, congratulate them on their career wins, and be a part of their online lives.

Do it that, and people will remember you. More of them will also reply to your messages. Plus, the intelligence you gather by building a relationship will help you avoid…

Mistake #5: You don't personally check referrals.

How do you ensure you refer clients to compassionate professionals who really know what they're doing?

It involves more than checking someone's website or social media profile.

If you just look at someone's website or social media posts, “You're just checking their confidence and copywriting skills,” Solovieva says. “If we're lucky, confidence and copywriting go hand in hand with skill, but not always.”

The solution

Try their services. Take someone's yoga or zumba class. Book a massage. Have a medical professional look at your sprained knee.

This way, you can see the professional in action.

If you're thinking, 'I don't need some of the services my clients need!' you have several options:

• Offer to pay a professional to meet with you for 30 to 60 minutes so you can ask a few questions, understand their treatment philosophy, and talk about referring clients to them.
• Interact with people in local social networking communities like NextDoor.com. Ask group members if they have seen a practitioner and, if so, if they would recommend that person.

Mistake #6: You sell clients too hard on your referrals.

When you recommend a professional you've personally vetted, it's natural to want your client to take action.

However, despite your hard work, some clients just won't make an appointment with the professional in question—and that's okay.

“Let your clients be the adults,” says Coach Bauer.

Customers have their reasons. Maybe their insurance won't cover the service in question. Or, maybe they decided to see someone else.

“It's not your responsibility to make the relationship perfect or flourish,” says Bauer.

A support cycle

Some trainers fear referrals because they see them as “giving away business”.

In reality, however, when you refer clients to strong professionals, your clients simply feel like you have their back. (which means they will more likely to refer friends and family to you.)

Plus, when you send business to another respected colleague, you also decide you on their radar for a cross reference.

It's good for your customers, good for business, and good for your community of health professionals at large.

If you are a coach, or want to be…

You can help people build stable nutrition and lifestyle habits that will significantly improve their physical and mental health – while you make a good living doing what you love. We will show you how.

If you want to learn more, consider PN Level 1 Nutrition Training Certificate.