Imagine waking in the morning to a slew of emails and texts from potential clients inquiring about your event planning services. Picture sipping your Americano from Bird & Branch, and your phone is blowing up with new clients. It may seem like a far-fetched dream now, but it could be your reality when you build a workhorse of a referral network. In this article, we show you how event planners can build a referral network in NYC that will have clients beating a path to your door.
Join Business Associations
NYC is chock full of business associations you can join to grow your referral network. Fellow business owners in these associations are also hustling to grow their companies. Joining their ranks will plug you into a support network in which members support each other in many ways, not least by sending referrals.
Organize Meetups with Other Event Professionals
Position yourself as a trusted leader as you expand your referral network of professionals by organizing meetups. Sure, you could just invite everyone to congregate at a local bar. But as a NYC event professional, why not show off and give them a taste of what you do?
You’ll be twice as memorable when you give your colleagues an unforgettable experience and help them expand their own networks at the same time.
Collaborate With Complementary Event Vendors
Partner up with event photographers, staffing agencies, and other event professionals. Create friendly partnerships in which you invite each other to collaborate on events. This makes even more sense when you find fellow event professionals with whom you vibe, and you each know that the creative energy flies off the charts when you work together.
Tap Into Your Current Event Client List
You already have a cadre of people who are amazed by what you do; don’t let them forget about you. Keep in touch with current and past clients through email marketing and social media. Go for the referral ask when creating content. Encourage clients who have given you positive reviews to refer you to their friends and family. Consider offering a small, but thoughtful incentive for those referrals that result in a new event contract.
Build Good Karma by Referring Clients to Your Network
What comes around goes around. You need all the good juju you can get when planning events in Gotham. So, send out the good energy by referring clients to professionals within your network. Sure, all that altruism will lower your blood pressure and put you in a state of Zen. But it will also nurture relationships built on mutual support and reciprocity. In other words, they’ll feel the push to do the same for you.
Nurture Professional Relationships
In that same vein, nurture your professional relationships. Make sure your referral network in NYC knows that you see them as more than just a way to stuff your pockets with clients. Schedule one-on-one lunches, take an interest in their personal lives, and frequent their businesses.
Send a Thank You When a Referral Results in a Client Contract
Above all, show your referral network how much you appreciate them. Send a thank you note, or even better, a thank you gift, to people who refer clients to you. Doing so shows you appreciate their trust in you. Sending a sincere thank you communicates that you understand that their referral was a sacrifice (however small) of their time and energy.
Be Excellent
The way to build a rock-solid referral network that trumps all others is to simply be an excellent event planner. Pull off stellar events, provide outstanding customer service, and give your clients and guests all the best reasons to remember you. Make it easy for them to send friends and family your way.
Build Your Referral Network in NYC at The Event Planner Expo
The Event Planner Expo is the best place to grow your referral network exponentially. There, thousands of event professionals and motivated leads will converge to talk shop about all things event planning. The Event Planner Expo 2024 may have just wrapped up, but you can get on the waitlist now for big announcements and deals for 2025!
