Offline Referral Program: Need advice

I own a small local business.
I offer a specialized service, a niche. Several times a day I get calls for more generalize service calls for services that I don't offer. (BTW, I am not in a financial position to offer the general service because the equipment to offer the general service costs big $$$) So I end up forwarding these people to other businesses in the area.

Do you know of any program that exists that I could set up a referral program with another local company?
For example, if I forward a company a customer I could get a commission for that customer? A phone program or something?

Interested to read your thoughts.

Good job on thinking outside the box.


Maybe I can help you further that a little bit so here goes..

Just because a referral/affiliate service like that doesn't exist, it doesn't mean that you can't create and launch one yourself.

For example,

If this is an offline thing, come up with an outline of a good/fair referral/affiliate program. Once you have put that together, contact those people that you have been sending those referrals to and pitch the program. Affiliate/referral programs are always a win win and that's what you need to be able to explain.

You may even also give them an incentive if they send people your way as well.


This is very typical of many business to include those in the medical field. Ever been to the DR's office only to get referred to a specialist? There a many specialists but those who work together with the office are the ones who get the referrals.

A simple one hand washes the other concept.


Good luck.

You could set it up yourself easily, one guy here on bhw did that. He drove high class cars taxis and ppl often asked him questions like 'where do I find a good restaurant in this city?'

So He contacted the highest prices restaurant he could find and pitched them something like:
If I bring you (trackable) customers that come and spend money in your business, will you pay me a commission? Who wouldn't have said yes, as a business owner.

What he did: Negotiated a commission and got them to give the customers he referred a discount. So everytime one of the rich people he drove around asked him 'where to eat?' he gave him the info of this high class restaurant perfect for their needs and also gave them a coupon as a gift! (Which made the clients he delivered trackable and therefore commisionable for the restaurant. Commisionable, dunno if this word even exists, lol.)

Anyways, good luck!

Great ideas! More!

randybishop said:

Great ideas! More!

Click to expand...

Did you try implementing anything already?

Simple. Sit down with each potential referral partner and work out something that works for both sides. There isn't a cookie cutter solution, you are best to work out specifics on a case by case basis.

Generally speaking, if you approach any business owner and say "Hey I can bring you "X" amount of business weekly/monthly...interested?" - you will at the very least get a meeting.

Structure each deal in a way that gives you the maximum benefit.

Here is the KEY: use that money to eventually offer the services yourself...put it all back into your business and watch it grow.

Many people would use that money as play money...don't do that....save it in a separate account and have growth and expansion goals in mind for it.