Conversations With Innovators

The Conversations with Innovators blog discusses new innovations, big ideas, disruptive technologies, and the thought leaders, innovators, rebels, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers that make all of this possible.

This week we are talking with Stacey Brown Randall, the founder of Building a Referable Business and author of Generating Business Referrals Without Asking.

1. What is the big idea behind your Referrals Without Asking™ methodology?

For decades we’ve been taught that if we want referrals we have to ask or pay for them. Or be gimmicky by putting “referrals are your greatest compliment” in email signatures. But what if that wasn’t true? What if you could generate referrals without asking, giving kickbacks, networking all the time or being overly promotional? For 12 years, I’ve been teaching a very contrarian way to generate referrals, and it’s based on the science of referrals. When you know why referrals happen, then you understand why your strategies and tactics must be different.

2. In your podcast, you mention being a “proud member of the failed business club”. What is the story behind that? And did that lead you to founding your business?

My first company was an HR consulting firm, and it only survived 4 years. When it failed, I found myself back in the corporate world. My goal was to exit as soon as possible, and I found that exit in the form of a productivity coaching certification. I used that to launch my second business and about 15 months later, I was back being a business owner. I used the hard lessons I learned from my business failure to guide me in making business #2 – the one I have now – a success. Through trial and error, I started generating referrals and soon my clients were asking me my secret. In my first year I received 112 referrals I didn’t ask for. That changed everything. I stopped doing productivity coaching and started teaching my Referrals Without Asking™ methodology. Of course, it’s been refined over the last 12 years and now I teach 20 different referral strategies – customized to what the business owner needs.

3. There are so many business development coaches out there for professional service providers. What sets you apart?

My niche area of business development coaching is referrals. I don’t dabble in teaching other prospecting or marketing strategies. My subject matter expertise is an inch wide and a few hundred miles deep.

4. Why focus on referrals as opposed to all the other various marketing tactics?

With referrals you are nurturing relationships, not manipulating an algorithm. Whether a good economy, bad economy, global pandemic, or trust recession, referrals stand the test of time and are a necessity for business owners who are the experts for their clients. I love that while some of my individual tactics have evolved over the years, the majority of what I teach is based on science and not subjected to the changing whims of technology or the last bright shiny object.

5. Can entrepreneurs really get referrals without asking?

Yes. I have clients who double, triple or even quadruple their referrals in a year. Others who improve their closing ratio and quality of referrals experiencing a six figure (and more) impact to their revenue. The Referrals Without Asking™ methodology doesn’t look at referrals as a nail so the only solution you need is a hammer. Referrals exist in an ecosystem, and I teach my methodology in following areas:

processes of when referrals arrive
generate more referrals from those who already refer you
how to solve problems (like quality of referrals)
implementing a referable client experience
how to cultivate new people to refer you

It comes down to identifying the right people, taking care of them the right way and using the right language. While it is simple, there is an art and a science to getting it right so it produces results.

6. Who is the target market for your services?

Professional services firms like attorneys, consultants, CPAs, bookkeepers, business coaches, financial advisors and realtors. Those who have the greatest success from my methodologies are ones where they are experts in what they do so a strong referral strategy is a must in their business.

7. Do you have any new services on the horizon or any announcements?

We finally added video to the podcast (after 350 episodes and almost 7 years) so we are growing our YouTube channel which is available at youtube.com/@referralswithoutasking. Plus, my next book on the referable client experience will be out October of 2025.

8. What’s the best way for someone interested in your services to start?

Start by reading my book, Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, or listening to my podcast, Roadmap to Referrals. If what I teach makes sense and aligns with how you want to do business, then take the next step and learn about how I work with clients on my website at www.staceybrownrandall.com.

9. Best mistake you have made so far?

My business failure. It changed everything. I am so incredibly lucky to do what I do today; but I wouldn’t be where I am without first enduring my business failure.

10. What’s the “one thing” most responsible for your professional success?

There is never “one thing” most responsible for any success. But what tops the list is my faith and my support system. I am blessed to have people in my life who want me to define success on my own terms and support me to achieve it.

11. What’s a piece of advice would you give to the younger you when you started your business?

What you build on day one won’t be the version of the business by year three, so stop trying to get it right or perfect and just get going.

12. You get a surprise free day off. How do you spend it?

If it’s not enough time to travel, then more than likely I’ll work on a project around the house or spend the day going on a long walk + enjoying time catching up with friends, preferably with drinks over brunch or lunch.

13. What are you reading right now?

Currently I’m working on another book so my reading slows considerably during this time because reading others’ books can cause me to play the comparison game which is never healthy. My next book will be out October 2025 and will be on building a referable client experience. Once I’m finished with it and the publisher is getting it ready for release, I have a stack of books I’ll dive back into.

To learn more about Stacey Brown Randall and Building a Referal Business™, please visit the website here.

Conversations With Innovators - Q&A with Stacey Brown Randall, Founder of Building a Referable Business