anyone offer referral perks?

[raeben]

so in your practice, do you officially offer perks, prizes or gifts to people who refer clients to you or do you do anything beyond a thank you card for those who frequently or occasionally promote your business? if so, how do you do it and what do you give them? and how do you do it in a way that expresses your gratitude without it seeming like some sort of mercenary payoff.

i was thinking of offering a deal to all my previous clients that if they refer me to another mama, i will send them a 1/2 lb of yummy lactation chai or an herbal diaper rash spray or something cool like that. what do you think of this idea? should it be for all referrals or just hires?

what about if a past mama refers three other client hires to me for a significant discount on her own doula or placenta services for next time?

what about other care providers (OBs, MWs, chiros, NDs, acupuncturists, etc) or friends? a gift card or something?

what do you do? i'd especially love to hear from doulas who have been practicing for a while and have a fairly established word-of-mouth base.

[VogueMum]

I have been considering the same thing. I think those "perks" are great for marketing and retention. I can't wait to hear what people do!

[raeben]

hey there fellow p-townie!

i have a marketing genius friend up in the 'couve who offers some nice perks for referrals to her baby wearing business but i'm not sure what is appropriate/worth it for doula referrals.

[amymaew]

I was thinking of doing something like that. I just need to sit down and figure out how to do it lol

[JessicaE]

I think it's an interesting idea, but I've always wondered how applicable referrals are to doula work... I mean, past clients, friends, midwives, chiropractors, etc. refer people to me because they trust my work and feel I would be a good match for a particular couple. Not because of a trinket/discount. It has just always felt wrong to me.

I had a chiropractor offer me a cash referral fee if I sent him clients and although I do send some people his way (he's Webster-trained), I don't accept the referral fee -- I want people to trust that I send them to the people I really believe are best, not the ones who are giving me a kick-back.

Anyhow, when I get a referral for a student or client from someone I know, I always try to drop them an e-mail or a written note to say thank you. This seems to make most people very happy! If there is someone who has sent you a lot of people, you could occasionally do something nice for them like baking some muffins or maybe a discount if they need your services later.