Referrals help your insurance agency grow. And if many of your customers are happy with your agency, you may be wondering why they aren’t referring more people.

Here’s how you can grow your referrals with a simple handwritten card.

Start by saying “thank you”

Clients refer others to your agency because they’ve had a positive experience themselves and know you’ll take care of their friends and family. But they also want to feel appreciated when they recommend you to someone.

Sending referral sources a handwritten thank you card in the mail shows you recognize they sent business to you when they didn’t have to. And once a client knows you appreciate referrals, they’ll continue to recommend your agency when friends and family say they’re looking for insurance.

Include a gift card but make it a surprise

While it’s tempting to offer an incentive, like a gift card, only in exchange for referrals, this strategy doesn’t work. Instead, if you want to send gift cards, make it a pleasant surprise.

Surprising people who send others to your agency with a gift card means a lot. Not many businesses send gift cards to thank their referral sources, so when you send an unexpected card to your clients, they will be more likely to talk about it with others. They may even use the gift card to take someone to coffee or out for lunch. When it’s time to pay, their friend or coworker will be impressed when they learn your insurance agency is picking up the tab.

Remember, a gift is a gift

If you send a gift card to someone, never try to redeem the gift card yourself.

Even if the recipient hasn’t used the gift card yet and it has been a while, they may still use it in the future. If that person goes to redeem their gift card in a few months or even years, imagine how badly it would damage their perception of you if the card doesn’t work. They might stop referring others to you altogether.

If someone waits a long time before redeeming their gift card, it can have a re-energizing effect when they finally do use it. It’s like finding $20 in your jacket pocket, except this money has your insurance agency’s name attached to it. What a great way to brighten up a client’s day and remind them you’re grateful for their business.

In fact, if it has been long enough and they are no longer a customer, this simple discovery may make them want to reach out for a quote.

Thank your promoters automatically

At ClientCircle, we can send handwritten thank you cards to your referral sources automatically, with or without a gift card. Your recipients have 85 vendors to choose from when redeeming their gift card, they can even choose to donate the card value to a charity. Whether you include a gift card in your thank you card or not, we’ll help your promoters feel special so they continue to send new business your way.