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Referrals & growth
How to Get Referrals From Your Existing Clients
Your best clients already know other business owners like them. Most firms never ask.
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · Free for 60 days
- Premier Books Consultancy
- Cranleys Chartered Accountants
- CJM Accountants
- Towpath Accounting Solutions
- Auditax International
- RS
Quick answer
Ask at the right moment — after a good result, not randomly. Make it specific (“who else runs a similar business?”), make it easy (one email, one link), and track every referral so leads and thank-yous don't get lost. Referrals convert faster than cold leads because trust is already there.
What is a client referral process, and why do most firms not have one?
A referral process is a repeatable way of asking satisfied clients to introduce you to people they know, rather than hoping it happens by chance.
Most accountants get referrals. Almost none get a referral process. The difference is that a process happens on schedule, whatever else is going on that week, and it captures the result somewhere other than someone's memory.
Without one, referrals still trickle in — but you have no idea which clients send them, when to say thank you, or how many turned into paying work. You are relying entirely on goodwill you never actively managed.
Why not asking for referrals costs UK practices clients
A client tells you, unprompted, that they recommended you to their accountant friend at a networking event. You say thanks, and move on to the next call. Three weeks later that friend still hasn't heard from anyone, because nobody logged the introduction or followed it up.
I've had this happen more than once at Accotax. A warm introduction from a happy client is worth ten cold enquiries — the trust is already built — but if there's no system to capture it, it just evaporates. The client who made the effort to recommend you notices when nothing happens, and is less likely to bother again.
Meanwhile the firm keeps spending on ads and directories for leads that convert at a fraction of the rate, because asking existing clients feels awkward and nobody owns the job.
- Client mentions a referral
- No one records it
- No follow-up call or email
- Referral never becomes a lead
- Client stops mentioning referrals
- Leak: You keep buying colder leads instead
Signs you have this problem
- You can't say how many of last year's new clients came from referrals
- You've never sent a dedicated referral request email
- Referrals are only followed up “when someone remembers”
- You have no way to say thank you to the client who referred someone
- Referred leads sit in the same inbox as cold enquiries, with no tag or source
How to build a client referral process: step by step
- 1
Pick the trigger moment
Ask after a good result — a tax saving found, a deadline hit smoothly, a query resolved fast — not randomly in a newsletter nobody reads.
- 2
Make the ask specific
Instead of “know anyone who needs an accountant?”, ask “who else do you know running a business like yours?” Specific questions get specific answers.
- 3
Give one easy action
One email reply, one forwarded introduction, one link — not a form, not a survey.
- 4
Log every referral against its source
Record the referring client as the lead source the moment the introduction lands, so nothing depends on memory.
- 5
Follow up fast
Warm introductions cool quickly. Aim to make contact within a day or two of the introduction.
- 6
Say thank you every time
A short note or call to the referring client, whether or not the introduction converts, keeps the door open for the next one.
- 7
Review what's working
Check quarterly which clients refer most, and which service moments generate the most introductions.
Referral ask email (short version)
Send this after closing out a good piece of work — a completed return, a saved query, a deadline met comfortably.
Copy and adapt
Subject: Quick favour, [Client name] Hi [Client name], Glad we got [specific piece of work] sorted for you this week. We're growing steadily and most of our best clients come through introductions from people like you. If you know another business owner who might value the same kind of support, we'd really appreciate an introduction — just reply with their name and we'll take it from there. No pressure at all, and thanks again for being a great client to work with. [Your name]
How does Remindoo help accountants track and act on referrals?
Remindoo's lead pipeline lets you add a custom lead field for referrer, so every introduction is tagged to the client who sent it the moment it lands — no more guessing where a lead came from. Round-robin assignment gets referred leads to someone straight away, and notes and timeline log every call and email against that lead so follow-up never depends on memory. Custom lead statuses let you build a simple pipeline stage for “referred” leads and see, at a glance, which ones are still waiting on a first reply. Bulk emails, personalised with tokens, make it easy to send referral thank-yous to a filtered list of clients on a schedule rather than one at a time. It's free CRM for accountants and bookkeepers — free for 60 days, then per-client pricing with unlimited users, so your whole team can log referrals without extra seats to pay for.
Create and manage leads
Every enquiry captured in one place.
See featureCustom lead fields
Capture the qualification data you need.
See featureRound-robin lead assignment
Share enquiries fairly across the team.
See featureCustom lead statuses and pipelines
Track enquiries through your own stages.
See featureBulk client emails and newsletters
Update your whole client base at once.
See featureWhat changes when you fix it?
| Area | Spreadsheets, inbox and memory | With Remindoo |
|---|---|---|
| Recording referrals | Mentioned on a call, then forgotten | Logged as lead source instantly |
| Following up | Depends on who remembers | Assigned automatically via round-robin |
| Saying thank you | Ad hoc, easy to miss | Scheduled bulk email to referring clients |
| Tracking source | No idea where new clients came from | Every lead tagged with referrer |
| Reviewing performance | Never reviewed | Filter leads by source each quarter |
| Team visibility | Only the person who took the call knows | Notes and timeline visible to the whole team |
See it working with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your leads, services and deadlines.
When is the best time to ask a client for a referral?
Ask immediately after a positive moment, not during a renewal or busy-season crunch.
| Moment | Ask now? |
|---|---|
| Just delivered a tax saving | Yes |
| Deadline hit with no last-minute panic | Yes |
| Resolved a stressful HMRC query | Yes |
| Mid-January SA rush | No |
| Client just received a fee increase letter | No |
| Annual review call, good outcome | Yes |
Which clients should you ask for referrals first?
Start with your longest-standing, most responsive clients who run businesses similar to the ones you want more of.
- Clients who've been with you 2+ years
- Clients who reply promptly and pay on time
- Clients in a sector you want to grow in
- Clients who've already referred someone informally
“Automation saves time and no follow-up is missed.”
Frequently asked questions
Do referral schemes with cash rewards work for accountants?
Remindoo doesn't offer referral reward automation, and many firms find a genuine thank you and continued good service work better than cash incentives, which can feel transactional for professional services clients.
How many referrals should a healthy practice generate?
There's no fixed benchmark — it depends on client base and sector — but if you can't say roughly how many new clients came from referrals last year, you don't have visibility, which is the first thing to fix.
Should I ask clients for referrals by email or on a call?
Calls tend to get a warmer response because the client can ask questions, but email is easier to track and follow up systematically — many firms do both.
What if a client refers someone who isn't a good fit?
Thank them anyway and handle the enquiry professionally; discouraging a well-meaning referral, even a poor-fit one, risks the client not referring again.
Can I automate referral requests?
You can automate the reminder to ask via bulk emails or scheduled tasks, but the ask itself should stay personal and tied to a specific piece of work, not a generic blast.
How do I track referral sources without a CRM?
A spreadsheet column for “referred by” works in the short term, but it relies on someone remembering to update it every time — a lead pipeline field removes that risk.
Ready to run a calmer practice?
See Remindoo with your own clients, or start free for 60 days with unlimited users.
Sources
Comparing options? Read our guide to crm for accountants.
Last updated: . General guidance, not regulatory advice.
Why a single client record matters
When client details, deadlines, documents and conversations are spread across inboxes and spreadsheets, time goes on searching instead of on client work.
One version of the truth
Everyone sees the same services, contacts, deadlines and notes for each client.
Accurate deadlines
Companies House sync brings in company details and filing dates, reducing manual errors.
Better client service
A full timeline means anyone can answer a client question with the history in front of them.
Secure document sharing
A client portal is safer than sending financial documents as email attachments.
Practical tips from UK practice
- Import companies from Companies House rather than typing details by hand.
- Record every service a client takes, so recurring work is created automatically.
- Add a short note after every important client call.
- Ask clients to upload documents through the portal rather than by email.
Related Remindoo features
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
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