I was just invited to join ReferralKey.com, a referral marketing website that connects existing colleagues with the explicit intention to share business leads. Of course, this functionality is available with any social media site (especially LinkedIn), but why not have a place where it's overt, open, and accepted to ask for business and share some leads? I love it.

It made me think about referral marketing in general and how important it is. When we hear or share stories about our interactions with businesses or brands, that's the referral process in action. Bigger brands like Coke or Pepsi have interesting stories from their company's past that people love to use as teaching moments or inspiration. Small businesses will often go the proverbial "extra mile" so that local clients and customers will talk about their services and products. It's a big part of our decision-making when it's time to make a purchase.

Consider this anecdote: For one month, a dry cleaning company put a hand-written note on a small scrap of paper in their customers' pockets. When the clothes were picked up and worn for the first time, the customers would pull out the paper and read, "you look great today." They told all their friends what the dry cleaner had done because it was remarkable and uplifting. Without spending any money and very little time, their customer base grew as a result of this referral marketing "campaign." Much more effective than a month of radio advertising, if you ask me.