Record the referral, not just the name
A referral is a client plus a context. Recording a name and a phone number turns a warm introduction into a cold lead the receiver has to re-qualify. Record, for every referral:
- who sent it and who received it
- who the client is, and how to reach them
- what they need, in the sender’s words
- the project details: scope, budget, timeline, location
- how the sender wants to be reached about it, and whether they want a hand-over call
- the date, and the status
This is the referral form on Referral Nova, field for field. It was designed by asking receivers what they needed in order to act the same day.
Five statuses, and who moves them
Keep the vocabulary small so both sides use it the same way.
- Sent - the sender created it. The receiver has not looked yet.
- Accepted - the receiver has it and intends to act. On Referral Nova this is when it lands in the receiver’s Pipeline at “New”.
- In progress - a call booked, a proposal out. In a pipeline, these are the middle stages.
- Converted - the deal closed. Marking a referral converted, or moving its pipeline card to Won, is the same event.
- Declined - not a fit. Say so quickly; a declined referral told promptly is worth more to the sender than one left in limbo.
Add one more field on the receiving side: a quality verdict. Was it relevant, a real opportunity, or not relevant? Referral Nova asks the receiver this, and the answer is what earns the sender contribution points: 5 for accepted, 20 for relevant, 50 for an opportunity, 100 for converted business. Credit goes to the giver, decided by the receiver, which is the only arrangement no one can game.
Close the loop every time
The sender needs to hear what happened. Not because they are owed a report, but because silence is how partnerships end. Tell them when you accept, when you meet the client, and when it closes or dies. “Your referral signed today, thank you” costs ten seconds and buys the next one.
A shared ledger does this automatically. When the receiver moves the status, the sender sees it in their own Referrals tab, and a converted deal notifies them. Nothing depends on someone remembering to send an email.
Review the balance quarterly
Once a quarter, look at each partner: sent to them, received from them, converted each way. Three outcomes:
- Balanced - say thank you and ask what a better referral would look like.
- You owe them - the review is your prompt to send. Ask who they want to meet.
- They owe you - do not raise it as a grievance. Ask whether the referrals you sent were useful; the answer usually explains the imbalance.
Why a shared ledger beats a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is private, so the sender never sees the status. It is only as current as the last time you opened it. It does not remind anyone. And it lives with one person, so it leaves when they do.
A shared ledger is visible to both sides, updates when either acts, and notifies the other. On Referral Nova the referral, its status, the quality verdict and the pipeline card are one record, seen from two dashboards. The FAQ describes the flow in one paragraph; How it works shows it step by step.