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These steps are taken from the Referral Flood Marketing Program. Referral Flood is an insider's shortcut to referral marketing and features over 4 hours of audio training, 54 real-world referral marketing systems, and a host of referral marketing tools, letters, postcards and forms.

Step #1 - Create a referral target market(s) - you must create a target list of companies and individuals who can be motivated to refer. This can be clients or a network of related businesses.

Step #2 - Identify your ideal referral client - In order to receive high quality referrals you must be able to quickly communicate the exact type of person or business that makes a great referral.

Step #3 - Create and communicate your core referral message - you must be able to easily explain the value you can bring to anyone who is referred. "We show estate attorneys how to become famous."

Step #4 - Design a referral education system - When you meet with a potential referral source you can substantially increase the number and quality of referrals if you systematically educate them on: Who makes a great referral, what's in it for them to provide a referral, how to refer you, and the exact steps you plan to take with that referral

Step #5 - Outline your referral lead offer and system - this is the heart and soul of the system. This is where you devise the creative offer that makes people want to refer you. Example: Earn a 100% refund on your tax return preparation when you refer 4 people who become clients."

Step #6 - Create a referral conversion strategy - what good are referral leads if they don't become referral clients? You must map out a specific set of steps that will allow you to convert your referral leads. What do you do with a lead when the phone rings?

Step #7 - Identify a referral follow-up strategy - to bring your referral system full circle you need to devise two follow-up steps.

1) a way to continue to market to your referral leads that don't immediately turn into clients and

2) a way to systematically communicate the progress of a referral back to your referral sources to keep them motivated.

John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide published by Thomas Nelson - due out in the fall of 2006 He is the creator of the Duct Tape Marketing small business marketing system. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com