Interior Design Referral Program Tips and Tools

Many interior designers attest that referrals are their top source of new clients. And it makes sense to ask for these referrals. You’re closely working with people to refine how their home or business spaces will look and feel, so you’re building strong relationships. If people are satisfied with your services and express that, it’s a prime opportunity to ask them to refer others. And you’ll enjoy the benefits of the trust people put in their friends.

But it’s hard to know whether you’re getting those recommendations – and hard to track whether they resilt in new clients – if you simply ask people to give you names. 

Instead, simplify the referral process with an interior design referral program. Here’s how to start one.

What is an interior design referral program?

An interior design referral program is a digital program that streamlines the referral process, rewards people when their referrals get results, and makes referrals much easier to track. 

Your interior design clients will share a unique referral link with friends and family – and other referral sources will share with their own clients. This link tracks every referral they make and credits each referral to the person who made it. Then, when a referral signs on for your interior design services, the person who sent the referral your way earns a reward  (and the referral might get a reward of their own, too). 

Benefits of interior design referral programs

Many potential clients spend a significant amount of time researching and comparing various interior designers to find the right fit. However, people tend to place greater trust in designers that come highly recommended by friends.

When a friend or trusted expert endorses your services, the likelihood of the person choosing you for the task increases dramatically. In fact, individuals are four times more likely to utilize your services if they receive a recommendation from a friend.

By implementing a referral marketing program, you can leverage the trust that your satisfied clients have in your services, creating a pathway to attract new customers. Plus, referral programs are typically more cost-effective than traditional advertising. And they allow for targeted outreach, as referrers will share you with people who have a genuine need for an interior designer. This makes them a smart strategy for business expansion.

Referral programs are not only budget-friendly but also low-risk. With traditional advertising, you often invest without a clear idea of the results, and have to pay long before you know how many new clients came to you as a result. In contrast, a referral program ensures that you only pay when a referral results in a sale, keeping your expenses aligned with actual outcomes.

Plus, with the help of software, you can track each referral made by your customers, providing valuable insights into the performance of your program. This information is essential for optimizing your strategy for maximum effectiveness. Additionally, you can use this data to reward your top referrers and encourage other customers to generate more business.

And referral programs have the potential to create a form of viral growth. When one person refers a friend, that friend may also share the recommendation with others. This powerful word-of-mouth marketing can lead to significant growth for your business.

A well-structured referral program is a powerful approach to consider. By tapping into the trust of your satisfied clients, you can establish an effective, low-cost, and low-risk method for acquiring new customers that is also easy to evaluate.

Before you start an interior design referral program

Not every interior design business is ready to launch a referral program, despite the many benefits it can bring. To ensure your program is successful, it’s important to have these essential components in place before you begin:

• A loyal group of happy clients who value your work—ideally, some of them are already sharing their positive experiences with others.
• An outstanding client experience that encourages people to recommend you, starting from the first phone call to the final touches.
• A high level of customer satisfaction, demonstrated through glowing reviews, excellent feedback, testimonials, and top ratings.
• A website that is equipped to handle the leads generated from referrals.

Do you check all these boxes? If so, you’re ready to start a referral program. 

Referral software for interior designers [Free Tools]

These referral tools for interior designers are a free and easy way to help you start your referral program.

Want a fully automated referral program for your interior design business? Run your referral program with us at Referral Rock. Find out how we can build your program with you (and tailor it to your unique needs)

Interior design referral program tips

Now that you know you’re ready, follow these best practices to make your referral program a success:

Know your referral sources

First and foremost, you’re probably planning on using your program to mobilize current and past clients. After all, they’re the ones who can directly vouch for you and share how you’ve enhanced their home or business with your design work. 

But don’t forget about asking for referrals from other professionals in your community, who are also likely to know people who could benefit from your services because of the positions they hold. 

You’ve likely built many business relationships that you can turn into referral partnerships and leverage for new business. Anyone who helps people move into, build, or renovate homes or businesses is a possible referral source!

We recommend asking for referrals from:

• Realtors/real estate agents
• Construction contractors
• Movers
• Builders
• Property managers
• Architects

You might also ask for referrals from the vendors who supply the products you use in your design work, or community magazine editors who have featured your work in their publications before. Even other interior designers who don’t serve your geographic area, or who don’t specialize in an area that you specialize in, could send referrals your way!

You can mobilize all of these possible referral sources, and give them an easier way to share with potential leads, through the same referral program. 

Know how – and when – to ask 

One of the easiest and most effective ways to gain referrals is simply to ask for them. Since you’ve established strong client relationships (or partner relationships), and likely have had ongoing conversations, it feels natural to reach out.

When it comes to asking clients, specifically, timing is crucial. Look for those moments when your clients are particularly happy and thinking of you. For example, consider asking when they:

• Leave a positive review or comment on social media
• Give you great feedback in a survey
• Express their gratitude during or after the design process
• Recommend your services to friends outside of the referral program
• Finish a project or consultation and you know they’re satisfied: you might say, “Would you like to help someone else beautify their home or business? Who comes to mind?”
• Receive the invoice for a project you know they were happy with
• Reach the first or second anniversary of a design project that went smoothly
• Mention how satisfied they are during a follow-up

If you know a client was happy with your services, feel free to ask directly during your conversation. You can also request a referral when you send the invoice for a completed project or consultation.

Alternatively, you might consider asking via email and including a link to the program, or sending a thank-you card that introduces your referral program with a QR code.

Once you’ve found the right moment, how do you make the request?

• Express how much you appreciate their trust in you for their design needs.
• Remind them of the reasons they chose your services, highlighting why they would be great at referring others.
• Be specific! Ask if they know anyone who fits your ideal client profile and could benefit from your services.
• Finally, provide a clear link to your referral program to make it easy for clients to take action.

Select the right reward system

Your stellar interior design firm is what encourages sharing. But often, people require extra motivation—like rewards—before they actually refer.

No matter what type of incentives you choose, we recommend a double-sided reward (for both parties involved). By creating incentives for both the person making the referral and the referred client, you can both motivate more referrals and create another reason for referred parties to choose you.

We recommend offering cash referral fees or gift cards as incentives, especially in cases where the referrer is a partner from a related business (and thus isn’t paying for your services). After all, these rewards give someone freedom to spend the incentive however they wish.

You could structure the bonus as a flat fee, or as a commission based on a percentage of the sale. The commission approach ensures that the reward is proportional to the value of the referral, meaning the larger the design job, the more the referrer earns.

Alternatively, you might explore a tiered program where customers can accumulate larger rewards as they generate more referrals.

Regardless of the reward structure you implement, ensure that your users receive their rewards automatically. Avoid making them wait.

Make sharing effortless  

Ensure that your referral process is easy to navigate for anyone who wants to use your program. They should be able to access the program and share with just a few clicks or taps.  

With Referral Rock’s One Click Access links, individuals can quickly start promoting your business. These links allow them to join the program automatically, eliminating the need for sign-ups or form completions.  All they need to do is enter a few pieces of their referral’s contact information.

Remember to include One Click Access links in all your promotional emails regarding the referral program. This includes newsletters and transactional emails, not just those specifically focused on promoting the referral program.  

Additionally, Referral Rock enables both new and existing members to log into their referral portal using popular social logins like Google and Facebook. This simplifies the process, as they won’t have to remember a password. 

Streamline your referral page for simple sharing

A crucial aspect of an effective referral program is to make the referral process as easy as possible. 

Remember, you’re asking your customers to help promote your business. If the referral process is overly complicated or takes too long, they might get frustrated and abandon it.

Here’s what we recommend to make sharing simpler:

• Ensure that referring someone only takes 1-2 clicks or taps. 
•  Create an engaging headline that clearly states the action customers need to take (share) and emphasizes the benefits for them (the reward).  
• Summarize how the program works in 3-4 bullet points. 
• Emphasize the rewards and other advantages of sharing, such as the opportunity to help someone who needs interior design services.
• Provide users with multiple ways to share your offer, such as via email, social media, and SMS, based on their preferred communication channels. 
• Create a unique referral link for each participant in your program, enabling them to share wherever they’d like.
• Offer pre-written messages that users can easily send to their friends, so they don’t have to think of their own wording. These messages should be friendly and come from the perspective of the referring customer. 
•  Include a prominent call-to-action button that motivates customers to start sharing.  
• Make sharing seamless on mobile devices, as that’s where people typically share enjoyable experiences with their friends. 
• If there’s more information to share, include it in a separate FAQ section to keep the main referral page clear and user-friendly.

Promote your program in multiple locations  

You’ve put in a significant amount of time and effort into developing your referral program, but all that dedication won’t yield results if people don’t know about it! To boost new sales, it’s crucial to spread the word about your program. Here are some great ways to promote it:  

• On your website (think about adding a striking hero image or banner for better visibility, along with buttons in both the top and bottom menus)  
• Through mass emails focused on your program, sent to all your clients (we suggest sending these monthly to quarterly)  
• With engaging posts on social media  
• During chats with clients, especially when you see they’re happy with your service  
• In personalized referral emails to your most loyal customers  
• In newsletters, confirmation emails, invoices, and other communications that aren’t solely about your referral program  
• In your email signatures and social media bios
• On banners in your showroom, if applicable (include a QR code for easy program access)
• On business cards (include a QR code for easy program access)
• In mailed flyers and notes (include a QR code for easy program access)

Remind previous sharers about the program

To keep your current participants actively involved, it’s essential to remind them about your referral program regularly. Sometimes, a little encouragement can go a long way in motivating them to continue sharing. One effective approach is to set up automated emails that reach out at strategic times.

For example, consider sending a reminder email 3-5 days after someone signs up for your program. You can also celebrate members via email whenever they earn a reward, and take advantage of Referral Rock’s Monthly Summary emails, which provide a tailored recap of each member’s referral activities every month.

Additionally, we suggest sending out promotional emails about your referral program at least once a month during the first year. After that, you can shift to quarterly promotional emails while also trying out other promotional tactics. This method not only helps in attracting new referrers but also brings your program back into focus for those who may have referred in the past but have since lost track.

Express your gratitude  

Expressing gratitude for referrals not only makes them feel appreciated but also encourages them to refer even more people. Make it a habit to send a handwritten thank-you note whenever a referral results in a new client. Additionally, consider publicly acknowledging referrers’ support on your social media channels with a thank-you shoutout.  

When people realize their referrals are valued, it builds goodwill and enhances their loyalty. Alongside any rewards they may receive, a sincere ‘thank you’ can greatly motivate them to continue bringing new clients your way.  

Choose the right referral software  

Selecting the right referral software is essential for the success of your referral program. The best software can streamline the creation of your program and automate its management. By generating referral links, you can easily monitor the origin of each referral and quickly reward those that lead to successful sales. In addition, the software collects valuable data that allows you to evaluate your program’s effectiveness and make necessary improvements for better outcomes.  

Referral Rock is an excellent choice for those seeking top-notch referral tracking, sharing, and engagement experiences, complete with concierge onboarding that doesn’t require any technical expertise.  

With Referral Rock, you can:  

Effortlessly track referrals: Each participant receives a unique referral link, allowing you to pinpoint the source of each referral. Customers can also monitor their own referrals through personalized dashboards.  

Automate marketing initiatives: Keep customers engaged with strategic, automated promotional emails, and make sharing easier with passwordless links.  

Customize and streamline rewards: Establish any reward structure you prefer, including tiered and multi-step rewards, and automate the payout process.  

Integrate with essential tools: Seamlessly connect Referral Rock with over 50 different tools, including your CRM.  

Gather program insights: Quickly assess your program’s performance and make data-driven improvements.

Set up in no time: With Referral Rock, you can launch your program in just a few days, with expert support available at every step.    

Start your own interior design referral program  

Creating a referral program can be an excellent way to attract new clients and grow your design business. By motivating people to share your services with their friends and colleagues, you can create a reliable channel for acquiring new clients that often proves to be more budget-friendly than traditional advertising.

To set up a successful referral program, it’s important to select the right rewards, determine the best times to offer them, and make the referral process as straightforward as possible. Additionally, promoting your program across different platforms will make sure it stays top of mind. Plus, using software to launch your customer referral program is easier than you might think!