09/02/25: Making Referral Leads Easy and Automated

Making Referral Leads Easy and Automated

(How to Turn Your Past Projects into a Referral Machine Without Lifting a Finger)

Referral leads are often your highest-converting and lowest-cost leads—but most builders aren’t actively pursuing them. Why? Because manually asking for referrals, tracking them, and delivering incentives takes time you don’t have.

In this coaching session, we showed how to automate your referral program using your Sales Jumpstart database, so you can generate leads passively from your happiest clients—with zero admin work on your plate.

Why This Session Was Valuable

Referral leads close faster and with less resistance—they come in warm and already trust you.
We talked through exact workflows to automate referral asks at the right moments—right after a win.
Shared real-world incentives that actually move the needle without cutting into your bottom line.
Builders shared smart, creative ideas already working in the field—including wine gifts, serialized aluminum business cards, and even Blackstone grills.

Key Highlights

1. Referral Leads Are a Goldmine

Your Sales Jumpstart client list is sitting on value. Those are people who’ve already trusted you, love their deck, and are proud to share your name—they just need a nudge.

Referral leads:

Cost you $0 in ad spend.
Come in pre-sold.
Are more likely to close and turn into repeat business.

2. Automation Is the Game-Changer

Most builders don’t follow up for referrals because they’re already onto the next job. That’s where automation wins.

Use Sales Jumpstart to trigger emails/texts to clients when their job is marked “Project Complete.”
Include a clear CTA: “Love your new deck? Share the love. Refer a friend and get a thank-you gift from us.”
Track the referral through a form on your website with a “referred by” field—when that name comes in, the system automatically sends the incentive.

💬 "If we can automate this, we can be more intentional about referrals without lifting a finger." — April

Incentives That Work

Whether you want to go practical or personal, here are incentive options discussed on the call:

Gift Card Options (Easy to Automate):

Visa or Mastercard gift cards
Local restaurant or coffee shop gift cards
Amazon, Home Depot, or Lowes cards

Creative Gifting Ideas (More Emotional Impact):

Pressure washer or deck cleaning brush
Solar lights, drink rails, planter boxes
Outdoor candles, branded baskets
Blackstone grill & accessories
Custom BBQ seasoning kits (local to your area)

Two-Way Incentive:

Give both the referrer and the referee a gift (e.g., $250 gift card for the client, $250 off for the new lead)

💬 “When you give something thoughtful—like a grill brush they’ll actually use—it keeps you top of mind every time they step on that deck.” — Jeremy

Ways to Promote Your Referral Program

Include referral messaging in your final walkthrough or warranty email
Add a referral form on your website (DBM can help with this)
Mention your referral program in your automated project complete email/text
Include printed reminders on leave-behind cards or flyers

Real Builder Examples

Rob sends 3 bottles of wine from Wine.com after every project. It’s prompted tons of reviews and referrals, all without having to ask.
Jeremy uses serialized aluminum business cards that grow in value over time (2% referral discount per year held—up to 10%).
Some builders have gifted Blackstone grills or deck care kits as “thank yous” after photo shoots or referrals.

💬 “It’s about building relationships, not just bribing people. Make them feel valued, and they’ll happily refer you.” — Jeremy

Host a Party for Referrals

Want to make referral generation even easier and more engaging? Consider throwing a party at your ideal client's location and make it a goal to do this once a quarter! This is a great way to build relationships, make referrals feel special, and get a lot of new leads all at once. It’s fun, memorable, and sets you apart from the competition in a big way. You’ll create an environment that encourages clients to share your name and help you grow your business!

Key Takeaways

Referral leads are your best leads—don’t leave them to chance.
Automation makes it happen without you doing the work.
Be intentional—just asking makes a difference.
Incentives don’t have to be huge—personal or thoughtful gifts go a long way.
Don't want to incentivize at all—no problem, automate an email/ sms to let them know you're thinking of them and to keep your company in mind!
DBM can help set up automated workflows through Sales Jumpstart, Zapier, and more.

Resources

Next Steps

✅ Using Sales Jumpstart? Make sure you’re moving your opportunities to “Project Complete” to continue feeding your referral database.
✅ Have an incentive idea? Let your account manager know—we’ll set it up.
✅ Want help setting up your referral form and automation? Let your account manager know.