In business, it’s common to develop a community of friends and colleagues with which you vent, share wins, and exchange tips. You even make and accept recommendations. I often preach the power of referrals. In fact, referrals make up more than half of my clientele! I’ve also hired several of my agency’s team members based on the positive words of friends or colleagues. But here’s the thing…you must be careful with this approach. When it comes to hiring decisions, I've discovered that relying solely on a friend or colleague’s recommendation can be a double-edged sword. Let’s talk about it.
Buyer Beware
Picture this: You post in your stories that you’re looking for a new web designer. Immediately, you receive a DM from a biz friend who has the perfect person for you. Naturally, you're all ears. Your friend tells you about this dope Millennial designer who helped her overhaul her website. And when you click from page to page on the site, you can’t help but raise your eyebrows in approval.
Dang, she DID that!
That’s all you need to contact the web designer and initiate a chat. It doesn’t take much during the call because you’ve already decided to hire her based on your friend’s experience. So, you lock in your project with high hopes. But here's the catch – you may be leaping too soon.
Pump the brakes, and consider this.
Lack of Expertise and Industry Knowledge
Unless your biz friend is in the same industry, they might not have the full picture. For instance, I can’t expect a solopreneur to have the same responsibilities or challenges I do as an agency owner. While I still handle operational tasks, I’ve become more of a project manager. Needless to say, our days look completely different.
So, before you hop on a call with the referral, ask your friend...
Has this web designer served my industry before?
Does he/she have a portfolio showcasing the breadth of his/her work?
Addressing this beforehand will save you time.
Individual Preferences and Needs Vary
Also, consider what floats your friend's boat might sink yours. While the website is stunning, what about the times she expressed the designer’s lack of communication? Remember how her Voxer messages went unheard?
When your communication style and expectations differ, you cannot sweep that telling information under the rug.
Let’s take it one step further.
What about the copy, friend?
Be honest — the website’s design, functionality, and user experience are top-tier, but the words leave much to be desired. You don’t get that yassss feeling when scrolling down the pages.
On the other hand, your friend may LOVE the copy.
If soul-stirring, emotionally intelligent copy is important to you (and it should be!), ensure the web designer has a qualified Word Pro on standby. You don’t want to get stuck with someone who lacks website copywriting skills or doesn’t understand brand voice development. Or even worse, you don’t want to be the designated copywriter if you’re already short on time and patience.
Feel me?
The Flip Side
Hiring a professional based solely on a friend’s recommendation is one thing, but what about the other side? You must also understand that what didn’t work for your biz friend could be your business’s answered prayer.
I remember telling a biz friend about an inquiry I received from a potential client. They wasted no time telling me to avoid this person like the plague! They expressed how uninvested she was and didn’t take her business seriously, which made working with her a living hell!
Well, the potential client booked a call with me. Admittedly, I had a preconceived notion, but guess what? We hit it off from the start! She communicated her needs beautifully and showcased an “about my business” attitude completely different from what my friend described.
After receiving the proposal, she signed the contract and locked in her project with the FULL payment. From there, my newly onboarded client completed the intake questionnaire with specificity, showed up for the strategy call, and provided prompt and thorough feedback during the revision process.
My experience with my biz friend’s nightmare of a client was a sweet dream!
The lesson?
Be wary of advice colored by personal grievances or disappointments. Sometimes, our emotions can overshadow logic and objectivity. Most importantly, we can’t expect others to have our exact experience when we have different circumstances, personalities, processes, and expectations.
The Power of Due Diligence
So, how do you navigate this minefield of recommendations and make the right choice for your business? It's all about doing your homework.
Instead of relying solely on recommendations, I implore you to research potential candidates. Hiring a service provider, especially a done-for-you one, can be scary, but there are some tried-and-true ways to circumvent some pitfalls.
Tips for Choosing Reliable Service Providers:
Evaluate their digital footprint: Go beyond checking their website, friend. Dive into all their social accounts, looking for case studies and client testimonials. Also, Google their name or business to see what customers or clients say about them. A word of advice: Look for patterns rather than isolated incidents. You can also see what other work or causes they're attached to.
Check their online activity: This may seem stalkerish, but it can reveal much about the service provider. The accounts they follow and the comments they make can showcase their beliefs, values, and motivations. This is important, especially if you care about working with people aligned with you and your brand.
Connect with past clients: Who has the service provider worked with? Once you find out, shoot them a quick DM or email to see what's really up. Doing so can provide invaluable insights into their work ethic, reliability, and quality. Remember: listen for patterns rather than isolated incidents.
Schedule consultations: Nothing beats a screen-to-screen chat to gauge compatibility, and often, it's free. Before the call, assess their process. Was it confusing or seamless? And don't forget about the post-consultation process. It's just as telling.
Trust your gut: Your intuition is your best guide. That "I can't put my finger on it" feeling is there for a reason. If something feels off after doing your research or speaking with them, it probably is.
Hiring professionals can be a hit or miss, with or without a recommendation. Here’s the thing: if it’s a miss, let it be an informed miss…not a miss because your friend’s feelings or past experiences decided for you.
Don't get me wrong – recommendations from people you know and trust can be incredibly valuable. They've led me to long-lasting collaborations and repeat clientele. The key is to use them as a starting point, not the final word.
So the next time a well-meaning friend raves about their "life-changing" business coach or virtual assistant, smile, thank them for the recommendation, and then roll up your sleeves and get nosy.
📌Final Note
Fun fact: Referrals are still my favorite way to get clients. There’s something heartwarming about someone trusting me enough to send a potential client my way. That doesn’t mean I expect people to hire me because I came highly recommended. No, research me like you have never heard of me; dig into my agency like Kopy Fresh is a foreign term.
That’s how you do right by your small business. You kopy?
I'm proud to say that referrals love Kopy Fresh just as much as we love them! Here's what some of them said after receiving the first draft of their copy...
Book a complimentary copy chat if you, too, want instant WOW copy (and design services). Let's get your words and overall brand aesthetic to FRESH status. Can't wait to chat with you!
Great read and very informative.