There’s something comfortable about believing that if you fail to get referrals, it's not your fault. 

‘The Economy is bad.’

‘This industry makes it too difficult.’ 

‘People only refer their friends, I can't compete with nepotism. ’ 

These phrases sound benign, but they’re going to destroy your business if you don’t act fast. 

I am an NDIS Business Coach. I built up an NDIS care business from zero to $5mil in revenue in just four short years, so finding referrals is second nature to me. These days, it's one of the most asked questions I get from NDIS care businesses, and while I have lots of help to offer, this one trait will ultimately predict with greater accuracy whether your business will skyrocket or plummet, and no one wants to hear it. While I talk a lot about NDIS, this mindset shift absolutely applies to every business in the service industry. 

Radical accountability might sound frightening. This mindset is about choosing to see absolutely every lead as being your responsibility. It’s a heavy burden to shoulder. 

The painful truth is that anything other than radical accountability will destroy your business because you’re choosing to give your power to an external source. Once you realise that referrals aren’t given, they’re earned, you’ll see that the ball was in your court from day one; you just had to make the first move. Radical accountability gives you radical control, and that’s what you want for your business. It means you can always choose the direction you go in. 

You’ve Chosen Radical Accountability. What Does That Look Like? 

Hoping for a magical shortcut that lands consistent referrals? There isn’t one. No one owes you referrals. Not even support coordinators. The hard truth that no one wants to hear is also the good news: anyone can have consistent referrals. Earn them. Before you try marketing and publicity or digital shortcuts, start from the ground up. Make sure you can make someone’s life much easier. Get clear on what you’re good at. NDIS might be a niche, but get niche within that niche and know exactly who you’re helping, and what you’re helping them with. 

Next, have your systems in place. The skills, the team and the tools, so that when you’re asked to shine, you are ready to put your best foot forward. 

THIS approach makes ‘Hope Marketing’ look as useless as it is

Hope is not a strategy. “I hope someone refers me” is not a marketing plan. Waiting for the phone to ring isn’t the same as building a referral pipeline.  

This is the difficult conversation I have with clients all the time. People get into this field because they're naturally caring. They just want to get out there and care for people, but running a business requires business acumen. Getting referrals has to start with a strategy, and sometimes, you may need help with that, and that is okay.

Finding referrals can feel like a riddle. Just remember, there are no shortcuts. Respect is earned, not expected. Accountability trumps hope marketing because you can’t afford to hope. No one can. You can afford to invest, to strategise, and to earn. If you are waiting for people just to hand you business, you are already behind. Focus on building relationships, not relying on entitlement. If you want consistent growth, you need consistent action. Clear messaging. Strong relationships. A real plan. Hope is a beautiful thing but it won’t pay your bills. Structure will. Strategy will. 

Going for Gold means Integrating into your Community 

See your community as a living, breathing organism with the ability to inhale and exhale. Inhale is when you lean into your community and help others. When the community exhales,  it is your turn to receive. You must inhale to exhale. Give without expecting to receive and immerse yourself in your community. 

This is as close to a hack as you’re going to get. Your community is your currency; treat it like gold. Stop chasing strangers on the internet while ignoring the people who already know, like, and trust you. The clients you’ve helped, the referrers who believe in you, the followers who show up consistently, that’s where the value is. 

You don’t need to start from scratch; start paying attention to what’s already working. Nurture the relationships you’ve got; that’s how businesses grow. Referrals are a byproduct of relationships. If you’re begging for more referrals but ignoring your community, neglecting your team, and barely connecting with your clients, you’ve missed the whole point. People refer people they trust. Full stop. They refer to the provider who shows up and follows through, not once or twice but consistently. Be the one who answers the phone and does what you say you’ll do, no matter how difficult it is to do that, not how legitimate an excuse to drop the ball might be. 

If you want more referrals, start investing in people to create absolutely unshakable relationships. That’s where the real growth comes from. Every time.

Get Niche. More Niche. Even MORE niche. That’s It!

This is a big one I preach about. Providers think they can help every kind of client, but then you automatically water yourself down. By addressing an imaginary room of people, you won’t connect with a single individual, and connections are the currency. When your message is vague, which it can’t help but be when you’re trying to appeal to everyone at once, your service feels forgettable. You need to stand for something, so speak directly to the people you’re best equipped to help. 

Clarity builds confidence, and confidence is magnetic; it draws in the right clients, the right referrers, the right team. Be clear. Be bold. Be specific. That’s how you grow a business that actually stands out.

You don’t need another Canva template. You need clarity. Your business isn’t struggling because of your colours or fonts. It’s struggling because there’s no clear direction. Design can make things look pretty, but it can’t fix confusion. If you don’t know who you’re speaking to, what you offer, or why it matters, no template in the world will turn that around. Get clear first. Then design to support the message, not distract from it.

The Dangerous Lie You Keep Telling Yourself

“I just need one person to give me a shot.” No. You need a system, not a saviour. It’s tempting to believe that referrals work on a floodgate system and one will lead to more, but that’s a dangerous gamble. Build a real referral engine, document your process and make it easy for others to refer you. The best way to create momentum is through structure.