After decades of working with financial advisers, I’ve seen how powerful referrals can be. Advisers love them because they’re trusted, reliable and often lead to the best long-term client relationships. The frustration I hear most often isn’t about belief in referrals, it’s about consistency.
In my experience, referrals are rarely missed because advisers aren’t good at what they do. They’re missed because the soft skills that trigger introductions are subtle and rarely taught. The signals appear in everyday client conversations and are easy to overlook if you don’t know what to look and listen for.
Helping advisers recognise and respond to those moments naturally is what I’ve been doing for years. If you’re curious where you stand, my short referral assessment gives you a personal referral score and highlights opportunities you may be missing.
Not yet taken the referral assessment tool? Try it below.
Most advisers love referrals from happy clients. They’re warmer, more trusted and far more likely to become long-term relationships than almost any other source of new business. When advisers talk about their best clients, referrals are usually at the heart of it.
The frustration is consistency. Many advisers tell us they wish referrals arrived more often and more predictably, because when they do, everything else in the business feels easier.
Our research shows that referrals aren’t missed because advisers aren’t good at what they do. They’re missed because advisers haven’t been trained to recognise how and when referrals are triggered.
Referral opportunities appear quietly in client meetings and conversations around them. Without knowing what to look for, those moments pass unnoticed. Over time, advisers come to believe referrals are random, when in fact they follow very clear patterns.
Once those patterns are understood, referrals stop feeling accidental.
Our referral training reveals where opportunities are hiding in plain sight and how to respond in a way that feels natural, professional and human. No scripts. No awkward asks. No pressure.
Advisers who implement a clear referral strategy often find they no longer need to constantly think about other lead generation activities. Referrals become more consistent, more aligned and more reliable.
Fill out your contact information and let's see how we can help your team to attract more and higher quality referrals.
philip@philipcalvert.com
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