Rather than trying to win over high-profile attorneys and accountants, luxury car dealers and other professionals with connections that can lead to introductions, what if you focused on harnessing referrals from your existing clients?

For two advisors, this approach led to a steady flow of referrals, increased client loyalty and expanded their networks. Turns out some of the most valuable partners in their growing practices are not the big names advisors typically chase, but rather the everyday clients who trusted them deeply and were willing to spread the word.

Identifying potential influencers

Rassamee Jiemluxnpaisal, a five-year MDRT member from Bangkok, Thailand, knows the power of relationships and found success by focusing on clients who trust her implicitly and are willing to recommend her to their family, friends and colleagues. Jiemluxnpaisal has three key criteria for selecting clients with a propensity to refer: They have to be someone who trusts her, is ready to give guidance and is reliable.

One of her most successful references started as an ordinary client seeking insurance and financial planning for his family. During the next five years, he referred his mother, older sister, friends and supervisors at work. That streak of introductions proved to Jiemluxnpaisal that introductions can come from someone whose influence is the result of genuine trust and belief in her services.

Nhi Thi Yen Chung, a four-year MDRT member from Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, also has seen how any client, regardless of their social status or job title, can become an advocate. One memorable example involved a client whose parents didn’t believe in insurance but acquiesced because their daughter wanted to buy coverage for them.

“After the next time they went to see a doctor, they sent me the medical papers and got the reimbursement immediately,” Chung said. “They had more trust then, and the family bought insurance for a sister and her two grandchildren, and they referred me to another friend for insurance.”

Turning clients into advocates

Jiemluxnpaisal employs an “after-sales approach” for turning clients into referrers. She uses various channels — be it a conversation over lunch or social media posts — to make her clients aware of the courses she is taking to enhance her knowledge and her methodology for insurance planning. She also alerts them to company promotions, and how to use her carrier’s loyalty program where clients earn points through activities like exercising, eating right and going to medical checkups. The points can be redeemed for insurance premium discounts, shopping vouchers and other perks. She also created a sort of information exchange by tapping her network for their recommendations about restaurants, shopping, even condo inspections and shares with other clients.

Chung takes a personal approach, building strong relationships with clients through thoughtful gestures and consistent follow-up. She often gives small, personalized gifts, like coffee mugs or umbrellas, and she even drops off hot coffee if she is passing by their offices to keep herself top-of-mind with clients. More importantly, Chung tries to know her clients’ personal lives and financial situations, ensuring she offers products that are tailored to their needs. This level of care fosters trust and makes her clients more likely to refer her to their colleagues and friends.

Chung’s strategy has worked wonders in building a loyal client base, including an impressive example with a bank employee. Despite working at a bank that sold insurance products, the employee chose Chung as her insurance advisor. Over time, this connection led to 15 additional referrals, all colleagues and friends of the bank employee, who trusted Chung’s genuine care and expertise. By connecting on social media, giving personalized birthday gifts and staying in touch, Chung turned this single client into a powerful influencer who significantly boosted her business.

The results

Focusing on client introductions has been transformative for Jiemluxnpaisal and Chung. Jiemluxnpaisal’s network continues growing as new clients turn into referrers themselves, creating a cycle of trust and referral that sustains her business.

“The biggest advantage of getting a suitable center of influence is that you keep on getting new customers from referrals through their network,” Jiemluxnpaisal said. “Some new clients can become centers of influence, and as the number of these grows, my network continues to expand.”

Chung, too, has experienced the long-term benefits of client-based referrals. Her focus on building meaningful relationships through sending them personalized gifts to guiding them through the insurance claims process, has paid off in the form of loyal clients who actively refer her to others. By identifying clients who can be advocates, nurturing those relationships with sincerity and care, and consistently providing value, both Jiemluxnpaisal and Chung have created sustainable, long-term referral networks that continue to drive their business forward. In the world of financial services, sometimes the most powerful connections are closer than you think.