How to Get More Referrals for Your B2B Business (Without Feeling Salesy)

If you’re a B2B service provider, fractional leader, or indie consultant who’s used to getting clients through referrals — and lately those leads have slowed to a trickle — you’re not alone.

In this episode of Tiny Marketing, Sarah Noel Block breaks down how to flip referrals back on using a lean, modern approach to relationship-building, especially on LinkedIn.

Let’s dig into the key takeaways.

Watch the video or listen to the podcast here.

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When Referrals Dry Up: Why It Happens

Most small service-based businesses are launched with a solid referral or two — often from a past employer. That initial goodwill gets things moving quickly.

But fast forward a year or two, and suddenly the referrals aren’t coming as easily anymore. Why?

👉 You’re not as top-of-mind as you used to be. 👉 You’ve gotten busy doing client work and stopped showing up. 👉 Your network is now helping someone newer who’s still talking about their business all the time. 👉 You’re not visible in the right places.

Referrals are powerful — but they’re unreliable if you don’t actively build the system that fuels them.

Enter: The Niche Networker Strategy

Inside the Tiny Marketing Club, this approach is called Mission Three: Niche Networker. And it’s designed specifically for getting back into your dream clients' line of sight.

Want to apply for the club? Click here.

The strategy is simple:

1. Find niche communities where your ideal clients hang out.

This could be a Slack group, a Facebook group, or an invite-only forum.

2. Answer questions and engage.

Show up with value. Solve a problem publicly. Message people directly if you can help further.

3. Connect on LinkedIn.

This is where the nurturing happens. Once you're connected, your posts start showing up in their feed. And that’s where trust builds over time.

This process flips the funnel — instead of waiting for people to discover you, you find them and then show up regularly to stay top-of-mind.

You Need an Easy "Yes" Offer

Another major reason people stop referring you: they don’t have a clear, easy way to describe what you do — or a simple offer they can recommend.

That’s why Sarah recommends creating a gateway offer. This is a productized service that solves one specific problem, at a no-brainer price point (typically under $1,000).

The easier it is to understand, the easier it is to refer.

Instead of pitching “consulting services,” your referrers can say:

“Oh, you should talk to [your name]. They’ve got a $997 package that helps you [insert specific result in 2 weeks].”

This is your entry point — and it often leads to high-ticket work later.

Want to join the Easy Yes Offer Workshop, where we build your Gateway Offer together? Click here.

Build Real Relationships on LinkedIn

If you’re passively posting on LinkedIn and wondering why nothing’s happening — this might be the wake-up call.

✅ Posting content is not enough.

✅ Your dream clients need to know you, like you, and trust you.

✅ That only happens through engagement.

Here’s what works instead:

• Curate your LinkedIn feed so it’s full of potential clients, referral partners, and industry peers.
• Interact consistently with their content. Comment meaningfully.
• Send Magic DMs — not cold pitches. Just friendly, helpful messages that say who you are, what you do, and how you help.

When done right, these messages start conversations — not sales pitches.

What Is a Magic DM?

It’s a non-cringey way to start meaningful conversations.

Here’s the format:

“Hi [Name], I found you in [community or context] and thought we’d be a good connection. I help [who you help] with [what you do], typically through [your offer]. Looking forward to your posts!”

This does a few powerful things:

• Filters out people who aren’t your people.
• Makes your positioning crystal clear.
• Signals: “I’m helpful, not pushy.”

If they accept and respond, that’s a green light to continue the relationship — through comments, DMs, and eventually a call.

Be a Trusted Name in a Small Circle

You don’t need 10,000 followers or press features.

You just need to be the go-to person in a tight niche. That means:

• Showing up consistently in the right places
• Making it easy for people to understand and share what you do
• Being helpful — with no strings attached

Want to speed this up? Start with what Sarah calls the Dream Prospect Map:

1. Write down 10 people you already know who could connect you with ideal clients.
2. Reach out. Start conversations.
3. Offer value and ask how you can support them.

You don’t need cold outreach. You need warm re-engagement.

The Power of Follow-Up

Here’s where most people drop the ball: they don’t follow up.

You don’t need to nag people — just continue being helpful:

• Share a resource related to their challenge.
• Send a thoughtful message checking in.
• Celebrate their wins on LinkedIn.
• Offer introductions if it makes sense.

Two or three genuine follow-ups can make you stand out from 99% of other service providers.

The Fastest Way to Turn Conversations into Clients

If all of this sounds great, but you’re wondering how to actually do it without sounding awkward, then the LinkedIn Prospecting Workshop is where you need to start.

✅ You'll learn:

• How to build your Dream Prospect Map
• What to say in your Magic DMs
• How to write posts that convert passively
• Exactly how Sarah made $94,000 in 30 days on LinkedIn
• How to follow up without being annoying

And it’s just $97 — the price of dinner and wine. 🍷

🎯 Call to Action

👉 Ready to get more leads and referrals on LinkedIn — without spamming or sounding salesy?

Join the LinkedIn Prospecting Workshop to learn the full system, get all the templates, and start filling your pipeline with warm leads.

✅ You’ll get the full replay

✅ All the Magic DM & follow-up templates

✅ And a guest pass to one live Tiny Marketing Club Office Hours where you can bring your questions and get direct feedback from Sarah.

🔗 Sign up now and build a referral engine that never sleeps.