One of the areas in which often Christian businesses fail is that they receive very few referrals.  This is generally because Christian business owners fail to ask for referrals and even if they do, they are embarrassed to follow it through.  In fact one could do well to try and develop a fail safe referral system and implement it.

Request clients for referrals
Clients, even the satisfied ones, do not realize that networking is an integral part of your livelihood.  Since they do not recognize this fact, they are unlikely to provide you any unless you ask them to.  When you ask clients for referrals, they can help increase your network substantially.  The best way to do this is to tell your clients early in your relationship with them that your business runs on referrals and you will be asking them for referrals and recommendations.  Don’t forget to send them a note of thanks when they provide you with a referral.
 
Reciprocation is a good thing
Your clients may have christian business directories or christian businesses of their own.  You can recommend them to others.  This builds a powerful chain that works immensely well.  Successful professional networks run on this principal.  Understand the special expertise of the business you are referring, this way you can be providing valuable referrals that will ultimately work in your favor.
 
Use social networking
Social networking is a valuable tool.  It is immensely powerful.  Join social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.  Upload your profile.  Often the hidden benefits of these social networking sites are immense.  You can reconnect with a lot of people that you had lost touch with.  These can be powerful referrals.  They can even recommend you further.  Use this tool wisely.  Social networking sites are primarily for you to connect with each other socially and over-aggressive marketing can result in being detrimental to your business. 

Identify your target audience
If you are selling pet food, you need to connect with people who have pets.  It is as simple as that.  So learn to ask the right questions: For instance, ask Are you an animal lover? Do you have pets? Do you know someone who has pets? These are questions that will connect you to the target audience that requires your products and services.  Ask and ye shall receive, says the Bible.  Over a period of time, if you continue to do this, you will know the right questions to ask and get better results.
 
Develop effective referral request tools
If you are embarrassed asking questions and requesting referrals, you can take a leaf out of the book of successful restaurants.  Develop a questionnaire or a feedback form.  It will serve as an effective evaluation tool and help you improve.  You can provide space for the client to put in the name and number of the person they think can benefit from your services.  Make this a regular practice and give all your clients these forms.  This is a very successful way of developing a referral system and the leads you get will keep you working on referrals only for a long time,