Generating customer referrals is one of the golden keys to building a successful restaurant business. In this aspect, your restaurant business is identical to every single other kind of business.

So, to understand the importance of customer referrals, take a moment to read this story about James. He's a realtor, but he could just as easily be a restaurateur, just like you! You and James have precisely the same need and desire - to grow your business.

Remember, the VERY best way to grow a business is to turn your existing clients/customers into RAVING FANS, who will tell THEIR friends about YOUR business.

Read how James does it, faithfully copy what he does, and you'll get the same stunning results...

James is an extraordinarily successful realtor. Some years ago he found a house for us, did a good job of organising the whole deal and we went our separate ways.

At least for a while!

Every three months, regular as clockwork, James sends us a handwritten greeting card. I'm sure he sends pretty much the same cards to everyone, but that's not the point.

He actually sends them - THAT's the point!

And while most other realtors are sucking their thumbs and whining about how bad life is, James keeps on selling, selling, selling.

I had a coffee with him a couple weeks ago and I asked him how his business was doing, in a flat market.

"What flat market?" he said. Business is getting better and better, year after year. In fact for James, every single year was better then the previous year.

So what's James' secret?

"It's the cards", he said.

"I remember Tom Hopkins saying how within 3 years of becoming a realtor, ALL of his business came from referrals. And the vast majority of those referrals came because he religiously sent out handwritten cards. Thank you cards, birthday cards. New Year's cards. Cards for ANY reason. He just kept on sending 'em. So I do too, and I get exactly the same results."

Pretty simple!

So, when I'm standing around a barbecue with a beer and a friend asks if I know a good realtor, guess who I recommend? And remember, we only ever had one transaction with James, but I, along with many other people, send him constant business.

Why? Because James is ALWAYS top-of-mind when it comes to real estate. Because he sends us cards!

AND, James could be in any business, and he'd have the same success. Finance broker, lawn mowing contractor, hairdresser, accountant, restaurateur, mortgage broker. Doesn't matter - the principle's identical. Keep top-of-mind by sending heartfelt greeting cards, over and over.

So if this is such a bright idea, why don't more businesses and sales people do this?

Well, primary reason is that most business owners and sales people are lazy and wouldn't know a smart idea if it jumped up and bit them!

But for people like yourself, who aren't, probably the main reason is that it's too hard, too expensive and too complicated. But not any more. Sending custom written cards, with your own handwriting, sent in an envelope with a real stamp, straight from your computer, is now possible. And you don't have to handle, or even see, the cards!

So, no more excuses - find a computer system which will generate, print and post REAL greeting cards in REAL envelopes with REAL stamps (not those lame emailed ones), and just DO IT!