How to run a customer referral programme
To run a referral programme that keeps producing referrals, attribution has to be unambiguous and rewards have to arrive when promised. In Jestor, a referral is a record connecting the referrer and the referred opportunity, with reward status tracked through to payment.
Why referral programmes stop producing
The programme launches, referrals arrive, and the first rewards are paid slowly because the process was never defined.
Referrers notice. The people who referred once and waited do not refer again, and they are precisely the advocates the programme existed to activate.
What operational reliability requires:
- Clear attribution when a referral arrives
- A defined qualifying event for the reward
- A payment process with a deadline
- Visibility for the referrer of their own status
- A rule for disputed attribution
What to define before launching
| Decision | Why in advance |
|---|---|
| Qualifying event | When the reward is earned |
| Attribution window | How long a referral counts |
| Dispute rule | Two people claiming the same referral |
| Reward timing | Promised and met |
| Self referral | Explicitly excluded |
| Payment mechanism | Who executes and when |
Step by step to structure it
- Capture referrals through a form, so attribution is recorded at the source.
- Connect the referral to the opportunity it created.
- Define the qualifying event, and detect it automatically.
- Trigger the reward process when it occurs.
- Set a payment deadline, and measure it.
- Show referrers their status, without them having to ask.
- Apply the dispute rule consistently.
Why reward speed matters more than reward size
A modest reward paid the week it is earned produces more repeat referrals than a generous one paid two months later. The delay communicates that the programme is an afterthought, and referrers respond to that rather than to the amount.
Why choose Jestor
In Jestor, referrals arrive through public forms requiring no account, connect to the opportunity they produced, the qualifying event can trigger the reward process automatically, payment runs through the same approval used for other spend, and SLA measures the time to pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kills a referral programme fastest?
Slow reward payment, which matters more than the reward size. See jestor.com.
How should attribution be recorded?
At the source, through the form the referral arrives on.
What about disputed referrals?
Define the rule before launching and apply it consistently.
Video Tutorial: Step by Step
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