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Each week, we send one high-impact growth move straight from the Pono Ventures playbook — and only Break Point readers get the goods.

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Not All Referral Requests Should Look the Same

At Pono Ventures, we talk a lot about growth channels. Ads, partnerships, cold outreach, but one of the most powerful growth drivers? Referrals.

Yet, despite their power, most businesses handle referrals in exactly the same way. And that’s the problem.

The way you ask for referrals should change depending on what you’re selling and the relationship you’ve built.

For Simple, Transactional Products: Automate and Incentivize

If you’re selling a product with a lower price point or minimal service layer like an e-commerce product, SaaS tool, or digital subscription, it makes total sense to treat referrals like a scalable marketing channel.

Asking can be automated. Add a discount, credit, or small incentive, and you’re good to go. After a customer’s second purchase, send a simple email: "Love your new vitamins? Refer a friend and you both get $10 off your next order."

This works because:

• The relationship is transactional.

• The decision to buy was simple.

• Customers are motivated by small perks.

In this world, monetary rewards actually enhance the ask.

For High-Touch, High-Value Services: Keep It Personal

Now flip to a high-value service business like a consulting firm, marketing agency, or wealth management practice. Here, the dynamic is different:

• Clients aren’t buying a quick product.

• You’ve built a personal relationship.

• Your service is part of their business or life.

Asking for a referral via a mass email offering a $250 gift card? That cheapens the relationship. It signals your work is transactional, when your value is trust-based.

Instead, make your ask human, personal, and rooted in the results you’ve delivered. After delivering a successful project, send a personal email: "We’ve really enjoyed working with your team. Based on the results we’ve helped drive, do you know of any other companies that might benefit from this kind of support? I’d love an introduction if anyone comes to mind."

No discounts. No cash rewards. Just a genuine ask based on value and trust.

Want to talk marketing with the Pono team?

Book a call with one of our founders! We do four strategy sessions a week helping companies beat their growth targets (no strings attached).

Weekly Beach Vibes

In life, pono stands for righteousness and balance. In Hawaiian, if a person is living pono, it means that they have struck the right balance in their relationships with other things, places, and people in their lives. It also means that they've made a conscious decision to do right by themselves, by others, and by the world in general.

We live by Pono.