Referral Management
Track every referral from first contact to closed deal. Automate commissions, update statuses, and give preparers full visibility into their pipeline.
How Referrals Work
A referral is created when a client is directed to your firm by a preparer, affiliate, or the client themselves. GoRefer tracks the full lifecycle — from submission to commission payout — so nothing falls through the cracks.
- 1
Referral Submitted
A referral is created via the platform, a public referral link, or through the intake form. The referring preparer is automatically associated.
- 2
Status Tracking
Admins and preparers update the referral status as it progresses: New → Contacted → Consultation → Engaged → Completed → Paid.
- 3
Commission Calculated
When a referral reaches the "Completed" status, the applicable commission is automatically calculated based on the preparer's rate and any active bonuses.
- 4
Payout Processed
Commissions accumulate in the preparer's payout balance. Payments are processed in batches on your configured schedule.
Referral Statuses
| Status | Meaning | Commission Triggered |
|---|---|---|
| New | Referral just submitted, not yet reviewed | No |
| Contacted | Initial contact made with referred client | No |
| Consultation | A consultation has been scheduled or completed | No |
| Engaged | Client has signed on and work has begun | Optional |
| Completed | Service delivered, referral is closed | Yes |
| Lost | Client did not convert | No |
Referral Links
Every preparer and affiliate gets a unique referral link. When someone signs up or submits an intake form through that link, the referral is automatically attributed to that person.
- Unique links per preparer and affiliate
- Links work across intake forms, landing pages, and the client portal
- Full click tracking and conversion analytics
- Custom UTM parameters supported
- QR codes available for in-person use
Managing Referrals
- View all referrals in the CRM dashboard with filters and search
- Assign referrals to different preparers
- Add notes to any referral
- Schedule follow-ups and set reminders
- Bulk update status for multiple referrals
- Export referral data to a spreadsheet
- View complete referral history per client
Referral Analytics
The CRM stats dashboard shows you exactly how your referral pipeline is performing — conversion rates, average time to close, top-performing preparers, and revenue attributed.
- Pipeline value by stage
- Conversion rate from referral to completed
- Average days to close by preparer
- Monthly referral volume trends
- Source attribution (who sent the referral)
Use Workflow Automation to automatically send follow-up emails or notifications when a referral hasn't been updated in a certain number of days.