The Referral Rundown #3: How to Get Referrals Without Being Salesy

This is the Referral Rundown, the newsletter that helps camps grow through word of mouth.

We’re the cabin dance party of newsletters - a short break that fires you up.

Today’s estimated read time: 1 minute 36 seconds

🤝 How to Get Referrals Without Being Salesy

I hear this a lot from directors when we’re talking about referrals:

“I don’t want to be salesy.”

I get it. Nobody wants to feel pushy or desperate.

At the same time, referrals work – it’s how the best camps grow.

The key is how you approach them.

So, here are 4 ways to make referrals feel natural: 

Start by listening

This may be the best thing you can do to make referrals feel natural.

When you listen to parents and make the changes they want, you’re giving value first.

Parents feel heard and respected.

And when they feel seen, they want to help you.

Asking for value before you’ve given it feels salesy.

Doing it after feels natural.

Stay in touch year-round

Only popping in when bunks aren’t filling doesn’t build trust.

It feels like a transaction.

Instead, keep a steady rhythm:

• a newsletter or blog post

• a short update

• a story from last summer

When parents hear from you regularly, referrals stop feeling like an ask.

They’re just part of the conversation.

Make referrals part of how camp works

Referral programs work better when they’re boring.

Mention them in updates, talk about them casually.
Let them live alongside everything else camp is doing.

Over time, they stop feeling like a push.

They just become something camp does.

No big launch, no awkward reminder.

Play the long game

Most salesy moments come from pressure.

It’s March or April. Enrollment feels tight.
You need this summer to work. That’s real.

But referrals aren’t a last-minute fix.

They compound as you invest in your community and run a great camp.

Think of them as something you build over time, then refine.

Give it time and see what works. (I usually say at least two seasons.)

And keep adjusting along the way.

The takeaway

Referrals feel salesy when they’re rushed.

They feel natural when they’re:

• rooted in trust

• part of regular communication

• done for the long term

Do those things, and word of mouth takes care of itself.

🌲 Camp Tree Corner

Campminder Integration

Camp Tree now connects with Campminder!

When a referred family enrolls, their status in Camp Tree updates automatically.

No manual tracking or guessing who signed up.

Referrals should be boring to manage.
This integration makes that a reality.

⛺️ Around the Campfire

This interview with Kílian Jornet (ultramarathoner and mountaineer) about doing hard things outside feels perfect for camp pros:

🤣 The LOL Lodge

Until next time,

Peter “Blob King” Elbaum