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

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Today’s estimated read time: 1 minute 28 seconds

Charlie Munger talked a lot about incentives.

He had a simple saying:

He was right.

Incentives shape behavior. Always have.

That’s why, when referral campaigns stall, the issue is rarely referrals.

It’s the reward.

When the incentive is compelling, people act.

When it’s not, they don’t.

Ok, TED Talk over.

Let’s look at real data from three Camp Tree camps that are getting results:

Type
Day and overnight camp – Midwest US

Incentive
$100 off per enrollment (ambassador and prospect)

Tuition
~$900 per week

Results (16-month campaign)
162 ambassadors
65 referrals

Why this worked

The incentive felt meaningful, not symbolic.

A handful of new enrollments could mean 50% off for the ambassador.

Both sides benefited, and the rewards compounded quickly.

This didn’t feel like “marketing.”

It felt like helping a friend and getting thanked for it.

Type
Overnight camp – US East Coast

Incentive
$170 off per enrollment for ambassadors
$15 off for referred families

Tuition
~$1,300 per week

Results
38 ambassadors
22 referrals

Why this worked

The ambassador reward matched the effort.

Sharing camp wasn’t a favor, it was worth doing.

Even the smaller prospect incentive helped.

It gave families a reason to take the next step now, not later.

Type
Overnight camp

Incentive
8% off per enrollment (ambassador and prospect)

Tuition
~$2,000 per week

Results (early)
30+ ambassadors
12 referrals

Why this matters

This campaign is still young, but the signal is already clear.

At a higher tuition level, the incentive still feels meaningful.

And parents are responding.

It’s early, but it’s working.

These camps didn’t win by being clever.

They won by being clear.

The incentive:

If referrals aren’t moving, it’s usually not a messaging problem.

It’s an incentive problem.

Change the incentive, change the outcome.

Ambassador post templates

One thing we hear a lot:

“Parents want to help, they just don’t know what to say.”

So we put together a Google Doc with ready-to-use message templates for ambassadors:

Different tones, different moments.

All easy to copy and personalize. We’ll keep adding to it.

If you want to make sharing feel simpler, this helps.

You can grab the doc here.

There are lots of things that don’t work the way they should.

And I love the mindset of looking for continuous improvement in camp.

Two Second Lean shows us how to make small improvements to things we encounter on a regular basis.

(Hat tip to Travis Allison for the recommendation.)

Until next time,

Peter “Zip Line Legend” Elbaum

P.S. - if you liked 2 Second Lean, you can take it to the next level.