--- title: "The psychology of referral: part 1" id: "16917" type: "post" slug: "the-psychology-of-referral-part-one" published_at: "2023-07-20T09:30:53+00:00" modified_at: "2023-09-15T11:23:34+00:00" url: "https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/the-psychology-of-referral-part-one/" markdown_url: "https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/the-psychology-of-referral-part-one.md" excerpt: "BRAINS. Awful things, really. They keep you up at night worrying about trivia then, when you really need them – like when you’re trying to remember where you left your keys – they’re like: “Nah, man. Not my problem.” We’re..." taxonomy_category: - "Thought Leadership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "Best Practice" - "psychology" - "Referral Program" - "science" taxonomy_translation_priority: - "Optional" --- [Back to Articles](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/) - [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) # The psychology of referral: part 1 Last Modified: 15/09/2023 **2 min read** [https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/author/peter-cunningham/](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/author/peter-cunningham/) **Author:** [Peter Cunningham](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/author/peter-cunningham/) - Marketing Director of Buyapowa **BRAINS.** Awful things, really. They keep you up at night worrying about trivia then, when you really need them – like when you’re trying to remember where you left your keys – they’re like: “Nah, man. Not my problem.” We’re all basically at the mercy of some 45-ounce blobs of grey goo which ride around in our heads for free. So, if nothing else, it pays to know how the blasted things work. Enter psychology: the scientific study of our brains and the way they make us behave. Psychology’s like a guide-book, showing us how to navigate the mental trail. And the best bit is, if you’ve got that guide-book you can lead other people wherever you want them to go. That might sound cynical, but it’s something we all do every day. We smile to get people to like us. We slide great, big requests in among a series of tiny, little asks. We do all kinds of sneaky things with our body language to make people fancy us, or fear us, or – if we’re really pushing our luck – both. And none of those things are an accident: there are established psychological principles behind each of them, and thousands more besides. So, how can we use psychology to boost the success of refer-a-friend programmes? How can we get more existing customers sharing, and more of their friends shopping? Well, over this three-part, practical guide, we’ll explain exactly how – using several fascinating psychological principles and some of Buyapowa’s favourite clients, including the likes of IG group, Boardriders and BT, as examples. Brain switched on and ready? Okay, then. Let’s go… [https://buyapowa.filecamp.com/s/d/psychology_of_referral_part_1](https://buyapowa.filecamp.com/s/d/psychology_of_referral_part_1) If this is the first you’ve seen of our Psychology of Referral series, then you might want to continue on with [Part Two](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/the-psychology-of-referral-part-two/) or [Part Three](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/the-psychology-of-referral-part-three/) . ## Free eBook Referral Codebreakers Fill in the form & Unlock the science behind the world’s most successful & influential referral marketing programs ##### Categories ## Related Articles ### [Referral, Loyalty & Switching Risk in Italy’s Energy Market](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referral-switching-italy-energy/) - [Energy](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/energy/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referral-switching-italy-energy/) 17/08/2026 15 min read ### [The 42-Point Referral Gap: Why Greek ISPs Need Campaigns, Not Passive Programs](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/greece-isp-referral/) - [Communications & Media](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/communications-media/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/greece-isp-referral/) 17/08/2026 5 min read ### [When Everyone Offers Free Spins, Nobody Stands Out](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/european-casino-referral/) - [Gaming](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/gaming/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/european-casino-referral/) 17/08/2026 6 min read ### [Beyond the Free Bet: What European Sportsbook Customers Want from Referral](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/european-sportsbook-referral/) - [Gaming](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/gaming/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/european-sportsbook-referral/) 17/08/2026 5 min read ### [The Recommendation Gap in Canadian Car Insurance: Advocacy Is High, but Price Confidence Holds It Back](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referrals-canadian-car-insurance/) - [Insurance](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/insurance/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/referrals-canadian-car-insurance/) 17/08/2026 6 min read ### [The Trust Transfer in Canadian Credit Unions: Members Are Ready to Refer—and Ready to Listen](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/canadian-credit-unions-referrals/) - [Banking & Finance](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/banking-finance/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/canadian-credit-unions-referrals/) 17/08/2026 5 min read ### [The Quiet Loyalty Problem in Canadian Home Insurance: 62% Will Refer, but 31% Could Still Be Won Away](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/canadian-home-insurance-referrals/) - [Insurance](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/insurance/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/canadian-home-insurance-referrals/) 17/08/2026 7 min read ### [The UK Pet Insurance Loyalty Paradox: 66% Plan to Stay, but 44% Could Still Be Won Away](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/uk-pet-insurance-loyalty-paradox/) - [Insurance](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/insurance/) , [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/uk-pet-insurance-loyalty-paradox/) 12/08/2026 5 min read ### [Powering Referral Marketing for Canada’s Finest](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/canadas-finest-referral-marketing/) - [Use cases](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/use-cases/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/canadas-finest-referral-marketing/) 11/08/2026 5 min read ### [30 Tips to Generate More Customer Referrals](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/tips-encourage-customer-referrals/) - [Thought Leadership](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/category/thought-leadership/) [Read More](https://www.buyapowa.com/blog/tips-encourage-customer-referrals/) 11/08/2026 40 min read ### [Referral Is Already Influencing Insurance Decisions. 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