# Referral tracker

> A customer relationship management (CRM) system for referrals, in one spreadsheet: three tabs joined by the contact's name. After 6 months it tells you who actually sends you clients and whether the outreach was worth it.

**Downloads:** import each CSV as its own tab (see [how to use these files](https://toolkit.marcusberley.com/using-these-files/)).
**[contacts.csv](files/referral-tracker-contacts.csv)** · **[communications.csv](files/referral-tracker-communications.csv)** · **[referrals.csv](files/referral-tracker-referrals.csv)**

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## Tab 1: Contacts (the people)

| Column | Values / notes |
|---|---|
| Name | Join key across all three tabs, so keep it consistent |
| Relationship Strength | Strong / Established / Developing / New |
| Category | Therapist, Psychologist, Psychiatrist/ARNP (advanced registered nurse practitioner), PCP (primary care provider), Attorney, Former Colleague, Other |
| State | WA, RI, etc. |
| Organization | Practice or firm |
| Email · Phone · Address | |
| Notes | How you know them, their specialty, what they refer for |

The [outreach tiers](https://toolkit.marcusberley.com/referral-outreach-emails/) are filters on this tab: Tier 1 = Strong/Established/Former Colleague; Tier 2 = your local area; Tier 3 = New + clinical categories.

## Tab 2: Communications (every touch)

| Column | Values / notes |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| Name | Must match Contacts |
| Direction | Outgoing / Incoming |
| Type | Email, Mail, Call, Text, Meeting, Event |
| Summary | One line |
| Follow-up | Next step and date, if any |

## Tab 3: Referrals (both directions)

| Column | Values / notes |
|---|---|
| Date | |
| Direction | **Incoming** (referred to you) / **Outgoing** (you referred to them) |
| Referral Source / Recipient | Name from Contacts, or a marketing activity (e.g. "Psychology Today," "card drop at X café, 2026-05-05") |
| Referred person | **Initials, or first name and last initial, only** |
| Outcome | Consult scheduled / Became client / Not a fit / No response |
| Notes | Non-clinical only |

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## The one rule

**This sheet tracks referral relationships, not clients.** Keep referred-person entries to initials and never add diagnoses, presenting problems, or session details, so it never becomes a store of protected health information (PHI). Treatment information belongs in your electronic health record (EHR) system.

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## Two companion logs

- **[marketing-activities.csv](files/marketing-activities.csv):** one-off actions such as card drops, networking events, talks, and mail-outs. Columns: `Activity, Date, Type, Venue / Target, Cost, Outcome, Notes`
- **[directory-listings.csv](files/directory-listings.csv):** the paid listings you renew (Psychology Today, Zencare, TherapyDen, etc.). Columns: `Listing, Type, Status, Monthly Cost, Annual Cost, Renewal Date, URL, Notes`

When one produces an inquiry, log the referral with that activity or listing as its source. At renewal, that tells you what earned its cost.