Have you ever been asked by a salesperson after a sale, “Hey, who do you know who would be interested in my product?”. That has to be one of the most annoying and ineffective ways of getting referrals. Let’s talk about how to do it right.
Highlights
- There are strong and weak referrals.
- A good referral is an introduction to a prospect that has some trustworthy source that is qualified and is looking for a solution like yours.
- Trust is critical and there are many ways to build trust. Time, testimonials, referrals, etc. are all ways to build trust.
- When someone vouches for you, they have transferred their trust to you.
- You need to make sure that your circle of influence understands what exactly you provide and what a great client fit is.
- Trying to cater to referrals can damage the relationship with the person that referred the prospect if you are not actually a good match for the prospect.
- A referral is only a true referral when the prospect needs the service now or very soon.
- Simply asking a client if they know another prospect that could use your service is a bad idea. It can quickly turn a pleasant transaction into something sour.
- The best way to get referrals is to provide outstanding service to your clients.
- Clients that are excited about your service will not need to be asked for referrals. They will do it because they want to.
- Design a system to make it easy for people to refer business to you.
