Ho-Hum.
Another day at the
office, waiting for a
potential customer to
call or come in. Hmmmm.
What would your business
be like if your current
customers were
enthusiastically
rounding up prospective
customers for you?
Imagine the excitement
of talking to people who
already know about you
and know about your
products and services.
How difficult would it
be to close those sales?
Of course! Selling to
those people would be a
piece of cake. So why
aren't your current
customers bringing you
referrals?
Perhaps it's because you
have not instructed
them, motivated them,
made it easy for them,
asked them or initiated
the process.
Like most worthwhile
endeavors, getting
referrals requires
planning and
preparation. First, the
planning. Start by
making a list of all the
people who might be a
referral source for you.
These may include people
you do business with,
such as your banker,
accountant, attorney,
printer, consultant,
broker, and so on. This
list will also include
at least some of your
existing clients. How
about friends, community
leaders, previous
business associates, and
suppliers?
Next, scan the list for
the handful of your best
current referrers.
Chances are, you have a
few people who routinely
recommend prospective
customers to you.
Perhaps you also send
referrals to them.
Start with these
potential "Referral
Partners". Almost
always, you'll have
better results by
developing stronger
relationships with a few
referral sources rather
than shallow
relationships with lots
of sources.
In order to help your
Referral Partners give
you good, qualified
referrals, you need to
get crystal-clear about
what you are looking
for. What types of
people/organizations
make the best customers
for you? Are there any
geographic limitations?
How about size or volume
requirements?
What problems do your
products and services
solve? Your Referral
Partner will have an
easier time of spotting
potential clients for
you if they (and you)
are clear about what
symptoms to look for.
This also makes it very
natural for your
Referral Partner to
suggest your firm as a
way for their colleague
to solve a problem.
Don't overlook the
desired personal
characteristics of
potential customers. As
you know, the chemistry
you have with a customer
is a crucial factor in
establishing a long-term
business relationship.
Have you ever noticed
that some people make
you feel good just to be
around them? These are
the people who give you
energy when they are
near you. These special
people seem to unlock
your creativity and
stimulate your thinking.
Wow!
On the other hand, there
are probably others you
can think of who just
drain all the life out
of you. Which would you
rather have as clients?
You can surround
yourself with people who
are pleasant, easy to
deal with, interesting
and, oh yes, profitable.
When you are clear about
describing the
recommendations you
want, you make it easier
for your Referral
Partners to identify
prospective customers
for you.
Now that you have
identified several
possible Referral
Partners and you are
clear about the types of
customers you want, it's
time to create a
customized plan for each
Referral Partner. Think
win-win. What does the
Referral Partner get
from this relationship?
Brainstorm all the
various ways in which
the Referral Partner
benefits from giving you
a recommendation. Be as
specific as you can.
Each person has
individual needs and
interest, so be creative
in discovering ways in
which this person gets
value from the Referral
Partner relationship.
Perhaps one of your
current Referral
Partners could help you
brainstorm this list of
possible benefits that
come from referring
clients to you.
Remember, people do
things for their
reasons, not yours. If
you can't articulate the
benefits of sending
referrals to you, you'll
not likely get many.
In order to instill
confidence in your
Referral Partner, you
need to spell out
exactly what you will do
when given a referral.
Your Referral Partner
has surely developed
valuable relationships
over the years and will
be most reluctant to do
anything that might
jeopardize those
relationships. Be
specific as to what will
happen when your
Referral Partner gives
you a referral. A
simple, step-by-step
process that shows how
you will represent
yourself (and your
Referral Partner) will
provide assurance that
the potential customer
will be treated with
respect and dignity.
Next, discuss the
specific actions you
want from your Referral
Partner. Do you want
them to call the
potential customer? What
do you want them to say?
Would you prefer they
arrange a three-way
appointment? Often,
people want to give you
referrals, but don't
know exactly what to do
or how to do it. Train
them; coach them; help
them get clear on what's
expected of them.
Once you get a referral,
be sure to show your
appreciation. Behavior
that is recognized tends
to be repeated. You can
show your appreciation
in many creative ways.
For some Referral
Partners, it may be a
gift. Others may prefer
recognition, favors,
events or special
support. Showing your
appreciation is not only
the polite thing to do;
it is also a smart way
to encourage more
referrals.
So far, we've discussed
getting recommendations
for potential customers.
What about referrals to
new referral sources? By
using the same process
outlined earlier, you
have the opportunity to
develop new Referral
Partners. This is a
great way to
dramatically increase
your business without
the time and effort of
cold calling and cold
prospecting.
Bottom line; developing
and implementing an
effective referral
strategy can produce a
steady stream of new
business for years to
come. You can achieve
your professional goals
faster and easier
through effectively
targeting referrals.
Start today.
Got referrals? |
Author Resource Box
|
Gary Lockwood is
an experienced
business coach,
facilitator,
speaker and an
author with
dozens of
informative
articles and
reports
published. He
specializes in
helping business
professionals
achieve
breakthroughs in
their business.
Gary has over
thirty years of
experience in
the business
world, including
technology,
sales and
marketing,
management
consulting,
business
planning and
corporate
training. He has
held senior
executive
positions in
several
companies and
has started a
few successful
companies of his
own. You can
learn more about
him at his Web
site,
BizSuccess.com. |
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