In last week’s topic, we touched on referrals, the life
blood of any business. If you do not
agree with that belief, we need to have an in-depth, serious discussion,
preferably face-to-face. Tom Hopkins,
the imminent sales and marketing guru, as well as every other marketing expert,
believes and teaches the importance of referrals. If you are not trying to move your business
to be referral-based from one based on cold calling (where you attempt to sell
to anyone, and everyone, you meet), you look forward to lots of frustration.
What is a referral?
It is not you telling someone about a business that you noticed while
driving down the street, thinking that they should cold call the business. It is not you telling another business owner
that you gave someone their name, but you can’t remember the other person’s
name or number. These are useless gestures
and should be banished to a trash heap.
They are insults to the networking relationships that we should be
building with others whom we meet and whom we should get to know, like, and
trust.
A referral is someone that you honestly believe should
become acquainted with, and perhaps do business with, another business. You should know, like, and trust both parties
to every referral. You should inform
both parties of the referral, providing both parties’ information to the
other. In short, you should introduce
them to each other. Is it necessary that
they develop a sales arrangement with each other? It may be beneficial to either of them that
they know each other and provide information, perhaps only more referrals, to
each other.
It is ideal if one of the parties engages in a sales
agreement with the other. It is even
more ideal if both parties decide to purchase from the other. However, they may just become networking
partners with each other, providing referrals and information to each
other. Referrals are a two way street,
and both parties should benefit in some manner.
If one has something that the other needs, great. If both can provide for the needs of the
other, that is even better. If neither
can fill the needs of the other, perhaps they know others who can.
When someone passes you a referral, act on it without fail
and without delay. After all, the other
person should be waiting for your call.
Even better, they should be calling you if both parties received the
same introductory information. If you
don’t call, you have failed the introducing party. If the other party does not receive your inquiry
well, or does not want to engage in the getting acquainted process, let the
referring person know the situation. After
all, they went to the trouble of trying to make a match; they deserve to know
what happened.
If the referral works out for the benefit of you, or the
other party, thank the referring party, perhaps with a gift. After all they just gave you new business;
they put money into your pocket. A small
token of your appreciation is called for and will not cost much. It shows “class” on your part and is the
“right thing” to do. There are several
types of businesses which are restricted in what they can do for a successful
referral. Often a simple thank you card
is sufficient. I personally believe that
everyone likes to be thanked and noticed for their referrals.
What are your thoughts on referrals and what are your
stories? Share your comments, or email me at Jim@SOC4Now.com,
or call me at 360-314-8691. Maybe our
experiences are very similar, both good and bad, as we try to base our
businesses on referrals instead of on cold calling strangers.
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