Often I get asked, I received a referral that is not really a referral, what should I do? I think Ivan Misner put it best when he said "If you receive a bad referral and do nothing about it, you deserve all the bad referrals you receive"
So here are 5 things you can do to improve the quality of the referrals you receive
1. Be Tactful - when you receive a bad/poor referral arrange a get together, perhaps grab a coffee and explain that you appreciate them thinking of you (THIS IS CRITICAL), but that it is not exactly what you want. Then tell them EXACTLY what you DO want and ask, how you can help them with it.
2. Look in the mirror - review the content of your education. Make sure your call to action is clear and concise.
3. Meet with them on a regular basis - this is the one most effective way to ensure a good flow of quality business, do lunch and continue to educate one another on what is a referral - how to recognise it and then what to do or say.
4. Find business for your referral partners - This requires effort, and concentration on their needs and is particularly important when you begin a new referral partner relationship.
5. If you are unable to fill a referral, you should put the referred person in touch with someone who can help him or her!
One of the most valuable contributions you can make to a referral partner is to ask the question: "How Can I Help You". If you've ever received a bad/poor referral why not share how you went about fixing it by posting a comment below.
"I get up every morning determined both to change the world and to have one heck of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning the day difficult." - An Unknown Author
Your action for today is to do something that would qualify as having a heck of a good time.
Showing posts with label Other Authors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Other Authors. Show all posts
Friday, May 08, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
WHY do you refer people?
In a recent article by Kirsty Dunphey she talked about her being surprised at the reason WHY her husband would recommend a particular tattoo artist.
Given her husband's tattoo free stance she was surprised that he would recommend anyone and was keen to find out what was so amazing about this artist's work. Turns out however that her husband wasn't referring him based on his work but on the fact that when a friend of his tried to enter the premises with shoes on he was told to leave and the floor was immediately mopped where he'd walked. The commitment to maintaining a sterile environment had impacted on the person getting the tattoo so much that he had then told it to who knows how many people and that story had impacted on her husband enough for him to pass on the artist's name. It's an unusual referral chain! Who'd have thought a tattoo artist would be getting referred because he was crazy about the clean? I certainly wouldn't have, but his passion for sterility made such an impact that it's become a little bit like urban legend and inspires confidence in respect to safety to those that hear about the story.
This weeks referral tip - Don't tell people what it is you do, give your referral partners success stories they can use when they find you referrals; why should they refer you over your competitors. If you don't know, ask your clients for help - ask them why they come and buy from you. The results may surprise you.
"You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time." - Inventor, Charles Kettering
Your action for today is to let go of any "should or could haves" and focus on what you will do instead
Given her husband's tattoo free stance she was surprised that he would recommend anyone and was keen to find out what was so amazing about this artist's work. Turns out however that her husband wasn't referring him based on his work but on the fact that when a friend of his tried to enter the premises with shoes on he was told to leave and the floor was immediately mopped where he'd walked. The commitment to maintaining a sterile environment had impacted on the person getting the tattoo so much that he had then told it to who knows how many people and that story had impacted on her husband enough for him to pass on the artist's name. It's an unusual referral chain! Who'd have thought a tattoo artist would be getting referred because he was crazy about the clean? I certainly wouldn't have, but his passion for sterility made such an impact that it's become a little bit like urban legend and inspires confidence in respect to safety to those that hear about the story.
This weeks referral tip - Don't tell people what it is you do, give your referral partners success stories they can use when they find you referrals; why should they refer you over your competitors. If you don't know, ask your clients for help - ask them why they come and buy from you. The results may surprise you.
"You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time." - Inventor, Charles Kettering
Your action for today is to let go of any "should or could haves" and focus on what you will do instead
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