BAD REFERRALS - What you must do and why!

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.