How to use other people's contacts, clients,
and clout to generate a flood of new
business
By John Jantsch
Nobody likes
to cold call. Okay, very few people that I
know like to cold call looking for clients.
For those of you that fit that description,
I have some good news. Stop it. Don't cold
call ever again. Instead, let other people
do it for you by systematically generating
all the referrals you can handle.
That's right, many business owners have
built their entire business using this one
simple, but powerful strategy. People want
to do business with other people they know,
like and trust and by creating referrals you
automatically borrow upon some one else's
trust. For the small business owner this is
a crucial point.
You see referred clients, if properly
qualified, will turn into your best
customers and will likely put a higher value
on what you do and be less likely to leave
for price.
So you get that you should generate
referrals and maybe you even do so
occasionally. But you want to generate a
flood of referrals, right?
Here's how:
Deserve referrals.
If your business or service doesn't wow
someone then who is going to refer you?
Consistently generating referrals is a bit
of a mindset. Tackle every customer you
generate as though your sole purpose in
serving them is to generate a referral. Now,
would that change your approach to service?
Now you're not a sales person, you're a
service person.
Target referral sources
Just as you must target your clients you
must also target those clients, vendors,
influencers, peddlers, or contacts most
suited to generate the kinds of referrals
you are after. Then you must educate them on
just exactly who and what makes a good
referral for your business.
Ask
People love to give referrals. Think about
the last time you got a great deal on
something or someone went over and above to
help you--what was the first thing you did?
You told everybody, right? Don't be shy
about asking for referrals
Tell them how you intend to follow-up
The single greatest reason your friends,
neighbors and clients may resist handing
over referrals is because they had a bad
experience in the past. They gave an eager
sales person the names of their family and
he still hasn't stopped hounding them. Let
them know exactly what you plan to do and
how you plan to do. Ease their past concerns
and don't hound your referrals.
Make it easy for them
Don't just ask if they know anyone who might
need what you do. Give specifics. I know a
financial advisor who wants to work in
certain high income neighborhoods. When he
meets with his clients he puts a list of
50-75 names in front of them and asks if
they know any one on the list. He always
comes away with several highly qualified
leads.
Let them participate
Don't just jot down names and head out into
the night. Ask them to call, email or write
on your behalf. Hand them a suggested letter
of introduction that explains what you do
and why you will be contacting them. Get
your client to mail a letter on your behalf.
Placing a call on your client's
recommendation can open some doors but
nothing beats a heart felt letter of
endorsement
Ask for testimonials
One very passive way for people to refer
business to you is to ask them to write a
letter that details some of the very
specific benefits that they have gained
working with your firm. The more the
merrier.
Follow-up
When you acquire a lead, make sure that you
act upon it quickly and make sure that you
keep the communication open with your
referral source. Let them know how much you
appreciate their help and always let them
know if you turn the lead into a client.
Cigars and single malt scotch are my
preference.
Reward them
There are many, many ways to encourage your
clients and contacts to send you referrals.
You can give them free or discounted rates
on their own needs as a reward. You can send
them a thank you in the form of a discount
to pass on to a friend. You can give them
cash. You can create a contest among your
clients and give away a special prize to the
client who refers the most business. You can
create your own currency and give it away as
an incentive. You can partner with a
non-profit agency and give a portion of all
referred business to that agency. You can
send a gift to someone's office, such as
balloon bouquet, and generate so much buzz
they are forced to talk about how great you
are.
Finally don't forget to make generating
referrals an expectation of every client
relationship. Let your clients know going in
that you fully expect them to be so thrilled
with the service you provide that they are
expected to give you ten qualified referrals
within the next six months.
Just saying that to every new client you
land will make them realize that they made a
great decision to choose to do business with
your firm.
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John Jantsch is a marketing coach and the
author of Referral Flood - How to
create a flood of new business without
spending one dime on advertising.
You can get more information at
www.ReferralFlood.com or by sending a
blank email to
subscribe@ducttapemarketing.com
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