The Key to Getting Referrals
Every business needs the key to getting referrals, it is what keeps your company thriving and sales and contacts coming in. The problem is that most sales reps don’t know the key to getting referrals and they end up on a dead end street.
The key to getting referrals is to first establish rapport with your clients and customers. You won’t be able to have access to their contacts or networks if they don’t trust you first. Manta, small business experts, say that they too often hear sales reps saying this:
“Do you know someone else I should be talking with?” or “Who else do you know that might be interested in ABC’s extraordinary service?”
The problem hear is that you still haven’t established trust or rapport with the person you are speaking with and you are trying to force them into submission, this is a not the key to getting referrals, and more often than not, your customer will not respond in the way that you intended. This technique is for rookie sales reps.
The Key to Getting Referrals | 3 Golden Rules
The key to getting referrals successfully lies in three essential golden rules, they are simple to remember, but take some practice, effort, and skill to implement, so be patient. Here they are:
- Establish Rapport – Like we mentioned before, you can’t just outright ask your clients for referrals without first establishing trust. When you make a sales call to a potential client, you first want them to verify some information with them to get them in the agreement frame of mind. This is also the key to getting referrals. Their are a couple of different ways to go about this. If you are speaking to a speaking to an already established customer, get them to verify their experience with your product or service. However, the approach is somewhat different with new clients. According to Manta, “use a cushion to acknowledge their current state, appeal to their nobler side and then reiterate some of the points about their industry that brought you to the prospect in the first place.”
- Describe the Referral you are Looking for – The next step in the key to getting referrals is to describe your ideal client in detail. The most effective way to do this is to use elements that are also shared with the client that you are currently speaking to, this will affirm your client and it will be easier for them to remember as well. If you are looking for a writer, don’t simply say, “I’m looking for a writer,” this is to vague and your client will not be able to narrow down a referral for you. Rather be detailed and ask for someone specific to your company.
- Lower the Risk of Revealing Contacts – People are often nervous about revealing their contacts information to you, because they are essentially putting their reputation on the line, so you want to assure them that they contacts that they reveal will receive the same service and benefits that they themselves receive. This is really the key to getting referrals, especially from past contacts, because they already trust your services. You’d better make sure that you’ve already established a positive relationship with your clients before you throw this technique out there, or you will definitely run into trouble along the way.