Getting More Referrals
The best advice I can give anyone looking to get more referrals is to ask. Ask and explain. Ask for what you want, (and be specific) and explain why you think that target would benefit.
In one networking group, we each have an opportunity to say what kinds of prospects we are seeking each week. I used to ask for “any business who wants a new Web site”. I think partly this was because it was easy to remember; I could say that and sit down. It wouldn’t cause anyone to take any special notice of me. The problem is, that garnered very few results in terms of referrals. It was forgettable. (In fact, it was what I wanted, and the exact opposite of what I needed).
People need specifics, and they need you to give them the tools to assist you. I learned after a while that a chiropractor that asks for referrals of “anyone with a back” will get a few referrals, even though we each have a back, and theoretically then he should have 5 billion referrals. However, the chiropractor that says “migraines have been shown to be relieved and reduced by chiropractic, so anyone suffering through migraine headaches would be a good referral for me” will get five times the referrals of the first chiropractor.
Ask for the referral, be specific, and give a good reason why your product or service will be of benefit to that company, demographic or industry. Using this technique will help your audience learn more about what you do, deliver to you more, and better qualified referrals.
In one networking group, we each have an opportunity to say what kinds of prospects we are seeking each week. I used to ask for “any business who wants a new Web site”. I think partly this was because it was easy to remember; I could say that and sit down. It wouldn’t cause anyone to take any special notice of me. The problem is, that garnered very few results in terms of referrals. It was forgettable. (In fact, it was what I wanted, and the exact opposite of what I needed).
People need specifics, and they need you to give them the tools to assist you. I learned after a while that a chiropractor that asks for referrals of “anyone with a back” will get a few referrals, even though we each have a back, and theoretically then he should have 5 billion referrals. However, the chiropractor that says “migraines have been shown to be relieved and reduced by chiropractic, so anyone suffering through migraine headaches would be a good referral for me” will get five times the referrals of the first chiropractor.
Ask for the referral, be specific, and give a good reason why your product or service will be of benefit to that company, demographic or industry. Using this technique will help your audience learn more about what you do, deliver to you more, and better qualified referrals.
posted by Meghan Wier | 12:38 AM
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