Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The Perfect Referral

I recently spoke at a Success Day for Forever Living Products in Cheltenham. The event was the result of a referral from Dave Clarke of NRG Networks, and, more specifically, a regular meeting we have to see how we can help each other.

Having a referrals strategy is not as simple as asking people 'can you refer me?'. It involves a clear understanding of the introductions you are looking for, knowing who your 'Champions' are and communicating clearly enough to make it simple for them to help you.

In his 'Business Networking Blog', Dave has described how the referral came about from his point of view.

Are you getting enough referrals from your network? Are there people who you know would be willing to refer you but don't? In your referrals strategy, it is important to understand the perspective of your referrers, rather than just coming at it from your own angle. It's too easy to miss the importance of this and not see the wider picture.

Try asking your most likely referrers what they need in order to refer you. You might be surprised at the responses.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous7:29 am

    Hi Andy,

    thanks for sharing this.

    Maybe you can add one more thing: not only ask what they need in order to refer you, but prepare to ask for referrals in the first place.

    We see that almost nobody actively does this while it is the easiest way to get new customers.

    Have a great networking day!

    Jan

    Jan Vermeiren, Founder of Networking Coach (www.networking-coach.com)

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