Referrals, referrals, referrals. We all love them, but why do so many of us struggle to get them? It’s because we are asking for them at the wrong time, and in the wrong way.
It has been my experience that most salespeople ask for referrals right after the point of sale. Does this make any sense? The ink hasn't even dried yet on the contract and the salesperson is already looking for a handout. While the prospect has gotten to a point where they are comfortable with the product or service, they aren't ready to go introducing you to their entire network quite yet.
Now let's keep in mind, your "new" client is just that, new. They haven't experienced the total value that you bring to the marketplace and they need time to recoup their Return on Investment (ROI). What you should do is lay out the expectation that in a few weeks or months you will be coming back to discuss how you are performing. At that time you could potentially talk about referrals. Now all you have to do is perform.
The next step is to talk about how these referrals are being asked for. I hear from salespeople all the time that they are asking for referrals, but the client is responding with, “I can't think of anyone now, but when I do I'll call you!" Now, why would a client who is experiencing a great ROI say that to the salesperson? It could be for a couple of reasons.
1: The client isn't totally comfortable yet or you aren't performing to their expectations.
2: They don't understand the types of people you are looking for.
3: They have been burned in the past referring salespeople to their network.
As the salesperson, you need to truly understand what the client's experience has been like. What are some of the issues that they've had implementing your solution? What's working and why? If they could change anything about their experience what would it be?
Assuming they are ecstatic about working with you, the next step is to coach them on your ideal prospects. Live by the Who, What, Where, Why and How motto:
Who: Types of companies or people.
What: Looking for this type of service or products.
Where: Your geographical territory.
Why: Need a solution for X.
How: The way the introduction will go. Make this as comfortable as possible for your client because they are going out of their way to help you.
To sum it up, if you want to work smarter and not harder, get your prospective referrer comfortable with these aspects, and their Rolodex will become your Rolodex.
[FREE REPORT] 10 Ways You Can Use LinkedIn to Prospect More Effectively
Principle MP Solutions- For 25 years Rob has been driven by the passion he has to grow people and organizations. Rob has worked with hundreds of companies and is a sought-after speaker on sales, sales management, social media, strategy and goal setting. He brings his 18 years of Sandler Training experience to MP Solutions.
