Sunday, July 25, 2010

how to give a referral and coach your


In the world of sales and small business, there is nothing more valuable than a referral. A lot of energy is spent positioning ourselves with our clients and colleagues so that we can take advantage of word of mouth advertising. In fact, business networking is predicated on the concept of building relationships with others so they will refer business to us.That being said, the logistical challenges of referrals often becomes a roadblock. What is the best way for someone to actually refer us? For example, many of us have heard this sentence from a client: "I told my friend about you - I think they could really use your services. I gave them your phone number" We sit by the phone andait, but unless the need is super-urgent, the call never comes.The easier we can make giving referrals, the more effective we can make it (and more likely to happen). Modern technology has the answer: email. There are two reasons for this. First of all, it creates a written record of the referral, so that the contact information is readily accessible. The second reason, probably even more important, is the the "carbon copy" function of email allows the person doing the recommending to notify both the person they are referring and the person they are referring to at the same time.When you send an referral email, it can be short and sweet. It should contain the following information:
Why you are making the referral.
How you know the referred.
That you are carbon copying the referred on the email.
The next action step.
Here is a sample email script you can use:"Hi John,I wanted to follow up on our conversation the other day. You said you were looking to build your business and I think working with a business and sales coach like David might be a big help. I met David through a networking group and I've had the chance to use his services - he really helped me out. You can contact at him by phone at _______. I've also cc'd him on this email so you can contact him at the above email address.Good Luck!Lisa"This works great when you are giving referrals. More importantly, this tool is vital when you are coaching your clients and contacts on how to refer potential clients to you. By having your clients and colleagues use the cc: function, you capture the prospects information. That way, if they don't contact you, you can follow up with them. It is a powerful habit to let every client or person who could refer you business know:"Referrals are a huge part of my business. And when you do have someone to refer to me, the best way to do so is to email them my phone number and cc: me on that email. That way we both have each other's contact info and I can expect their phone call."You can also follow up when you get a referral instead of passively waiting for the phone call that might not come. By plugging up the holes in your referral pipeline, both on the giving and receiving side, you will grow you business by leaps and bounds.

Original :: how to give a referral and coach your


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