Networking

It’s easier to ask for referrals with just one sentence, it’s clearly faster and efficient and less likely to be left out of a meeting than a long rehearsed speech on why you want referrals and how the system benefits the client, etc. However, you need to memorise a longer set of effective phrases when you come up against resistance to referral giving.

Working more holistically and referring your clients to other carefully selected providers and professionals will complement your own offering, bringing ‘added value services’ that your clients will appreciate and remember you for. In return the service providers and professionals are also more inclined to refer their clients to you, which is the main objective.

Those who get a lot of referred business are usually good at their job, and clients know it. Their clients KNOW, understand and appreciate the service and its benefits, believe they are given good value for money, and they also TRUST and LIKE the person that deals with them or provides the service to the extent that they want to help them...

This article is for any firm or individual that has clients and a client base, rather than customers. It follows on from our other articles on Referral Marketing. Referral Marketing is the best business development strategy there is for Service Providers

Getting leads from colleagues, internal referrals, and Inter-departmental referring or cross-selling, whatever you call it - either way you're maximising the value of your clients. Here's some simple tips - but be aware of the common problems...