Dear Friends,
People refer people - people they know, people they like, people they have a relationship with.
I've heard it said that people "refer up." They refer their friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members, business associates, and professional acquaintances.
There are two questions that beg to be asked...
Why do people refer? What do they really want?
We'll explore the second question in this week's 3 Minute Referral Tip.
What do they really want? It is pretty simple actually.
They want just 4 things.
1. Updated
They want to be kept informed. Did you make contact?
How did it go?
Can you help?
Did you enjoy meeting their friend?
2. Thanks
They want to be appreciated for referring someone to you.
They want to be noticed and recognized by both you and the person they referred.
They just want you to say "thank you" in voice and writing.
3. Great service
They want, and expect, great service. Exceptional service. They want you to pay attention to their referral as if it were them. They want what you gave them or what they think you have given others. Whatever level of service you think you're at, they expect more. That's right...a little extra.
Referrals are not for the weak, ill prepared, or faint hearted. They are attached to a higher level of service. So you better accept that or just work with cold prospects all your life.
4. Improve their relationship with the person they referred
They want to come out smelling like a rose. They want the referred person to feel compelled to call them and say "thank you for referring Betty, she is fantastic. We have never been so impressed with a sales person. She was prepared, experienced, and took the time to really
understand what we wanted and why. I know she will be able to help us. Thank you."
We tend to spend most of our time on generating referrals, getting referrals, inviting referrals so I thought it would be time for us to rethink what our referral sources really want.
Just a note:
Remember, you don't want just a new client or customer. You want your referral source to repeat the action of referring you over and over and over again!
What's the Number 1 rule in great customers service?
"The rewarded customer buys, returns, and tells others."
Yes, you will get what you reward. So reward your referral source with what they really want:
Updated
Thanked
Great Service
Improve their relationship with the person they referred
The best is yet to be!
On Your Team
Jeffrey Stanton
Your Trusted Advisor For Life
One of the fastest ways to build a successful referral based business is by training. Now, with me, I like to invest significant time immersing myself in training, while some people prefer to take it in bite-size chunks. Whatever your preference is, now is the best time to contact me.
If you have found this tip useful, please share it with any friends, family, colleagues and associates who you think will be interested. Feel free to print it (with credit and subscription information) and continue to enjoy the tips. I am always grateful for any comments, criticisms or other feedback that you may have. Please send them to feedback@jeffreysjournal.com
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