Do you want to get referrals from everyone that you do business with? What about getting referrals from all of your prospective clients too? Referrals are one of my all-time favourite ways of prospecting.
If you learn how to master referrals, it’ll have a massive impact on your revenue.
Here are my top tips for getting red-hot leads for your business:
ASK, AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE:
It may seem like a no brainer, but the number one reason why you don’t get referrals is because you don’t ask! If you’re uncomfortable with asking for referrals, then perhaps you shouldn’t be in sales. This is a part of your job, and if you’re doing your job well, then you’ve earned those referrals fair and square!
STOP FEARING REJECTION:
It always baffles me when people say that they’re unsure of how to ask for referrals, or that they “feel cheeky” asking for names and numbers of other people who may be interested in their product or service. Stop being afraid of people telling you “no”.
If you’ve done an excellent job with a prospect or client, then surely the least that they can do is give you a few introductions? Stop fearing rejection and stop worrying about what other people think!
DON’T RELY ON YOUR COMPANY FOR LEADS:
Some big companies provide leads to their staff. Whilst this may work for some, I’ve found that it can make people very lazy and when it comes down to finding their own prospective clients, it’s incredibly difficult for them. Get into the habit of finding your own leads.
ASK EVERYONE YOU KNOW:
If you were to get three to five referrals from everyone you met, you would break every sales record within your company. By simply asking people you know if they can recommend others who could benefit from your products or services, you could build up an impressive list of prospects in no time! A referral from someone that knows you and knows the person that they’re connecting you with is what I call a red-hot lead!
KNOW YOUR STATISTICS:
I figured out quite early on in my sales career that if I got three referrals, I’d get one meeting. If I wanted ten meetings a week, that meant that I would need thirty referrals. But since many people cancel or might not show up, I knew that statistically, I would need to get 15 meetings booked into my diary each week. This then meant that I would need 45 referrals a week to meet with ten people face-to-face and hit my target of $20 000 a week.
It’s essential to associate referrals to revenue. If you knew for a fact that you could make $20 000 this week alone merely by getting 45 referrals, surely you’d get those referrals? Keep your eye on the prize at all times! Know the number of referrals that you’ll need to get per day, per week, and per month to consistently hit your target.
PRACTICE YOUR REFERRAL PITCH:
Think of all the ways that you can be valuable. Rather than saying “Can I have some referrals”? start your meeting by saying something along the lines of: “Mr Jones, at the end of this meeting, if you’re 100% happy with my service, I answer all of your questions to your complete satisfaction and solve your problems, can I have your word that you’ll give me the details of two or three of your contacts who would also benefit from meeting with me?” When you phrase it like this, the prospect will always say yes!
*Getting referrals is easier than you think. You just need to ask! Click here to watch my Facebook Live on the topic.
