An excerpt from my NEW book Knockout Networking for Financial Advisors and Other Sales Producers about how to generate referrals!
I have many ideas, approaches, and practices about how to generate more and better referral business. I’ll share one way to generate referrals here every week (for a total of 12 rounds!) or you can simply pick up a copy of the book and get them all!
Pick up a copy HERE!
If you missed the previous articles in this series, please take a look:
Round 10!
Make Sure it Goes Both Ways! If not, Handle It!
Make sure your referrals relationships go both ways if it’s at all possible. In other words, you refer each other business. There are professions that are natural gateways to referral business for you.
Of course, there are some professions that are simply not in a position to refer you. But there are other ways to reciprocate which may include gifts, dinners, and some of the other creative ways of saying thank you.
When it comes to referrals, you shouldn’t need to keep score. “I referred you two, so you owe me two.” It should be, in general, give and take both ways if your referral relationship works that way. Attorneys that exchange referrals on a regular basis come to mind.
If your referral relationship is supposed to be a two-way street – and it isn’t, you may have to communicate that the arrangement is not working for you. You’ll have to determine:
Do they trust you?
Do they respect your knowledge, ability, and the work you do?
Do they have a sister in law that’s a financial advisor – and therefore won’t refer YOU?
After having what might be a difficult conversation with a probable referral source, that’s not a referral source at all, it might be time to find a new CPA or estate-planning attorney that can be in your corner.
I find this disconnect happens in networking groups all the time. The financial advisors gives referral business to the CPA but the CPA doesn’t give business to the financial advisor. This will weaken the group and clearly not be a good relationship.
Referrals are absolutely the Knockout Standard of Networking and of course a great way to generate more business. Referrals mean someone knows, likes, and trusts you.
And that somebody up there loves you.
Practice some of these suggestions and you’ll be more referable in no time!
Image by John Hain from Pixabay
