The Quickest Way to Generate Referrals
Sep 24th, 2008 by admin
Quid pro quo… The phrase immediately reminds me of Anthony Hopkins and Silence of the Lambs. I mean who can forget this line: “If I help you, Clarice, it will be “turns” with us too. Quid pro quo. I tell you things, you tell me things. Not about this case, though. About yourself. Quid pro quo. Yes or no?” A classic movie moment!
This phrase also reminds me of a guerrilla marketing tactic called referrals. A classic marketing method. Give and ye’ shall receive! But let me back up a bit… Some experts believe the best way to generate referrals is to provide optimal customer service so that clients are comfortable passing your name along to others. While I think this is very important, I also believe that there are other ways to go about this. One of the most effective tactics and quickest ways to generate referrals is to pass along the names of people you know well and have confidence in - your colleagues – to others. Help them grow their businesses and land new clients! What comes around really does go around!
Now colleagues come in all shapes and forms… They can be people in your extended network, suppliers, businesses across the street or even competitors. Don’t cringe at that last one. When you have more business than you can handle it sometimes pays to refer prospects to another party. Wouldn’t you rather have someone give you the names of other businesses rather than tell you that they are too busy to take on more work, but good luck? Some help that is.
Some tips:
- Let the referred know that you have given out his/her/their name. Send them an e-mail or pick up the phone.
- Only refer people you know, have done business with or who have built a solid reputation for outstanding customer service.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for referrals from your colleagues – particularly from those who owe you one.
Quid pro quo, entrepreneur. Quid pro quo.
