Business referrals are earned
By Tammy Johnston
As business people we are told over and over again about the importance of referrals. We are told to ask for them. We are told to base our business on gathering quality referrals from our best clients. I have to agree. Referrals are the lifeblood of every successful business.
The big thing for me is that because referrals are so precious they need to be earned. I appreciate every referral I receive and try my best to do an extra special job for the referred person so they are happy, AND to make sure that the person that referred them does not regret the decision to send the business your way.
When someone sends you are referral they are taking a big emotional risk. What will my friend / family member / co-worker / business associate think of me if they referral doesn’t work out? For a lot of people this risk is just too great and to avoid the potential pain they just don’t hand out referrals.
So what are some things you can do to make sure you have earned the right to receive referrals, especially high quality referrals? First you need to respond to the referral quickly. Return their phone call or email. Contact them immediately after being given their information. Second you need to thank the person that sent you the referral. A hand written thank you card with a status on the contact goes a long way. For example: Dear John, thank you so much for referring Mary to me. We are meeting on Tuesday, and I will do my best to help her out to make sure you look good. Third, you need to do a great job in taking care of the referral.
These points might seem very basic and they are. Success is in the simple things. Do a good job and life is so much easier. Now go out there and get busy earning referrals.
“Referrals come through who you are, not what you sell.”
Anonymous
Category: Business
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