123rf20462092 largeOne of the best and most leveraged ways to generate leads is through your personal network – the people you know, a “Champions Network.”

There are two reasons referrals work so well:

  • First, we all prefer to do business with people that we know like and trust.
  • Second, we prefer doing business with the people that our friends use, know. [quotesright]People simply trust people who are recommended by a friend or family member. [/quotesright]
  • Isn’t this how we pretty much make our choices? Why? Because our decisions based on recommendations turn out well far more often than not when compared decisions we don't know anything about.

    This is true in third party recommendations and referrals: How many times have you checked Facebook, YouTube, Google, Travelocity, etc., for what other clients say about their experience?

    Where to start

    Clearly, you’d love such a referral system. But how do you do it?

    [quotes]A great place to start is by identifying everyone you know;[/quotes] for now, don’t worry if they are good or bad referral prospects, your goal is to cast a wide net and see how many people you know.

    Include friends, close and distant family members, co-workers, church members, and people you deal with for personal business like bankers, attorneys, other professionals, and even the owners of your favorite restaurant.

    [quotesright]Now consider the people you think you know and those who you'd like to know. [/quotesright]

    Don’t forget to look for referrals in your current and past client base. Initially it's best to focus on your existing network of relationships but later on it's important to leverage them and their experience using you.

    Easier than you think

    Over the years, I've discovered several crazy simple strategies for getting loads of warm leads from people who know me, just by asking them for their help. [quotes]People love to help others…but you have to ask.[/quotes]

    If you are stuck, list creation can be done by borrowing from the direct sales profession. Create an alphabetical list of market segments that you have identified as your ideal target market. Next, in each area start another A-Z list but this time think about the name of someone you may know in that profession or who knows someone in it.

    Next steps

    Go through your list looking for the people you know that know, like and trust you enough to answer a few questions for you.

    [quotesright]Let them know that you are looking to expand your business, [/quotesright] or that you have capacity to serve more people and you need their help. Invite them to meet with you for a virtual video coffee meeting or you can invite them to meet over breakfast or lunch to talk about how they can help you.

    When you get together with them either on an online video chat or over a meal in person, let them know who your ideal target prospect is and ask them to think of those that they know.

    [quotes]Be sure to let them know that this is a green light thinking session[/quotes] not just a quest for referrals. Write down the names they come up with and remind them that all names are good as this is a green light thinking session. They may come up with a ton of names or just a few it doesn't matter how many.

    When they are tapped out go back and have them prioritize their top 10 if the list is large enough or top five if it's a shorter list.

    Go back over the list form the bottom up and ask why Heather is a 10 and not a one.

    [quotesright]No matter what the reason is, simply say, [/quotesright] “That’s not a problem, we’ll cross her off the list. Continue in the same way with number nine and keep doing this until they say, “Hey wait! The rest are good!”

    By asking in this way they become advocates for the remaining names and are more willing to introduce you to them. Get their help to arrange the connections with names left on the lists.

    For this to work, you must be genuinely interested in serving the needs of the person you were referred to. Your “Referral Champions” have their reputations on the line! Let the conversation flow remembering to ask questions seeking to understand the person’s real issues, problems, vision, goals, and roadblocks before you discuss how you might help them.

    The power of appreciation

    A very important next step that is often neglected is to [quotesright]make sure to thank anyone and everyone who helps you in this process, [/quotesright] not just those who send business your way. At a minimum, send handwritten thank you notes. For convenience, leverage technology and use a system like Send Out Cards.

    In some instances, you may feel it more appropriate to include a gift. Your best referral sources most certainly deserve something with a more personal touch, such as an appreciation dinner or some other significant gift that you know is important to them and of course on you.

    "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." – Maya Angelou.

    "Nothing else so inspires and heartens people as words of appreciation.” – Dale Carnegie.

    People love to feel appreciated and those who are sincerely appreciated will walk over glass in their bare feet far more readily than they would for money.

    Use this system and I’m certain that the results you will experience will be a more consistent flow of high-quality referrals that need you!

    – by Coach Phil Gilkes

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