One Simple Referral Truth

Date: September 10, 2007
Word count: 462
Reading time: 1-2 minutes
Benefits of Taking Action: The most powerful referral concept you need to know

I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Washington DC and asking myself: "If I had to summarize referral getting into one key concept, what would it be?"

Nobody recommends a 7/10 movie.

The key obstacle to getting referrals is YOU!

Most people wouldn't put their integrity on the line by recommending some of the people they do business with. Maybe there are times when that someone is us.
Do we really always go above and beyond?
How much different are we really from our competition?
It's not just about asking for referrals. The most important question to ask yourself is this:
What do I need to do to get this person to a 9 or 10/10?

You have the answer. It may take some thought and may not come to you until you are in the shower or driving somewhere (apparently often the times when we do our best thinking). It usually comes back to finding other ways to add value; sometimes it's needing to connect on a truly concerned personal level -letting that person know you genuinely care about him or her.

So next time you feel resistance from someone in a meeting when you have a referral conversation, it might be that they're not that enthused about recommending a 7/10 movie. Or they do suggest someone but don't bother to contact that person. Or they do say something but that something is weak and non-committal such as "My Realtor would like to talk to you. Are you interested?" That's not even a 7/10 pitch on your behalf.

You are responsible for your clients' enthusiasm! Don't blame others. People will happily recommend a great movie.

Caveat: Yes sometimes it is easier to recommend a movie compared to another business professional. That's why you want to coach people what to say because they do not do what you do. But ultimately it really does come down to how enthusiastic someone is about you. Just yesterday I was working with a client of mine from California. She told me that she had a picnic this summer and invited her clients and many prospects. One of her raving fans was saying to others there: "You would make great clients for Michelle. She's not like other financial planners I've met. Her approach is very holistic and it would fit perfectly for you."

Now that's recommending a great movie!

Action Plan:

Remember: Nobody recommends a 7/10 movie. As you track which people you've had referral conversations with, also ask yourself: are they at a 9 or a 10? And it doesn't have to be all intuitive; that's why the six steps to a referral conversation can help determine how pleased your client is (email me if you missed this one on 8/7).

*Who else would get value from these ideas? Please forward this on!