The Basics of Asking for Referrals with Liz Heiman, Ep #346
According to Liz Heiman, there are two types of referrals. A referral could be from someone who doesn\u2019t buy from you but can share leads with you. The other type of referral is from an existing customer. They\u2019re both introducing you to people you might not know. Liz shares the approach she takes when asking for referrals in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don\u2019t miss it!\xa0
Outline of This Episode- [0:58] What are referrals? How do they work in sales?
- [1:43] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals
- [2:43] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals
- [5:20] Liz\u2019s advice for those exploring referral-based selling\xa0
- [6:47] How to measure the success of a referral program
- [8:49] The right way to ask for client referrals
- [11:05] Best practices for asking for referrals\xa0
- [13:48] The role technology plays in referral selling
- [15:10] Liz\u2019s top 3 referral selling dos and don\u2019ts
- [17:06] Don\u2019t be afraid to take a creative approach
Liz loves Brynne Tillman\u2019s method of using social media for lead generation. Brynne will look through the clients that she knows are happy with her and looks at their connections.\xa0Who would be a good fit to work with?\xa0Then she\u2019ll go to that client and ask them for introductions.\xa0
Another strategy is to look at companies or people you\u2019ve identified as a target and look to see who they know that you might know. You can then see if that common connection would give you an introduction. Make sure the connections know why you want an introduction.\xa0
Liz points out that many people don\u2019t use LinkedIn to build their network and it\u2019s a huge mistake. Connect with everyone you know because you never know who they\u2019re connected with.\xa0
Liz\u2019s advice for those exploring referral-based selling\xa0Liz recommends starting with people you think will be your best referrers. Do you want to call on existing clients? Do you have an existing client base? If not, who could refer business to you that you have credibility with? Write down what you want to say and how you want to say it. The more clear you are, the easier it is to do it. Build it into your process so that it\u2019s comfortable and repeatable.
When Liz asks for a referral, she says something like, \u201cI see that you are connected to so-and-so. I think that they could use my services. Do you think that\u2019s true? Would you be willing to introduce me?\u201d It isn\u2019t pushy nor does it put the work on the person she\u2019s asking.\xa0
She points out that you should ask for a referral any time that it seems appropriate, usually when you\u2019re engaged with the client and they\u2019re happy. The biggest mistake is not asking for a referral. According to Joanne Black\u2019s research, 97% of people, when asked, would give a referral if they liked the service and were happy with the company that they worked with. Yet on average, only 3% of customers are asked for a referral.
How to measure the success of a referral programReferrals should be one of your lead sources. Liz not only tracks referrals but also tracks who referred that person. If you are tracking lead sources, you can track them through the client, account, and opportunity. You need to see what closes and keep your client apprised of the process so they aren\u2019t out of the loop.\xa0
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Nick Kane is a founder and Managing Partner of\xa0Janek Performance Group, a leading sales performance organization providing sales training and sales consulting solutions. Nick has more than 25 years of experience in sales and is a thought leader and authority, supporting hundreds of clients in optimizing their sales performance. Nick co-authored the book "Critical Selling: How Top Performers Accelerate the Sales Process and Close More Deals," and has penned hundreds of articles on sales performance.