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April 25, 2012 at 10:00 AM
When I deliver my Referral Advantage Program to financial professionals, I ask the following question: “Raise your hand if a client has ever said this to you. ‘I gave your name out to a friend the other day. Was that okay?” All the hands go up. Then I say “Shame on you for not making sure all your clients know you value their help in bringing your value to others.”
You can get referrals from clients and prospects without even asking. All you need to do is plant seeds into their unconscious, and watch them go to work for you.
Here are six ways to plant these powerful referral seeds with prospects and clients.
1. Celebrate meeting a new prospect through a referral.
Every time you meet a new prospect through a referral, make a big deal about it. Talk about the person you know in common. Tell them “It’s great Tom introduced me to you. I’ve found that this is the best way for people like you to meet someone like me — everyone feels a little more comfortable from the start. Agree?”
2. “Don’t keep me a secret.”
Mitch, a registered rep in Cleveland, never leaves a meeting with a client or prospect without saying “Remember, don’t keep me a secret.” I encouraged Mitch to use that personal slogan as a P.S. on letters and handwritten notes. He said after doing this for about three months, his phone started to ring with referrals. Why? Because his referral seeds took root and his clients weren’t keeping him a secret. I’ve had a number of producers report great success with this tactic.
3. Earn the right to personal introductions.
Let every prospect know you’d like them to introduce you to people they know, and that you know that won’t happen unless you provide great advice and great implementation. Tell them, “I hope to earn the right to have you introduce me to others, and I’ll do that by providing you with superior service.”
4. “I’m never too busy”
Tell all your clients that you’re never too busy to see if you can help their friends, colleagues or family members. If you have a very focused practice and they refer someone to you who doesn’t fit, refer them to one of your colleagues who needs the business. Tell your client, “After speaking with Mary, I realized that one of my colleagues is in a position to serve her even better I am.
