Sales Referral System That Works

[00:00:00] Rob: Welcome back everybody to The Slow Pitch, and today we’re talking about how to get referrals. From your clients. What’s the easiest way? Let’s find out.

V/O: This is The Slow Pitch podcast. Let’s start out with this in mind. Why is it that people will give you a referral? What is their reasoning? Why would they do that?

[00:00:28] Rob: If you have a client that has done a, you’ve done a really good job for it, you’ve really shown what you can do. They’re happy with you. They give you a referral. Why did they do that? What motivated them to give you the referral? So, before we start anything, let’s think about everything from that perspective, because that’s kind of critical.

[00:00:46] Rob: That’s the easiest way for you to think and frame how to ask for this referral. Think about when you gave somebody a referral, what motivated you to give them a referral? You didn’t just do that because you wanted to be nice. You wanted to do it because there was a reason you did it. There’s a, the reason you did it was probably because a couple things happened.

[00:01:06] Rob: One, they did a good job for you. You’re happy about it, right? Second, somebody else that you know needed that same thing to happen to them, and so you said, hey, I know somebody that can do that. But also think about it from this perspective, you felt good to give that referral, didn’t you? You felt like, hey, I’m doing something to help somebody.

[00:01:26] Rob: Both the friend that needed this person’s help and the person that did the stuff that was helping me. That is a good feeling when you do make those connections. And why is that a good feeling? Because you’re helping two people get accomplished what they need. You’re helping somebody make money, you’re helping somebody solve their problem.

[00:01:41] Rob: It’s kind of good all the way around, and you’re the one that’s made it happen. So, start from that perspective as to why somebody would give a referral and why it’s okay to ask for a referral. That’s the first thing I want you to understand, that referrals aren’t just about you. They’re about solving somebody else’s problem.

[00:01:57] Rob: But if you think about it as it’s not about referring you, it’s about solving their problem, that’s a little bit of a different situation. So, I want you to think about it in terms of sales by asking for a referral. They don’t just happen. You have to kind of work through the process to make that happen. And by doing that, you have to ask for a referral.

[00:02:15] Rob: You have to earn their trust. You have to deliver what you say, but in the end, you have to really ask for it. But the way you ask for it is going to be a little bit different. So, we’re going to get into that in a little bit because asking is one thing but doing it the right way makes it feel less like you’re asking and more like you’re making them feel like it’s their idea.

[00:02:33] Rob: So, the next thing you might want to think about is, how do you make sure that you’ve earned the right to ask for the referral? So, there’s different times that you can ask for a referral but knowing when the right time is kind of critical, I think. And just because you’ve delivered, they’ve paid you doesn’t mean that you have the right to ask for a referral or it doesn’t mean that they’re willing to give you a referral.

[00:02:50] Rob: So what I want you to do is think about is it time to, at some point in your process, whether you’ve already delivered or well before you’ve delivered, as you’re making progress, as you’re doing things and going through the process of helping them with their pain, what if you asked them the question, Hey.

[00:03:04] Rob: I’m just kind of curious as what’s changed since we’ve started working together. How, how have we improved or changed things for the better for you? I always like to get that kind of feedback, so I understand what we’re doing right or what I’m doing right, versus just waiting to the end. How are we doing?

[00:03:19] Rob: And just gauge the room, right? Get, get an idea of whether they are happy or not happy. Find out what kind of feedback they give you. If they say, you know what, you’ve improved this, this, this, this, this. It may be time to even ask the question. Wow, that’s impressive. I didn’t even realize some of these things were improved.

[00:03:36] Rob: I know that some of the stuff we were working on, but we weren’t quite there yet. I didn’t think. That’s great. Can I ask a stupid question? Um, you know, I’m always trying to grow the business and, and I’m always trying to make things better for a lot of different people. You’ve experienced some of that.

[00:03:48] Rob: Can you think of anybody out there that you work with, other vendors, other businesses that you partner with? Other people that might want to talk to me because they’re… they, they, you want them to experience the same thing you’ve experienced. And so, what that does is it kind of positions their brain. Into the feedback that they just gave you, which is positive and makes them think about that whole situation, which is helping somebody solve their problem, but also connecting them with somebody and they’ll feel good when they do that.

[00:04:14] Rob: It’ll make them feel good when they think through that, and it’ll make them feel good if they can actually make that happen. And so, they’re more likely and more willing to do that if they don’t see the value. When you’re asking that question about what’s changed in your business, how things have improved, just let the client guide you a little bit.

[00:04:29] Rob: If you haven’t earned the referral, you haven’t earned it yet. That’s okay. Which leads me kind of to the next thing, which is when is the best time to actually ask? So, to me, I think some of the best times to ask is right after they sign the contract. I know that sounds weird. But they’ve made the decision.

[00:04:45] Rob: They’ve supported all their decisions. When their logical reasons for why they’re using you, they’ve made their decisions. They know it’s a good decision. Why wouldn’t that be a good time to introduce you to somebody else? So, it never hurts to even ask that question. When they’re signed up and you’re about to get started to say, you know, I know we’re just getting started here, but is there any possibility that you can think of anybody else who might also want to have the same type of service that that I offer or that that might want to have this problem solved as well?

[00:05:13] Rob: That you don’t compete with? Maybe you have a vendor that is having the same issues and. Maybe I can help them with that. At the same time, I’m helping with you and that’ll help you all to get better situated, right? So, there’s ways that you can position this right after they sign the agreement. Another great time is when you’re finished the project, and it’s finished really well.

[00:05:32] Rob: You’ve done a good job, they’ve done a good job of giving you unsolicited praise, and by that point, they’re ready to give you the referral. That’s probably another, another time that you want to ask. I would say, hey, is there any chance you’d have anybody else that want to have that same experience? You could also go back to clients that you’ve worked with months ago.

[00:05:50] Rob: Call them up and see how things are going, and then even say, hey, you know, out of curiosity, I. Do you happen to know anybody in your circle who also struggles with, and then kind of talk through the problem and the pain that you went through and solved, because that’s another time that they might go, you know, it’s been a while since I’ve talked to you and what it might end up doing is giving you an end to a new conversation for something else that they’re working on.

[00:06:09] Rob: Maybe he needs some help from you again. Throughout this whole process, you’re going to want to make sure that they have an exit ramp, right? So, you need to be able to say, oh, I didn’t think that was going to be an issue, or that, I didn’t think that was going to be something you’d want to do. So, you’re going to have to kind of position yourself as, this is probably not, it’s kind of a negative feel, right?

[00:06:25] Rob: It’s probably not something you want to do. And if you. Position it that way, what you’re going to do is make them say no. Yeah, I’d be happy to do that. Or they’re going to say, yeah, no, I, I can’t, I’m, I’m not willing to do that. And your answer is always going to then be, I didn’t think so. And because by doing that, you’re saving yourself some face, but you’re also making them feel comfortable that they’re saying no to you.

[00:06:43] Rob: So that’s okay. That’s a situation where you can make them feel okay by doing that. And it’s okay to do that. If you found these things helpful and you need some extra help or you want to just bounce something off me, or you have a question, I invite you to reach out. You can contact us at Questions@TheSlowPitch.com.

[00:06:59] Rob: Let’s talk about this one other piece of equipment. I call it equipment because it really is, it’s a tool that I use that is phenomenal. It will help you position yourself where it’s so much easier to ask for a referral. So, all the stuff I have already said is nice if you haven’t set up your system. But let me tell you about this system that is going to change your life.

[00:07:20] Rob: I have something that’s called the Client Review Tool, and basically what you’re doing is at the very beginning of your project, before you even get started, I want you to sit down with them and I’m going to, you’re going to ask them some questions. What you’re going to do is you’re going to list off a series of maybe 10, 15 traits…

[00:07:38] Rob: …Happiness factors or things that make them feel like they have either you’ve either executed well or don’t execute very well. So, for example, do you understand their business very well? That might be something that is a measurement that they have in their head. How well have you understood their business?

[00:07:55] Rob: So that you can execute what they needed them to do. Right? So that’s one of those qualities that they’re looking for, that they’re going to gauge you on. What are some of the other qualities that they will gauge or measure your success down the road? So, you’re starting out, you don’t know what those things are.

[00:08:09] Rob: Yet, and you will find out if you mess up. But let’s talk about it before we mess up and let’s make sure we understand what those are. So, if we find out that if I meet all of your expectations on the quality part or the reliability part, what’s the most important for you as a client is going to be really critical.

[00:08:26] Rob: So, if I can list off 10 or 15 of these, of these qualities that you’re going to measure me on, whether mentally. Physically, then let’s talk about it. Now, here might be another one. How well do I communicate with you? How well do I understand your communication? How well do I keep all of your costs in line?

[00:08:43] Rob: If I’m doing stuff with you and I don’t nickel and dime you, that’s going to be a good reflection, right? But if I have to charge you more, is it reasonable? Those expenses are becoming an issue, and they can become an issue. And so, let’s talk about it. Is this a measurement that you’re going to measure me by? What if my quality is poor, then that’s going to be an issue?

[00:09:04] Rob: Or if my quality is really good? Is that a really important piece? So, all these different pieces, how productive am I? Or how productive am I getting your team? That’s going to be a thing. How well do I comply with your rules? Could be another one, right? There’s a whole series of. Topics that are general in nature, but specific to a specific thing that goes on within the client and consultant relationship or whatever that might be.

[00:09:28] Rob: Let’s talk about those. Let’s make sure that we understand what we’re trying to measure before we even get started. And so, what I like to do is sit down with them and go through this tool and say, okay, here’s a list of things that I’ve heard over the past. You’ll know them. You should add your own things that you’ve been told are important to your clients.

[00:09:47] Rob: You should put those on there and describe what those look like and what they are. And you’re going to go through those and you’re going to say, okay, here’s a list. Alright, let’s talk about what your top three or four or five, whatever that might be for a number that are really important to you. Out of this list, what is the most important to you?

[00:10:04] Rob: When they go through the list, they’re going to go through the list and pick their three or four or five. Right. But you could also say there might be something that’s not on this list that I would like you to add. Is there anything else that you would want to add to this? Sometimes they say yes, sometimes they say no.

[00:10:18] Rob: And then what I want you to do is once they’ve listed those things off with you, this is again, before you even start work, you’re going to say, all right, let’s give it a weight. How important, on a scale of one to 10, how important is this item to our success when we get finished? And if they say it’s a one, meaning not very important at all, then okay, great.

[00:10:39] Rob: But if it’s a 10, that’s really important. You want to know that before you get started. If they say, understanding and having a communication that is flawless is really important to us, and you’re not a good communicator. You’d want to know that ahead of time so that if they measure that as a 10 and you sometimes forget to follow up on emails or you forget to communicate things that are coming up.

[00:10:59] Rob: Then you’re going to want to make sure anytime you deal with that client, you know, this is super important, or you will lose this client over time. Right? Or how responsive, let’s say you are to their emails or their calls. That’s going to be really, really important to know that that’s high on their list. If it’s not high on their list, that’s okay.

[00:11:15] Rob: Then if you miss it here and there, you can be like everybody else, right? The next thing after you fill that out together is you’re going to set it aside, put it in a folder, and in three months, two months, six months, whenever it makes most sense. If your project takes two months to complete, then halfway point might be a good time to do it, or near the end might be a good time to do it.

[00:11:33] Rob: You’ll know if your project is a one-year program and you’re going through the year. Maybe it’s quarterly. You need to do that. How are we doing on these things? You’re going to do a check-in and your midway check-in, or your quarterly check-in, whatever that might be. You’re going to want to take this document out, and then you’re going to go through these happiness measurements again, and you’re going to look at these factors that are issues for them possibly.

[00:11:54] Rob: And you’re going to go through those 4, 3, 5, whatever they list and their weights, and you’re going to say, hey, I’m checking in here on communication. How? How am I doing? If you were to rank that one to 10, 10 being awesome and one being, boy, I don’t hear anything from you. How do, how do I rate and score me? And then on any of the other ones that they listed off.

[00:12:15] Rob: What is my score? Let’s score that out. And so, if you do this quarterly, it’s very easy for them to say you’re doing a good job, and you keep moving along. It’s also easy for them to say, you know, I’m, I feel like we’re lacking on this one. This has been a problem lately and I’ve noticed it. Wouldn’t you rather know that the first quarter.

[00:12:30] Rob: Then third or fourth quarter when they could renew. But they’re not going to because they’re not happy. That’s why this is important. So now how does this relate to a referral from your clients? This would be the easiest referral you’ll ever get out of a client. Here’s what you need to do. You go through this tool with them, and at some point, in this conversation, you’re going to find out how well you’re doing and you’re going to see scores are pretty good and you’re going to say to them something along the lines of, I really appreciate you giving me this feedback.

[00:12:58] Rob: I see. I still have to work on this one or this one, whatever that might be. But it makes me wonder, I mean, you know a lot of different people in this. In this organization, or in this community, or in this business community, in this whatever it is, right? So, think about it internally and externally, right?

[00:13:14] Rob: You’re going to say to them, you know a lot of people out there, and you’ve seen what we’ve done so far, and it sounds like we’re doing all right. Is there any chance there’s another department or division in this organization that maybe I should be a part of or talk to? Maybe they have some of the same issues going on.

[00:13:29] Rob: There’s a way that I could help them, or there’s another person in this community, in the business community that might be interested in talking to me. Can you think of anybody that might be interested in something like that? You, and you probably don’t, but I just, I, I’m asking pieces. This is probably a good time to ask, or they may say, I don’t know anybody right now.

[00:13:47] Rob: Or they might say, yeah, you know what? We should get you into this department. The key is you wouldn’t have that introduction without having a good, number one, your performance being good.

You’ll never get that introduction, but if you’d have good performance and you’re having this conversation with them, you have the opportunity right in front of you where you can quite simply ask for the referral and they will happily give it to you, or they will happily give you the name of the person in the other department.

[00:14:13] Rob: That you could literally physically call. Better yet, if you do this in person, this is the best time to do this. If you do this in person and they say, “You know, it’s interesting, this department over here, they could probably use your service,” and you say, “You know, you probably wouldn’t want to introduce me to that person today, would you?”

[00:14:29] Rob: “Are they here today? You probably wouldn’t want to walk me over to their office and just introduce me, would you?” Because now you’re there. They, well, sure. I would be happy to do that. That’s kind of their reaction. Well ha. Let’s go over there and see if they’re there. It happens a lot more than you would imagine, but if you don’t ask, it’ll never happen.

[00:14:45] Rob: You have to ask. I’m going to have a link in the show notes. So that you can use a rough form of this tool so that you can adjust it and change it how you want to change it, so that it matches your business a little bit better, but it gives you a little bit of a framework so that you can work from there. If this gave you a new way to think about referrals and a new way to approach referrals.

[00:15:06] Rob: Then it probably reminded you of somebody that you should refer this episode to. Haha. See what I did there? Send them a link, or better yet, tell them a story about how you used it. Once you do use it and it actually gets you a referral, send them a link to this episode and let them understand how this whole process works.

[00:15:23] Rob: First, you have to shift your mindset a little bit, and you have to adjust the way that you approach it. It’s not just asking. It’s positioning yourself as the person that is doing the right things and doing a great job, and you’ve gotten a review. You’re partially through your process or your project, and you’re asking for that referral indirectly.

[00:15:42] Rob: Nine times out of ten, they will even think about that. Before you even suggest that they introduce you to another department or division, they will be thinking in already. You’re just bringing it up in front of them. I hope this helps. Until next time, remember, Slow Down and Close More. Thank you for listening to The Slow Pitch.

[00:16:00] V/O: Do you have a question about sales? Call or text your question at (608) 708-SLOW. That’s (608) 708-7569. Or you can email them to Questions@TheSlowPitch.com. Slow Down and Close More.