7 Ways to Immediately Increase Your Referrals
by Paul McCord

Every salesperson has heard that referrals are by far the best
prospecting and marketing method in existence. Yet, very few
salespeople actually get very many high quality referrals.

Some manage to get a name and phone number here and another
there. A few will manage to get several. However, most of these
"referrals" are worthless--just names and phone numbers of people or
businesses that have no interest in or need for or can't afford the
salesperson's product or service.

Nevertheless, there are a few salespeople and business owners who
have found a way to not only generate more than just a few referrals,
but somehow they manage to generate enough high quality referrals
to run very successful sales practices almost exclusively from the
referrals they receive from their clients.

Do they have some great secret the rest of us don't know?

Actually, in a sense, yes. They've learned that what most of us are
doing to get referrals doesn't work. Moreover, they have learned ways
that do work.

Let's look at seven of the most basic things these mega-referral
producers have learned:

1. Ask for referrals: Sounds stupid right? If you don't ask, how do
you expect to get them? Unfortunately, over 50% of salespeople
simply never ask–and the majority who do 'ask,' really don't ask for
referrals.

2. Ask more than once: Statistics show that if you ask for referrals
twice, you'll get twice as many as if you only ask once.

3. Really Ask: Asking means a direct request for referrals. Studies
have also shown that the majority of salespeople and business owners
who ask for referrals don't really ask--they suggest. They'll say
something like "Don, if you happen to run across someone who could
use my service, would you give them one of my cards?" and then they
hand the client a bunch of cards–that usually go straight into the
trash.4. Let the client know who's a good referral: Very few salespeople
ever define for the client who a good referral is. They assume the
client knows. Bad assumption. Clients aren't in your business. Why
should they know? You have to let them know exactly who you're
looking for.

5 Help them: Make some suggestions as to people whom they might
know. If you're selling insurance and your client builds homes, whom
do you think they might know? Tons of contractors, realtors, vendors
and suppliers, that's who. Suggest some of those folks you know
you'd like to be referred to–they just might know them.

6. Give them time to think: Don't ask for referrals and stand there
waiting for an answer. When you put your client on the spot like that,
they aren't going to come up with a ton of great referrals. Ask and
then let them know exactly when you'll get back to them to get the
referrals. They need time to think and 10 or 15 seconds won't cut it if
you want quality referrals.

7 Don't get names and phone numbers, get introduced. A name and
phone number is just a name and phone number. Get introduced to
the prospect through an introduction letter, phone call, or lunch
meeting.

Mega-referral producers have a detailed process they use to generate
a large number of high quality referrals from every one of their clients
and even prospects. They have developed a disciplined and effective
procedure they use with each client that leads to a predictable end–
receiving a large number of high quality referrals.

But even without learning the process they use, if you simply
implement these 7 simple tips, you'll increase both the number and
quality of the referrals you receive from your clients immediately.


Paul McCord is a leading authority on prospecting, referral selling, and
personal marketing. He is president of McCord and Associates, a Houston,
Texas based sales training, coaching, and consulting company. His first
book, Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income: Sales Success through
Client Referrals (John Wiley and Sons, 2007), is an Amazon and Barnes and
Noble best-seller and is quickly becoming recognized as the authoritative
work on referral selling. His second book, SuperStar Selling: 12 Keys to
Becoming a Sales SuperStar will be released in February, 2008. He may be
reached at pmccord@mccordandassociates.com or visit his sales training
website at www.powerreferralselling.comCopyright 2007, Paul McCord. May be reproduced without change, with
proper attribution and brief bio. Notice of when and where article is to
appear to pmccord@mccordandassociates.com