4. It hasn’t been part of our sales process. Referrals need to be the way we work every single day. Asking for referrals must be integrated into all the work we do, rather than an afterthought. It is a proactive strategy and not something we leave to word of mouth. Waiting for the phone to ring is passive; referral selling is active and results-oriented.
The power of referrals is endless. If you want to run a referral-based business, begin by examining your strategy and your process.
• Do you and your salespeople know the importance of referrals?
• What percent of your current customers have come from referrals?
• Where in your sales process will you ask for referrals?
• What metrics can you put in place to reinforce referrals?
• How will you reward yourself and your team for referral business?
It’s now time to move referral selling from common sense to common practice. Determine how the four excuses for not asking for referrals play out in your company. Talk to your salespeople and build a plan to shift the way you work. Your sales life and your business life will never be the same again.
By Joanne Black
