"HELP!" -- How To Get More Referrals

For any entrepreneur, a key skill is obtaining referrals to
new clients from current ones. And it is a skill. There’s
a right way and a wrong way to do it.

For example, asking “Is there anyone else who might be interested” is a mistake. It’s a closed question to which the answer might simply be “No.” Further, when you ask for “anyone” it doesn’t really help the client to think about specific people you can contact. So try to be more specific. Ask for a specific “who” that has some of the same issues as your current client. Avoid a general and vague “anybody.”

The best approach is related to principle of “pain avoidance” that motivates so much of human behavior. In any sales or marketing presentation, you always want to identify any pain a client is in and show how you can relieve that pain. So in asking about referrals, you want to inquire about someone who has the type of problems that your product or service resolves.

The more specific you can be, the greater your chances of getting a referral. “Who do you know who is having product reliability problems? Who is having problems with computer support?” Those are the kind of sharply focused questions that have the best chance of getting results.

Asking for referrals should really be built into the agenda of a presentation right from the beginning. You’re not going to get a hit every time, so the key is getting up to bat as often as possible. Be creative. Make some calls expressly for the purpose of getting referrals. Go to some conferences and trade shows in your industry. Talk to people who are in positions of public contact, like reception staff and personal assistants.

After any business related conversation always ask for referrals. And always say “Thank you,” even if you mean “Thanks for nothing!”