How To Generate A Steady Supply Of Quality Leads

By Jim Klein

It's another day at the office, and you're waiting for a potential
customer to call or walk in.

How different would your business be if your current customers were
enthusiastically seeking out prospective customers for you? Imagine
how exciting it would be to talk to people who already know about
you and your products or service. How difficult would it be to
close those sales?

Selling to those people would be simple. So why aren't your current
customers bringing you referrals? Perhaps it's because you have not
shown them how, motivated them, made it easy for them, asked them
or started the process.

Getting good quality referrals requires planning and preparation.

Start by making a list of all the people who might be a referral
source for you. Start with your current clients. Which ones are
currently sending you business? Which ones are very satisfied with
your product or service and the results they are getting?

Next consider people you know who would have access to people who
would be ideal prospects for you. People such as your attorney,
accountant, banker, broker, etc.

Now, go through you list and pick out the top ten to twenty percent
of your best referrers. There's a good chance you already have some
people who regularly recommend prospective customers to you. Start
with these potential referral sources. You'll have better results
developing stronger relationships with a few referral sources
rather than shallow relationships with lots of sources.

In order to help your referrals sources to give you good, qualified
referrals, you need to get crystal-clear about what you are looking
for. Who is your ideal prospect?

What problems do your products and services solve? It will be
easier for your referral sources to spot potential clients for you
if they are clear about what problems to look for.

When you are clear about describing the recommendations you want,
you make it easier for your referral sources to identify
prospective customers for you.

Now that you have identified several possible referral sources and
you are clear about the types of clients you want, it's time to
create a customized plan for each referral source. One important
aspect to remember is, what does your referral source gain by
referring people to you? People want to know what's in it for them.

Some of your referral sources will do it just because they are so
sold on your product or service. Others will need some other
benefits in order to become good sources of referrals. So think of
as many benefits as you can for those people to referr business to
you.

To instill confidence in your referral source, you need to let them
know exactly what you will do when given a referral. Your referral
source has surely developed valuable relationships over the years
and will be reluctant to do anything that might jeopardize those
relationships. Be specific as to what will happen when your
referral source gives you a referral. A simple, step-by-step
process that shows how you will represent yourself will provide
assurance that the potential customer will be treated with respect
and dignity.

Next, discuss the specific actions you want from your referral
source. Do you want them to call the potential customer? What do
you want them to say? Would you prefer they arrange a three-way
appointment? Often, people want to give you referrals, but don't
know exactly what to do or how to do it. Train them; coach them;
help them get clear on what's expected of them.

When a satisfied customer sends someone to you the sender should
immediately receive some recognition and appreciation. Possibly a
quick thank you note or telephone call at bare minimum. That should
happen right away. Some type of thank you gift is usually
appropriate and effective.

I've sent steaks, books, clocks, calculators, small electronic
items, knife sets, all sorts of things. I recommend gifts that you
do not ordinarily sell and a different gift each time the person
refers. You will be surprised by the positive results from this
kind of action.

You'd also be surprised at the negative results of not doing this.
The client who refers once and fails to get recognition and
appreciation will probably won't say anything to you, but to
himself and often to a friend or associate he does say, "Can you
believe it? I sent that guy a customer and didn't got as much as a
thank you." And then he won't ever refer any one again.

From the new referrals and clients you obtain from those referrals,
you can start the process all over again and develop new referral
sources. This is a great way to dramatically boost your business
without the time and effort of cold calling and cold prospecting.

Developing and implementing an effective referral strategy can
produce a steady stream of new business for years to come. You can
achieve your professional goals faster and easier through
effectively targeting referrals.

See you next week...

Make It A GREAT Day!