Little Known Ways to Get Referrals for Your Networking Peers

22nd June 2009

One of those Light Bulb Moments

How to encourage the members of your weekly or fortnighly networking group to recommend your business to others and vice versa.

Prepare the Way Forward

Before I start, here are some ground rules that each member of the group should adopt:

Get to know the businesses of your fellow group members through One-2-Ones or even by testing their products/services yourself.
Educate people about your business in your 60 second and 10 minute presentations.
Be specific about who and what type of referrals you’re after avoiding the use of generalist phrases such as “I’m looking for senior managers” or “I’m want to speak to people who want to save money/generate more sales/grow their businesses”.
Make your presentation memorable by being humorous, through the use of props or by telling a story.
Change your presentation for each meeting, focus on a different product or service area. Don’t reel off lists of services or boar people rigid about your company history.
People buy from people is an old but accurate phrase. So make yourself likeable, someone who is known to help others and someone who is perceived to be an ‘expert’ in their field. Get this mix right and people will become enthusiastic about you and your business and as such, will pro-actively seek referrals for you.

Learning about each other’s work is essentially “product knowledge” which is something every good sales person should have under their belts before they go out the door. So once you and your fellow members become familiar with each other’s businesses then it becomes easier to obtain referrals for one another.

Learn and Adopt New Habits

So, getting down to the nitty-gritty, some of the techniques that I have found to work include:

Focus on a Member
In your own mind, choose a fellow member to focus on for the next week. For example, if it’s the IT person in the group: make it your mission that week to keep your eyes and ears open for potential “buying signals” from your clients and associates.

Such buying signals could the need for them to have a problem resolved indicated by them saying “my computer is running really slow” or “I need sort a new laptop out”.
Agree a Call Back Time
Once you’ve identified a potential client for a fellow member, explain that you know someone who may be able to help them. Do not give them the member’s card with the quip of “give this guy a call” or something similar. Because they won’t and the potential lead will die a death! Instead ask them if it’s okay for the group member (in this case the IT business representative) to give them a call. If a positive response is received, agree a convenient time and then arrange with your fellow group member to call the client at the predetermined time.
Drop it into Conversation
If you regularly speak to your client’s you’ll have a fair idea of which type of services they buy already. Drop into the conversation that you know an alternative supplier if they need one. If there’s an immediate need, they’ll ask you directly for a contact into that company. I used this technique recently with great success myself when looking for referrals for the commercial photographer in one of my networking groups. During an email exchange with a client that I knew to use external photographers, I dropped in the comment:

“Oh by the way – I know you guys use photographers, if you’re looking for an alternative supplier, I currently work with a talented photographer who’s based not far from you. Here’s a link to his web site www.rogervmoody.co.uk Give me a call if you’d like an introduction”.

Worked a treat, and sure as apples is apples, my client called me up and asked for more information which resulted in a good referral for my photographer associate.

Get Referrals from Your Prospects
When I go to see potential new clients I’ve also got half an ear open for potential opportunities for my networking peers. So even if I can’t help them directly with my own services, if I can suggest someone who may be able to solve another problem they have which has come to light during my conversations, by suggesting a provider who can solve their issue; then at least I can still leave the meeting with my prospect still thinking I’m a “great bloke” and someone who is “worth knowing”!