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A GOOD REFERRAL by Caren Parnes
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Please note on our referrals slip that there is a "thermometer"
on the right with numbering 1-5, with 1 being "tepid" and 5
being "hot."
The numbers are there because there are all sorts of possible
referral types.
A "5" referral can be either a "self" referral--I KNOW I am
going to use this person's services--or a client who absolutely
intends to do business with the person whom you are referring.
This is a "sure thing" referral.
But please be aware that you do NOT have to have a guaranteed
referral to give a referral slip. The only requirement to make a
referral legitimate (as opposed to a "lead"--which is fine to
give, but just can't be counted as a referral) is that the
potential client has said they are fine with the member
contacting them and have given their phone number.
Within that requirement can be a range of possibilities. The BNI
member could be one of several people competing for the
potential client's business--the BNI member has entree, but is
not guaranteed the work. The BNI member may be discussing a
possible project with the potential client that may not turn
into work for quite a while--prospecting for the future, you
might say. The BNI member may need to help the client figure out
just what they need--it may end up being your
service/products--or it may not.
In all of these cases they are legitimate referrals because you
are being introduced to someone who wants to meet you. However
you are still responsible for "closing" the business.
However when you are looking for referrals, do be careful that
the prospective client really does want to speak with the BNI
member you are referring. Quite often, a referral is given, the
BNI member calls (often repeatedly) and there is no response
from the prospective client. There may be legitimate reasons for
this, but this is not really a qualified referral if the person
was not interested enough to actually return a phone call.
One other tip on referral giving-getting. It is a good idea to
follow up a referral slip with a conversation with the BNI
member about the referral you have given. If you have specific
information about the prospective client that could help the BNI
member "close" the business, please provide this. And as a
courtesy, the person receiving the referral should make the
contact in a timely manner and give the person who referred them
feedback on how the contact went.
Hope this helps a little in your quest to give good referrals!
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