Referral Trigger for the week of September 24
What to DO to GIVE Referrals
Builder’s Tool: Plans | Purpose: Communication
Conversation lead by the: Emory Team
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and | The mechanical systems in a building are what keep us comfortable.
Share a technique you use to make a referral. Why does that technique make you comfortable? How does your method increase your client’s comfort? |
I often do an initial three way introduction via email. In the email, I am able to tell the client about the person I am referring them to. How I know the person I’m referring to the client… what the referral has done for my past clients… how the referral can help the client I am referring. Also, this allows me to give background information on my client to the person who is going to help them. This email is proceeded by me providing background information on the person I am referring to my client. I follow up the email by checking in with the person I referred to in order to make sure they received the three way email.
Referral communication has changed dramatically over the years. I no longer rely on introductions via carrier pigeon. Instead, I am most comfortable sending referral introductions via 3-way email, because you never know if a carrier pigeon ever really made it to the correct address. My handwriting is a bit sloppy, so the ability to craft a custom email allows me to quickly set the context of an introduction and invite each party to continue the conversation. Client’s are more comfortable receiving an email over a carrier pigeon – just think of the mess a pigeon can leave behind. Clients also appreciate my ability to help them outside of my graphic design services.
Chris Handley
Snowball Creative Group
I am always real with my clients. Whether it is in reference to my opinion on how our case will go or simply about me and my personality. I always bond with my clients on a higher level which allows me to gain credibility. This further allows me to make referrals to them and they accept them without question. Moreover, this also overflows to my friends and family who also depend on my referrrals to them from fellow Powercore associates.
For me the 3 way email is a great starting point after the conversation with both parties. My initial conversation with the both parties provides the initial endorsement of defining why this is a good fit and to build a very strong comfort level increasing the probability to work together. Depending on the situation I’ll sometimes bring both parties together while I’m present to make sure we have an alignment and solid synergies moving forward.
I use my team roster when I meet with clients. When I am in the process of either signing them up or even after we have met I have them flip through my roster of cards and tell them to let me know who they would like an intrduction from. When they stop on certain cards, I will tell a story about that member an a brief summary of who they help and why. It has turned out to be not only a benefit to me (because they know I am local and I know a lot of people I can connect them to) but it also benefits my clients. Even if they only pick a few cards out the first time, I still get a call or an email later on asking if I know someone. And I typically do.
As a physical therapist in private practice, I have the ability to spend a lot of quality time with each patient. In addition to talking a lot about the musculoskeletal issue at hand (pun intended), I also find that many patients develop a comfort level with me that leads to conversations about all sorts of things (I’m not always just a “physical” therapist), and frequent questions about whether or not I “know somebody.” And since I’m part of such a fantastic network, I usually DO know somebody! At which point I ask the patient if they are okay with my sending a 3-way email introduction so that they can have a more direct connection and a quick response. I find that my patients appreciate this effort on my part, and I hope it makes them feel more comfortable both with me AND the person I am referring them too.
Like Many of us have said, three way email is a great way to introduce someone to a member of them team. When clients are meeting with me at my office I might take a different approach. As an insurance agent many clients will ask for a referral to a tree service, plumber or HVAC person when we are discussing their policy. As a long time member of Powercore I still keep a business card file and I will hand the client the card but first will share an experience that will give them a level of comfort. “i have used them personally”, “many clients tell me they are great” are two examples of what i might say as I am passing their card. I feel this gives them a level of comfort to call.
I have the following way of giving out referral(s) when I hear or see a need. It is based off of achieving this simple goal. “To have both sides say thank you after the referral has taken place”. It gives me a measure to double check myself by. If the answer is yes, then I confidently give the information to both parties. But if it is no on one or both sides, then I do not share with either. I feel this shows respect to both parties and it is what I would personally want in return. It also keeps them returning for additional referrals because the last was so successful.
The last referral I did I took a picture of my referral holding the card of Clay and sent it to Clay. It was my office manager. I felt comfortable because I knew the person. I wanted to really commit my referral to following through.
As a CPA, I am to go person for my clients for any business related questions. Knowing people who can address clients’ issues and help them with their problems adds to my credibility and makes me more valuable to my clients. Therefore, I always keep in mind people to whom I potentially can refer my clients, and keep their business cards readily available. That way, I can quickly provide an introduction via a three way email or a phone call.
With a 20 minute appointment to complete a 12 minute workout, there’s not a lot of time for weekly chit chat. Not surprising that my clients didn’t naturally see me as a referral resource so I had to get my resources in front of my clients.
I use endorsement letters written by people I know to another person I know (found right on the PowerCore website). I hang one a month in my lobby; right there at eye level as my clients exit. I label it with colorful paper that indicates the industry and change the color every month so it catches the eye. If I have extra time, I use the letter as a conversation piece to further endorse that I respect these people. By the third month of doing this, I had a client ask me for a referral since I seemed to know a lot of small local businesses.
My clients often have a need for referrals to different resources during the home buying/selling process. I make sure they know that when I refer someone to them, it is my reputation on the line and I want to make sure that the person I refer them to provides the highest level of service. I will always do the referral in person if possible, but more often than not, it is a 3 way email followed up by a phone call to make sure the connection has been made.
I like to enter all of my Powercore contacts into my iPhone so that when I need to make a referral I can simply share the contact with a client. I’ve found that when I refer people this way there is a higher level of built in trust…something likely along the idea that if I’ve taken the time to add them to my contacts, they must be reliable. Whenever someone shares a contact with me this way, I almost always save it as a new contact. I’d expect the same when I share a good contact. Hopefully this promotes more sharing and more referrals for that contact down the road as well!
Reflective Listing helps me to focus on the client. Reflective listening is seeking to understand the clients idea or need, then offering a suggestion for a specific referral to the client. Confirming the need has been understood correctly. This included with a smile, lets them know I am really connected and concerned.
Posting this for Tom Bunch of Tom Bunch HVAC
From: Tom Bunch [tom@tombunch.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2018 11:54 AM
To: Kelly, William H.
Subject: [External] Referral Trigger
Referrals are easy for me. My customers call the office all the time,and ask us do we install Hot waters heaters and of course we don’t so we refer Dale Johnson on the Decatur team or a Power core handyman in the geographic area. Sometimes the customer doesn’t have electric panel large enough to add Air conditioning, or like this week a customer had squares of sheet rock cut out and needed Richard Chalmers to repair the sheet rock and paint. My girls at the office has a Rolodex with people we recommend without me being present.
Happens all the time. We represent a lot of people in protective order hearings, for instance. But if children are involved, I refer those out to our family law attorney. Sometimes I’m in the right place at the right time. You can give some good referrals just by eavesdropping.