Do you "un-inspire" your network to refer you?
When was the last time you kept a referral source updated on the progress of their referral? When you did you thank them for the referral? Did you ask for their assistance in building the relationship with the person they referred?
Most referrers want to be intimately involved in the process of helping you with the referral - why do most people resist this and try to go it alone?
If you looked at all your referrals right now - let's pretend it's 20 referrals you're currently working on - when was the last time you touched based with the person who referred them? How often do you stay in touch with the person who referred them?
I've made numerous referrals to chairs over the years through my network and I am stunned at the number of times I don't get a call for months - if at all - on the referral status. Getting thank yous, being asked to help with the initial introduction, and being kept constantly alerted to the status of the referral are so basic to networking and referrals that I'm shocked most people don't do it. Why does that happen?
The problem is that if you screw this up with your referral source - they'll stop making referrals - you'll wonder why that well dried up. They'll never tell you. They'll just start giving referrals to your competitors.
What's your track record of communicating with your referral sources?
Here's what one of my favorite blog authors, Andy Lopato, on networking and referrals, had to say about this issue:
I was out with friends last week. I knew that they had referred some very good business to a mutual contact of ours, and he had gone on to win the contract. I mentioned that I had spoken to our mutual contact the week before and helped him with some introductions which would help him deliver to his new client.
My friends were disappointed when I told them this. They had helped him by referring the business, why had he not approached them for help with the connections? In fact, as the initial referral was their client, they would have expected him to keep them involved throughout.
Not only had he not kept them informed and involved. He hadn't even thanked them properly.
How often do you think these conversations occur behind your back about you?
To read Andy's full article, click the link below:
How To Lose Referrals With Ease
Barry Deutsch
