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Marketing
say ‘thank you’ or keep your referrers in- come credible is to spend time getting know impression of us, the referral source, than they
formed, you run the risk of quickly hurting your us and establishing trust. had previously.
relationship with us. If you don’t project your
12. You don’t understand people
competence with conviction and authenticity,
14. You don’t have a system
you’re telling us and other prospects and In any referral situation there are at least three
people in your network that you don’t have the relationships: The referrer and the person If you’re like most people, you wing it when it
right to be here in the first place. If you’re being referred; the referred person and the comes to your referral marketing activities and
needy and desperate we won’t buy from you prospect and the prospect and the referrer. every referral is a bit of a surprise. If you want
and we certainly won’t introduce you to the Not understanding the behaviour and preferred to receive referrals consistently, then find or
people we’ve spent years cultivating relation- communication styles of each party can cause create a system that works - one that you can
ships with and who pay our mortgages and delays, relationship breakdowns, lost sales replicate and that is simple enough to teach to
other bills. But the number one reason you be- and confusion. I like the big picture and focus people in your network. Once you’ve found a
come unreferrable is that you fail to close. This on the result; my referrer may be people-ori- system, immerse yourself in it until it becomes
causes referral remorse in those who have entated but likes detail; and the prospect likes habit. Referral marketing needn’t be a random
been unwise enough to pass your name on, detail and focuses on the result. You need to activity. With the right system, it should be as
and the referrals dry up fast. You’ll know you’re adapt to accommodate all these styles to win predictable and regular as a well executed,
doing something wrong if you can’t identify the sale and keep referrals coming. sequenced, segmented, field tested and tar-
between four and eight relationships that have geted advertising campaign.
delivered ten good, qualified referrals over the
13. You don’t understand your
Experience shows expert referral marketers
course of the past year.
obligation to your referral source
needn’t be actively involved in more than three
networks, and can maintain as few as four to
11. You confuse visibility,
Referral marketing requires you to take a long eight strong referral source partnerships. Don’t
credibility and profitability
term view. Your number one obligation in any tell your spouse though - or you won’t be able
referral situation is to make us, your referrers, to keep using your networking with us as a
If you actively participate in more than three look good in the eyes of the prospect. Hurting substitute for having no other social life...
networking organisations you’re likely to be our relationship with the person we referred
over-networked. We’re seeing too much of you to will be the kiss of death; not only for
you. You’ll certainly be highly visible if you your relationship with us, but for you. Why? Suzanne Cauchi is Managing Director of the
attend networking function after networking Because we’ll tell our friends. You will get a Referral Institute London Central, and an inter-
function - but will it be for the right reason? If reputation as being a risky person to refer nationally-recognised expert on the use of
you want to profitable, or in other words throughout our network and yours. So, even if referrals for sales, marketing and promotions
receiving and passing referrals, then you have it means you don’t win the business, make
to become credible first. The only way to be- sure you leave the prospect with a better www.referralinstitutelondoncentral.co.uk.
Business Matters issue 164 • 41
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