11/8/2023-Asking Clients for Referrals

Asking clients for intros inside their org doesn’t just help you get quick meetings, it is a fast track to learn how they’re thinking about your offering. It’s a side door qualifying trick.

Question for ya: would you rather send 1,000 cold emails to get one pitch meeting with a new prospect or contact a friend and ask them to make an intro?

This news might sting, but the odds are you are underutilizing your network. That’s okay, there’s an easy fix. Start activating a network-building strategy based on referrals. It’s a much easier path versus cold-emailing, and it’s easier on the psyche.

Two elements will fuel your referral strategy:
1. Ask clients for intros when you’re IN meetings with them.

2. Regularly ask your BFFs to make introductions for you. (That one is covered in depth tomorrow.)

In your customer meetings today, activate your network-building strategy by asking, "Hey , based on what we discussed today, who should I meet with next in the org?" (Note: this is not an email exercise…you’ll have better success asking for intros when you’re F2F.)

Obviously, you’ve considered this approach before – and perhaps do it some of the time – but you need to be doing it all of the time.

Make it a part of your ending a meeting routine – before you part ways, ask for an intro.

To boot, there’s a strong secondary benefit to your newfound referral strategy!

Asking customers when you’re meeting them for intros must take center stage in your prospecting efforts. It’s a simpler way to build your network versus cold-calling, and it helps you qualify your prospect and learn insights about their current buying state.

First, it’s imperative that you remember to close each customer meeting – whether F2F or video – with the question, "From what we’ve discussed today, do you feel comfortable helping me inside the org?" They’ll likely say "yes" or start talking about potential folks you should meet with. That’s good on both fronts.

But, asking the aforementioned question also offers these tangible benefits:
1. It might lead to a discussion about your prospect’s opinion of your offering.
2. You open the door to learning where decision power is seated in the org by learning who that customer recommends you talk to next.

Once you’ve got a name, inform your client that you will write the intro note for them to send along….make it easy on ’em.

Congrats, you’re off and running and probably just secured the easiest meeting you’ll ever get.

Enough with today’s lesson on asking for referrals…you get it. And you’re ready to do it. Consistently.

Now you deserve a treat.

Watch this YT short featuring a fun way a football team scored a touchdown. You’ll admire their creativity and effort even if you’re not a football fan.

This clip shows the hard way to score a touchdown, akin to using a cold emailing strategy to get appointments. Getting appointments shouldn’t be so hard…ask for referrals and intros.

What’s the worst thing that can happen?