Be Patient? Nah, Let's Kill Something
by Harry Hoover
Published on this site: August 6th, 2004
There's the old joke about the two buzzards sitting in a tree
overlooking a highway. One responds to the other, "Be patient?
I'm hungry. Let's kill something." Just like that buzzard,
it is not in the nature of most marketers to be patient for business
to grow. They want to go out and "kill something," too.
The trouble is that most marketers go after new business the wrong
way. They want to "take down" the new piece of business
using all the tools of the trade from advertising and direct mail
to cold calling and event marketing. This is an expensive way to
drum up business. Your existing clients are just waiting to tell
you about people they know who could use your services, and then
help sell you in to these people they refer. Not only is this more
cost effective, it practically guarantees the prospects will share
the same characteristics of your best customers.
"OK, Harry," you're asking, "but how do I do it?"
The first rule of getting referrals: ask. When should you ask?
Let's review.
- After your customer has purchased something from you is a great
time to ask. The new customer is pumped up about your offering
and you can harness that energy by asking for names of others
who could benefit from doing business with you.
- Upon delivery of your product or service is the next time to
ask. The benefits of your offering should be readily apparent
now, so you can remind the customer of the importance of their
referrals.
- Anytime you have personal contact with your customer is a good
time to ask. You are continuing to build a relationship with them
and can use the opportunity to ask for referrals.
Don't ask more than three times per year.
Many people hesitate to ask for referrals because they are not
sure how to do it. Just be honest. Tell your customers that referrals
are very important to the growth of your business, and that you
want to grow it with people just like them. Remind them that the
people they know will benefit from your service the way that they
have. Then, ask.
Tell your prospect that you'd like for them to give you the names
of three or four people who might benefit from your services. Pull
out a sheet of paper and pen and look expectantly at them. If they
can't immediately give you names, ask some prompting questions.
Such as:
Who are your three best friends?
Who are the most successful business people you know?
Can you think of anyone who would benefit from my services?
Write the names down and keep writing until the customer runs out
of names. Then, go back and ask for contact information for each
one. Thank the customer in the way you feel most comfortable. Some
people like to send a gift, others will just drop a note of thanks.
Some wait to see if the referral becomes a customer and then send
a higher end gift. Do whatever works for you, but do thank them
and keep them in the loop, letting them know about your follow up
and the outcome of your prospecting.
So, don't just sit there in your tree. Get out there and kill something.
Harry Hoover is managing principal of Hoover ink PR,
http://www.hoover-ink.com. He has 26 years of experience in
crafting and delivering bottom line messages that ensure success
for serious businesses like Duke Energy, Brent Dees Financial Planning,
Levolor, NC Tourism, and Verbatim.
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