"I am in Business to 'Help YOU Excel' with referrals/word-of-mouth advertising.
What I want for you is to never make another cold call."

Identify and avoid common mistakes when requesting referrals.

"I simply had to write you the following letter after reading and researching 'How To Increase Sales at No Cost' in order to create your press releases.

I can only describe the book in one word: exceptional.

For a long time I've prided myself in my abiities to garner and utilize referrals, but having read your book, I can tell you that I will begin applying the methods this afternoon.

Anyone in the people business should have, and use, your work.

You have a winner."

Pat Beechinor
News Director
Mercury Media Relations Inc.
www.mercurymedia.ca

Chapter 3 - 'How Not To Ask for Referred Leads'

Highlights

Vague referral requests
Eliminate 'anybody'
High pressure words

Introduction

Results from standard referral requests often fall short of our hopes.

How the World Asks

Picture a situation like this. You make the sale, provide your services/product, then ask for a referred lead.

Can you think of anybody who needs my services?

(by far the most popular choice) or perhaps,

Can you think of anybody who wants my services?  (second most popular).

Watch your customer's eyes. (Of course, you always look your prospect in the eye, right?) I virtually guarantee they avert their eyes. Start counting mentally. One. Two. Thr...

Your listener returns eye contact, and says, No, I can’t at the moment, but if I do, I’ll keep you in mind. Give me some of your cards.

You hand over five cards, and return to your office. (Gotta be there when the phone starts ringing off the hook, after all.) And your phone? Silence.

Two Major Problems

First Problem

There are two major problems with the statement, Can you think of anybody who needs my services? The first problem is the word 'anybody'. I’ll prove it. Join me in an exercise.

On the count of three, picture in your mind, all the individual faces of the entire population of the United States of America. Ready? 1-2-3. Go. How well did you do? Okay. Okay. After all, there are 350 million people in the country. Try an easier country, Canada for instance. Only 30 million. Go. No way, you say? Fine. Picture each individual person in the State of Utah or the Province of Alberta? No? Okay, last chance. How about the City of Calgary? Come on, there are only 1,000,000 people.

"I'm adapting my Prosperity workshops to include your material. It is so much more effective than what I have been doing. I'm impressed! You're good!

Cheiri Lowry
Prosperity Coach
Atlanta GA

An impossible exercise? Precisely. Yet, what word do people use when asking for referrals? Anybody. This means the population of the whole world. 'Anybody' doesn’t work. 'Anybody' cannot  work. I use this exercise to help the lights come on. 'Anybody' is too big, too vague. It provides no focus. Get rid of it.

Second Problem

You now recognize that 'anybody' is the worst word you could choose. Yet, despite a total lack of focus, one individual in a thousand might find a single face to refer to you. So, you create a second problem. You make your request, Can you think of anybody who needs... even worse, and throw in a high-pressure word.

"I commend you. You explain how referrals help professional salespeople overcome their fear of rejection. I am not a salesperson, and so found your information especially helpful. I'll refer to your book often."

Christopher Mandeville
Norwich VT

Can you identify it? Needs. Think about it. This question automatically assumes a sale to the name provided. It forces your listener to make a decision on someone else’s behalf. Can you remember when a salesrep asked you this question? How did you feel about it? Uncomfortable at best, right? (Hands up. All those who love being high-pressured into a decision. Hmm... That many.)

The Only Option

Thus, your listener responds with the only option open to them. No, I can’t at the moment, but if I do, I’ll keep you in mind. Give me some of your cards.

Let me illustrate with an example. Assume a salesperson is requesting referrals from me. Bob, can you think of anybody who needs my services? Yes. Jack Heynen. He helps build effective teams.

Have I not just committed Jack to buying whatever the salesperson is selling? I haven’t asked Jack if he needs, or even wants, the salesperson’s service. Try explaining that to gung-ho sales rep. As far as they are concerned, Jack Heynen is a done deal.

"Robert Clarke is an absolute genius at training people in how to get more referrals."

James O. English
Sales Trainer

From now on, when you hear, 'Can you think of anybody who needs my services?', recognize it as the most popular and least effective phrase when requesting referrals. The Kiss of Death. I doubt you could kill your hope of referred leads faster or more effectively.

You will hear, 'Can you think of anybody who needs my services?' many times in the future. Just ensure you don’t hear it from your own voice.

Summary

Many people have difficulty receiving referrals because their referral is vague and high pressured. Eliminate 'anybody', 'needs' and 'wants' from your requests for referred leads.

Excerpted from 'How To Increase Sales at No Cost'
© Robert D. Clarke, 1994. Webpage version © 2006.

Click for Chapter 3 printer friendly page

Thank You for reading this chapter. There are usually strong reactions at this point in my workshops. They range from amazement, nods, guilt, excitement, to just looking at the floor. (How did you know? It is like you were with me.)

Want a PDF version of this?  View Chapter 3 - 'How Not to Ask' in PDF format

Please consider recommending this article to someone you have talked with or emailed in the past week.
Recommend Chapter 3 - 'How Not to Ask'

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"I am in Business to 'Help YOU Excel' with referrals/word-of-mouth advertising.
What I want for you is to never make another cold call."

So, would you consider owning this book?

Consider fear and excuses - Chapter 2

Consider precisely when to request referrals - Chapter 8

Consider sales when you convert 25% of leads - Chapter 14

Consider business when you convert 50% of leads - Chapter 14

Consider satisfaction when you convert 75% of leads - Chapter 15

Consider an ongoing supply of Supreme Compliments (when your listener offers you referrals before you even ask for them.) - Chapter 16

Consider the value of this book at only $24.95 (free shipping & handling