The R Word

from my email:

Asking for Referrals Referrals can be one of the most productive and profitable lead sources available to salespeople. However, it takes some practice to get comfortable asking for referrals. Plus, there are different kinds of referrals that produce different levels of results. If you want maximize the positive impact of referrals on your sales opportunity pipeline, follow these steps: 1. Practice what you are going to say when asking for referrals until it rolls off your tongue naturally. 2. Hold yourself accountable for asking for referrals at EVERY opportunity. If you realize you forgot to ask for referrals during a specific meeting or phone call, no problem -- call your contact back as soon as possible and ask for referrals! 3. Keep in mind that not all referrals are created equal! When you ask for referrals, always ask for in-person introductions first. If your contact can't arrange an in-person introduction, work your way down the list of referral types from most effective to least effective (telephone introductions, electronic introductions, etc.). Source: Sales performance expert Alan Rigg (www.8020sales.com)

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