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Digg it UP - Effortless Networking: What's the Best way to follow up with Leads and Referrals?
Recently I visited a new car dealership, something millions of people in the United States do every month. Several weeks later I visited the Florida State Department of Motor Vehicles for a bit of license renewal. Contrasting the quality of these experiences says a lot about us as individuals, our conditioned acceptance of ineptitude and our limited appreciation for quality service.I had done some on-line research and had identified the model and accessories I wanted in a new vehicle. I visit
As a business owner, which one would you prefer: a lead or a referral? And are you currently mistaking one for the other?
So back to the original question: given the difference between leads and referrals, the way you follow up with each will obviously be different.
Following up wit
Coastal Vacations has been in the market place for over 27
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a home based business.Traditionally, to be a successful Coastal Vacations Director,
you had to be good at selling and Many people are not
comfortable or just don’t know how to sell.Paul Langley of Clear Business Solutions, LLC has created a call
center that is the cream of the crop. The new business model is
very appealing to current Coastal Directors and fo
Before answering the question, let's start with a distinction, because leads and referrals are two different things.
A "referral" is someone who has found out about you and your business through a friend or associate (from someone they trust). The referrer typically knows you and/or has first-hand knowledge of your products or services, and enthusiastically tells others about you because they like (or love!) what you have to offer.
For example, when you recommend your favorite restaurant to a friend, you're giving the restaurant a "referral". Or when you urge your sister to contact your financial advisor for help and advice on the best way to manage her money, and you go on at length about how this financial advisor has helped *you*, you're giving your financial advisor a "referral".
A "lead" is a name and contact information you get from any source; such as, business cards you collect at your trade show booth, or names people give of others who may be interested in what you have to offer. A "lead" knows little about you (if anything), and certainly hasn't had anyone rave to them about you.
So, for example, if you give your financial advisor your sister's name and contact information, and never tell your sister that you did so, or how good this financial advisor is, or that she should call the financial advisor even if he doesn't contact her, you're essentially giving your financial advisor a "lead".
As a business owner, which one would you prefer: a lead or a referral? And are you currently mistaking one for the other?
So back to the original question: given the difference between leads and referrals, the way you follow up with each will obviously be different.
Following up with
“If your growth rate in revenues consistently outpaces your growth rate in people, you simply will not – indeed cannot - build a great company.”
Jim CollinsIncreased globalization and competition combined with an aging workforce have intensified the need for talented and engaged workers. Workforce reductions have slowed down the major battles for talent, but have increased the need for the talent to remain at a high level of performance. Many companies are trying to handle this dilemma by ag
For example, when you recommend your favorite restaurant to a friend, you're giving the restaurant a "referral". Or when you urge your sister to contact your financial advisor for help and advice on the best way to manage her money, and you go on at length about how this financial advisor has helped *you*, you're giving your financial advisor a "referral".
A "lead" is a name and contact information you get from any source; such as, business cards you collect at your trade show booth, or names people give of others who may be interested in what you have to offer. A "lead" knows little about you (if anything), and certainly hasn't had anyone rave to them about you.
So, for example, if you give your financial advisor your sister's name and contact information, and never tell your sister that you did so, or how good this financial advisor is, or that she should call the financial advisor even if he doesn't contact her, you're essentially giving your financial advisor a "lead".
As a business owner, which one would you prefer: a lead or a referral? And are you currently mistaking one for the other?
So back to the original question: given the difference between leads and referrals, the way you follow up with each will obviously be different.
Following up wit
Ten years of competitive hell!That was the title on the seminar brochure I received recently. As I survey some of the forces flowing through our economy, and witness the way in which they effect my clients, I have to agree. The Information Age is certainly one of the most turbulent times business people have ever seen.And the force causing the greatest turbulence is rapid, unrelenting change. Consider this. In 1900, the total amount of knowledge that mankind had was doubling about ever
A "lead" is a name and contact information you get from any source; such as, business cards you collect at your trade show booth, or names people give of others who may be interested in what you have to offer. A "lead" knows little about you (if anything), and certainly hasn't had anyone rave to them about you.
So, for example, if you give your financial advisor your sister's name and contact information, and never tell your sister that you did so, or how good this financial advisor is, or that she should call the financial advisor even if he doesn't contact her, you're essentially giving your financial advisor a "lead".
As a business owner, which one would you prefer: a lead or a referral? And are you currently mistaking one for the other?
So back to the original question: given the difference between leads and referrals, the way you follow up with each will obviously be different.
Following up wit
‘Think globally, act locally’.This seems to be the specific, considered and most targeted answer in the task of reaching and encapsulating the vastly diverse audiences that exist in the great market-place of the world. To a certain degree the concept of being able to direct communications to a specific audience is an extremely effective and optimum form of conveying a message and is of the utmost importance in discussing the business of advertising.‘Local’ ad agencies, such as ones jus
So, for example, if you give your financial advisor your sister's name and contact information, and never tell your sister that you did so, or how good this financial advisor is, or that she should call the financial advisor even if he doesn't contact her, you're essentially giving your financial advisor a "lead".
As a business owner, which one would you prefer: a lead or a referral? And are you currently mistaking one for the other?
So back to the original question: given the difference between leads and referrals, the way you follow up with each will obviously be different.
Following up wit
The word physician often leads to confusion because of its spelling. It has to be remembered, however, that a physician is someone who practices medicine - a qualified doctor - while a physicist is one who carries out scientific research in the field of physics, which deals with the theory of gravity, quantum mechanics, and so on. The term physician is one that is found in common use across the United States, although most other countries prefer to use the term doctor, which is more direct and less
As a business owner, which one would you prefer: a lead or a referral? And are you currently mistaking one for the other?
So back to the original question: given the difference between leads and referrals, the way you follow up with each will obviously be different.
Following up with a "lead" is like making a cold call, since the "lead" doesn't really know you. For more information on cold calls and how to approach "strangers", check out my favorite sales book, "The Accidental Salesperson" by Chris Lytle. Part 3 of this book covers this information.
Following up with a "referral" is different -- ideally, your "referral" will call *you*!
Within the last month, two different "referrals" called me, wanting to work with me.
The first person was referred to me by a past client. By the time this person called me, she was ready to work with me. She already knew from my past client how I worked, the kinds of results she could expect to get from working with me, what *she* needed to do to get the most out of our work together, how much I charged, etc. So literally, all I had to do was ask this person when she wanted to start!
The second person was referred to me by a business owner, with whom I've been talking about collaborating on certain types of projects. Although we haven't yet established our business partnership, we have spent a lot of time understanding each other businesses and ideal client profiles. So when the second referral called me, he was almost ready to work with me. By the end of our conversation, once I had answered all his questions and addressed all his concerns, he too scheduled an appointment to start working with me.
So... what do you think allowed these "referrals" to come to me? And how can YO
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