Are You Referral Ready?

If the purpose of networking is to serve other people, then that includes customers as well. They come to you for a specific product or service, but obviously they have other needs and things going on in their lives. The more you know about their situation, the greater position you are in to help.

You don’t want to sell one product to one customer one time…you want to sell to them again and again, and have them refer other people as well. You are selling a car to a customer, but that customer is largely responsible for whether you get the opportunity to sell a car to his wife, his brother, his sister, his children, his neighbor, and so on. Relationship selling is built on human connections, not financial transactions.

Make a list of three questions you can ask each of your next 10 customers. The questions can be anything you want, but the answer has to let you know whether they might need the services of someone in your network. Rather than reveal your contact up front, make a follow-up call or send a letter with your contact’s business card.

When you network effectively, you build a team of trusted service providers that you can confidently refer at any time. When you ask questions and learn about your customers, you find out how your network can best serve their needs. When you do both, you position yourself as a well-connected business resource above and beyond whatever you do for a living.