Got a great tip today from master sales coach Paul Castain.
Get in the habit of asking for referrals when your customer is in the “honeymoon phase” (probably shortly after you deliver your offering).
Don’t be shy about this. Do it religiously.
Here’s some phraseology Paul recommends when asking for a referral:
‘Lisa, is there anyone you can think of that can benefit from our offering, perhaps other CEOs, besties, people in your LinkedIn network?” (you’ll need to modify these groups for your audience).
According to Paul it’s easier for the brain to retrieve information from groups (CEOs, LinkedIn, etc.).
And here’s another tip that might seem counter-intuitive – ask for a referral after you’ve have a positive first sales conversation. Think of it as going for a small kiss right after the first date. This might feel like a big ask early on, but give it a shot. Timing is everything too. You can’t ask for the kiss 3 hours after the date. Oh, and stating the obvious: if you’re not clicking with your potential client, don’t go for the kiss.
You can steal my kick-ass referral email templates here.