One of the fundamentals of staying in business is referrals. How do you get referrals? You have to ask. Dang it! I just want them to call me. After all this time, I’ve realized that isn’t going to happen. And I can always find an excuse not to call my clients.
The solution that works for me is that instead of calling to say: Hey, have you got any referrals for me? I call with value – and a story. Everybody loves a good story.
This month I’ve been calling to sound the alarm regarding trusts. My client’s mother passed without one and it has turned the family into a something resembling a brawling bar fight. Calling with a reminder and a referral to a good attorney helps everyone and makes me feel better too.
The other thing I’ve realized is that they don’t know I’m supposed to be calling them on a regular basis. So if I miss a month – which, of course, happens – they don’t feel bad about it. They don’t even realize it. So I don’t feel bad about it anymore either.
After the alarm is sounded I throw something in there about referrals. There are some formulaic ways to do that, but I usually just butcher them and get to the point. It doesn’t always result in any new business, but I’ve just reminded them that I’m here if someone they know needs me and that’s all I really wanted to do anyway.
So get on the phone with me Monday morning. I’ll be continuing to call five a day until I get through the list. I’m already thinking of how to bring value next month. How about you?
[...] don’t want my clients to think: Oh man, it’s her calling again. I want to bring value to their lives. You know: Give, ask, [...]