Where's Juli?
Upcoming Events
SALSA Social Event
Time: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 from 6:30 to 9:00 PM
Location:
McEnearney Associates, Inc., Realtors
1320 Old Chain Bridge Road, 3rd Floor
McLean, VA 22101
Cost: Free
I will be speaking on "Networking Builds Synergy."
RSVP to Janet Kiel
Netmasters Training Group
Time: Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Location:Century 21 New Millennium Building in Kingstowne (by Safeway)
5990 Kingstowne
Towne Center
Alexandria, VA 22315
Cost: $15
Speaker:
Barry Galloway on "Is Your Voice Hurting Your Business?"
RSVP to me
Springfield Chamber of Commerce Speed Networking
Time: Friday, April 24, 2009 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM
Location: Holiday Inn Express
6401 Brandon Ave
Springfield, VA 22150
Cost: $20 for Chamber Members, $30 for non-members
I will be facilitating the event.
Register Here
How to Close in the Sales Process
A class offered by the Capital Region SBDC
Time: Thursday, April 30, 2009 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM
Location: 7100 Baltimore Avenue, 4th floor, College Park, Maryland, 20740
Cost: $25
More Information and Registration Here
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Juli Monroe
1 to 1 Discovery
571-220-1891
juli_monroe@yahoo.com
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Greetings!
I know a number of you are in
businesses where you rely on referrals from clients who are often not
themselves business people. I call these "civilian networkers"
because networking and referrals are not a part of their daily lives.
They might ask a neighbor for a referral to a plumber or their best
friend for a good auto mechanic, but thinking about referrals is not
part of their daily personal or work activity.
Yet many entrepreneurs, especially
those in home services or direct sales, rely on civilian networkers
for the majority of their business. And many of you may be
frustrated. You gave them a product that exactly met their needs and
superb service, yet they seldom refer you. Why is that? And what can
you do about it?
Read on for some good tips on
motivating the civilians in your life.
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Referrals Even Civilians Can Love
Let me start with a story to describe
civilians and why they don't refer as often as we'd like.
Ten years ago, my husband and I bought
our first house. I was not the experienced networker I am now. In
fact, I didn't network at all. I thought networking was something
that only happened in smoke-filled rooms and on golf courses. We
didn't ask anyone for a referral to a good realtor. We did what many
people do. We went to an open house, struck up a conversation with
the attending realtor, liked her and retained her.
She was great. Not only did she find us
a house we loved (and the one where we still live today), she figured
out what we really wanted in a house, despite the often conflicting
messages we sent her. She was everything one could want in a realtor.
I would have referred her in a heartbeat. But I never did. Why?
Because referring wasn't something I thought about. If someone had
asked me, "Can you give me the name of the realtor you used,"
I would have gladly given it out. I knew other people who were buying
and selling houses. But I never gave out her name because nothing
triggered in me.
Now I look back and groan. I could have
done so much more to help her, if she had only educated me on how.
Which is the key thing for you to remember. Referrals come
(relatively) naturally to you. You look for them. You give them. But
civilians don't. So how can you educate them?
Very carefully. You'll need to give it
to them in easy, bite-sized pieces. Not because they are stupid, but
because this is a brand-new skill you're asking them to learn. Some
of them will want to. Some won't. But even the ones who don't want to
can be brought around if you work with them.
First, as with all good networking
messages, you will need to be specific. Take the characteristics of
the client you are asking to refer you and ask them for introductions
to people like them. Did they just get married? Ask for others they
might know who just got married. Do they have kids? Ask for
introductions to other parents at their daycare center. Everyone
responds better to specific requests. But it's critical with
civilians.
Educate them on what doing business by
referral means to you. Lots of people say "I work by referral."
But what does that really mean to them and their business? Some
attorneys get lots of their work from referrals from other attorneys
and only occasionally by referrals from their clients. "Working
by referral" means something completely different to that
attorney than to a real esate agent. Explain what it means to your
clients and let them know specifically how they can help you.
Become a referral hub for them. This is
particularly good for those of you in home services, but any
entrepreneur can do it. Let your clients know that if they are
looking for a good service provider, you are the person to find it
for them. That gets them in the habit of calling to get referrals
which will help them to think about referring you in turn.
Tell them what to listen for or look
for in their daily interactions. It could be as simple as, "If
you see someone wince when they bend over, that could be a good
referral for me."
But most of all, be easy to refer.
Reassure your civilians that you will take good care of their
referrals. Tell them what a referral can expect when they call you.
If you have some specific way you want to be referred, educate them.
Keep them in the loop. If everything goes well, let them know. If
there are problems, let them know. It's hard to keep a bad experience
hidden from a civilian, because they tend to refer their friends, and
friends talk.
Will most of these tips work for
business to business referrals as well? Of course. The language of
referrals is universal. But your civilians need a little more time
and attention to get the message. And when they do, they will refer
you confidently. And often!
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Please forward this newsletter to anyone who might need the information, or my services.
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