Here are some methods to create more consistent refferal flow from your clients.
Focus on ensuring your colleagues, clients, and customers fully understand all of your products and service offerings. It amazes, how many people the average professional has in his/her active business network, yet how many of those contacts don’t truly don’t understand the professional’s entire product or service offerings. Give colleagues, clients, and customers a glimpse into all of the work required for you to execute a certain service you are now providing to them.
Block 15 minutes at the end of each prospect or client meeting to brainstorm on the subject of referrals, and communicate this ahead of time with a meeting agenda. This is another task that everyone engages in that can produce excellent referral-generating traction: Meetings. While most professionals are experts at holding meetings with clients or prospects, many are utter disappointments at holding a meeting with an agenda—let alone one that allots time for the discussion of referrals. Because most professionals are uncomfortable bringing up the subject of referrals with their clients or prospects for fear damaging the relationship. So for every meeting you hold, mail a written agenda ahead of time to your clients or prospects. On the agenda, place an item to discuss the subject of referrals and begin the discussion by sharing your desire to grow your business and serve others.
Earn referrals by way of personal introductions, Train your colleagues, clients, and prospects that you want personal introductions to others. Always attempt to enlist their help in introducing you, rather than just having them pass along to you a name and telephone number.
Ask every client with whom you are working now some simple questions to confirm value reinforcement, and listen for phrases and praises: “John, on a scale of 1 to 10, how have I been doing for you? What do I need to do to earn a 15 from you!?”
Focus on becoming better friends and continue to build a relationship with clients, customers, and colleagues by anticipating needs. Categorize all clients, prospects, and colleagues by interest level. Subscribe to trade journals and local newspapers, and make a conscious effort to look for news that would interest them. Reach out with this information frequently.