A New Way To Look At Referrals By Bill Cates, Csp, Cpae

It’s time that salespeople and business owners change their paradigm
(belief system) around referrals. It’s time to make the switch from a
me-centered referral process to a client-centered approach. Let me explain.

Me-Centered Referrals
Most people have been taught an approach to referrals that is what I call
“me-centered.” They get taught to tell their prospects and clients, “I
get paid in two ways. One of those ways is referrals.” They get taught to
say, “I’m trying to build my business and I need your help.”
“What’s wrong with that?” you may be asking. Well, there’s nothing
inherently wrong with those approaches. In fact, they still can produce a
trickle of results.

Are You Earning the Right?
Referrals are an earned right! No prospect is obligated to give you
referrals. You earn the right to their introductions by how much value you
bring to the relationship.
Your goal with every prospect and client should be to become super referable
as quickly as possible. Your goal is to earn the right to referrals sooner,
not later. You do this by making every appointment with your prospects and
clients valuable experiences they want to tell others about.
If you’re delivering value to your prospects, they’ll see it, and
they’ll want others to experience it as well. This is how you become
referable quickly.
Setting up referrals as an obligation will often increase the tension on an
appointment – something you are usually working so hard to reduce.

Client-Centered Referrals
A client-centered approach to referrals always puts the client’s or
prospect’s interests first. The most powerful way to ask for referrals is
to be on a mission to serve. The truth is a lot of people are getting bad
advice or no advice. We know that that’s a prescription for disaster. Be
on a mission to bring your valuable work to others. And tell your prospects
and clients about your mission. Then when you ask for help, they’ll
respond.
“George, I’m glad you’re seeing the value in what we’re doing here.
Truth is there are many people who never take the steps you’ve taken.
There are many people who are getting bad advice or even no advice. That’s
why I’m on a mission to bring this important work to others. Could we
brainstorm for a minute about who you know and care about who should know
about the work I do? Let me put it another way. Are there some people in
your life who you want to make sure they at least know about my process?”
Using a client-centered approach to referrals works better, because it’s
based on the primary reason people give referrals – to help others whom
they care about. Now, they may like you and care about you, and be happy to
help you, but they won’t connect you with others unless you have first
brought value to them. Always think “value first.”