Ok, so you finally started the getting into the habit of asking for introductions and referrals. great! Now that you have some names, what do you do when they don't return your call? My process is to call them 8 times in 8 days. I realize that may a little over the top for some of you, but the guy that taught me that process, Dave Kurlan got me to understand that it isn't that they don't want to take your call, but sometimes they just have more pressing things to deal with. Keep calling until the reason they agreed to take your call rises to the top of their priority list that day. By the way I don't leave messages every day. While there is no set formula I will leave a message the first time I call and then on calls 5 and 8 (never have gotten past 5).
That approach may be a little "out there" for some of you so here are some suggestions from Bill Cates the referral coach from this weeks referral minute.
1. Let your referral source know you’re not hearing from the prospect. They will often go to bat for you.
2. Don’t ask for too much from the prospect. Going for an in-person meeting right off the bat is often too much of a commitment for the prospect to make at the outset. Go for an “easy yes.” Ask to schedule a 5 or 10 minute phone call “to get the conversation started.”
3. Get your referral source to invite the prospect to your next event – social or educational.
4. Consider hosting fun and interesting social events just for prospects you’re trying to reach. Sometimes they don’t want their first meeting with you to be about their business.
5. Send them something either fun or highly interesting/informative. Sometimes some “bulky mail” will get their attention, prompt a thank you, and get your foot in the door.
6. Use humor. If you have a sense of the prospect’s personality, humor can work wonders. I’ve sent fun emails to prospects that have prompted immediate replies. For instance, I sent a prospect – who had just returned from a vacation in Costa Rica - an email recently saying something like, “Are you still recovering from a Costa Rican spider bite?” He replied immediately and apologized for the delay in getting back to me.
Whatever your approach, be persistent!
