Rob's Small Business Success Blog
As well as the tips and ideas I feature in my free weekly newsletter I will also be posting ideas and general business comments here.
It would be great to hear from you if you agree or disagree with what I have to say!
I look forward to sharing my ideas and thoughts with you.
Obtaining Referrals
Posted 06-30-2008 at 04:43 AM by Rob
We all know that asking our customers for referrals is probably the most cost effective way of getting new clients.
But here’s a twist; have you thought about asking for referrals from customers who have refused to buy from you? Yes that’s right, a bit counterintuitive I know but hear me out on this one!
You have gone through your whole sales pitch, answered every objection thrown at you, adjusted your price etc but you still haven’t been able to clinch the deal. Not a very motivating 30 minutes or so I guess and I would imagine you are thinking that after all this the last thing you want to do is ask for a referral. But not so!
During any sales process you must not make the assumption that the person you are selling to finds your product or service complete rubbish, hence him saying no. It may be that it’s not needed at that particular moment.
Before you leave simply say, “I know you feel that our product isn’t for you today but I’m sure they are some businesses out there who may be looking for such a solution immediately. Could you give me some names of people whom you think may find it useful in their business? I’m sure they’ll be pleased that you thought of them”
Even if you have not got a sale, they may have been impressed by you enough to refer some names to you!
Don’t assume that because they have said no they are not likely to recommend you to someone else; if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
But here’s a twist; have you thought about asking for referrals from customers who have refused to buy from you? Yes that’s right, a bit counterintuitive I know but hear me out on this one!
You have gone through your whole sales pitch, answered every objection thrown at you, adjusted your price etc but you still haven’t been able to clinch the deal. Not a very motivating 30 minutes or so I guess and I would imagine you are thinking that after all this the last thing you want to do is ask for a referral. But not so!
During any sales process you must not make the assumption that the person you are selling to finds your product or service complete rubbish, hence him saying no. It may be that it’s not needed at that particular moment.
Before you leave simply say, “I know you feel that our product isn’t for you today but I’m sure they are some businesses out there who may be looking for such a solution immediately. Could you give me some names of people whom you think may find it useful in their business? I’m sure they’ll be pleased that you thought of them”
Even if you have not got a sale, they may have been impressed by you enough to refer some names to you!
Don’t assume that because they have said no they are not likely to recommend you to someone else; if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Total Comments 2
Comments
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This is a good idea, I may try this one, however many business owners do not want to be seen sending sales calls in other people's directions. I do a lot of calling and if I speak to a decision maker who has no need, I'm going to start asking if he knows any other small business who might need a CRM system. Thanks for the tip.
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Posted 06-30-2008 at 08:16 AM by Vicky Bennett
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Vicky,
You're right, there will be some people who won't want to refer but nothing ventured nothing gained! If your pitch is good and you have convinced them that your product has some merit then this will make the decision to release some names that much easier. Keep us informed if you are successful! |
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Posted 06-30-2008 at 07:55 PM by Rob
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