In yesterday's post I outlined the wrong way to make a good referral. Today, I thought it would be appropriate to explain how to make great referrals that result in business.
Here are four ways to make and give great referrals.
Have a good understanding of what both people want
Over the years I have received well-intentioned referrals only to discover that the person I was referred to had little or no need for my services.
In today's well-connected, social media world, it is not uncommon to provide a referral to someone that is not appropriate. And this only wastes the time of everyone involved.
If you want to give great referrals, you should have an excellent understanding of two things...
1. What the person whom you're referring actually does and how they can help the company you are referring them to.
2. What the company to whom you are making the referral actually needs with respect to a potential solution.
Give a heads up
Before you send an email to connect or introduce the two people (or companies) you should give the person you are referring a heads up and offer them some background information.
This leads me to the next point...
Supply context and background detail
I recently received an email from someone who introduced me to a decision maker but his email was unannounced and it offered little information or details on the company to whom I was being referred..
A few days later I received an email from another person who described the situation his contact was experiencing and what he thought I could to help.
An approach that I have found to be effective is to call the person you plan to refer to someone else and describe the situation. During this conversation you can figure out if the person you want to refer is actually the best person to solve your contact's problem BEFORE you make the introduction.
Make sure your introduction is well-written
Several of the referral emails I have received are poorly written.
They contain spelling mistakes or typo errors.
They reference previous conversations that only two of the three people are privy to.
They don't outline how the contact (prospect) will benefit by meeting or speaking with the referred party.
And they don't contain enough information to compel me (or my new potential prospect) to take action on the referral.
Everyone benefits from referrals.
However, it is critical that you make a good referral in order for everyone to benefit.
What do you think?
What else should people consider when making referrals? I'd love to get your perspective so please feel free to add your comments.