You recently downloaded the new 30-days to More Sales Action Plan.
In day 29 of that plan, we talk about part of Garry’s Five Fifty-Five program. It’s a system for continually expanding your database so you can get more referrals and more business.
The Five Fifty-Five program boils down to this: Each week, you should…
- Meet five new people
- Add five new contacts in your database
- Send five handwritten notes
Today, we thought we’d look at a key component of the Five Fifty-Program: Your professional network.
Your professional network can be a great way to expand your database AND your referral network. Here’s how…
Your Professional Network
Think about all the professionals you might interact while helping a buyer or seller… There’s an appraiser, mortgage lender, title company, carpenter, painters, stager, and interior decorator, just to name a few!
On average, there are between 10 to 15 professionals you’ll interact with during the buying or selling process, and each of those professionals is a potential source of referral business.
But most of us aren’t used to thinking that way. We regularly refer these professionals to buyers and sellers, but we don’t always think of them as a potential source of our own referrals.
The thing is: for most of these relationships, you’ve spent time, energy, money, and resources cultivating and nurturing them. You’ve already built trust. You just need to take the steps to ask for your own referrals.
But it can feel awkward to just go straight in and ask for more business. “Hey, I refer your business, now please return the favor…”
Instead, try this conversation (Garry and Chris role-play the entire interaction in the video above):
As you can see, it’s conversational, easy to do, and most people will take you up on an offer like that!
When you sit down for coffee, you continue the conversational tone. Get to know the individual on a personal level. Ask about their business, life, family, what they are into, etc.
Then, at the end of the conversation, thank them for their time, and ask, “What is going to be the very best way for me to refer you business?”
Going The Extra Mile
By going the extra mile and building a personal relationship, you’re showing that you care. And essentially, that’s what’s that heart of sales.
Sales is caring about the other human being, building the relationship, asking questions, and then determining how you can serve them.
When you do that, they are instantly going to think, “How can I take care of Garry, because nobody else has taken the time like this.”
It’s a process you can use to build relationships and be top of mind for referrals with anyone in your professional network.
So over the next week, schedule 5 meetings with these professionals!