Beyond Referrals Page 13

  But First…

  You better ask your referral source a few questions first:

  “How do you know her? Can you tell me the nature of your relationship with her?”

  “Can you give me a sense of her personality?”

  “Tell me something you like or admire about her.”

  “You know I like to have a little fun in my conversations. Do you think she would be receptive to that right away, or should I be all business?”

  Armed with this information, I know how much humor I can interject.

  For Example

  Upon asking a client (who is giving me a referral), “What do you like or admire about Brian Bishop?” my client said, “He’s got a great sense of humor. He’s got a million jokes and fun stories. Tell him to tell you the ‘preacher story.’”

  Then, upon calling the prospect, I said, “George told me I should ask you to tell me the preacher story.” My new prospect howled with laughter. He asked me if I had the time. Of course I did. He told me a very funny story. We both had a good laugh, and getting down to business was the next logical step.

  Another Place for Humor

  Once I’ve had at least one conversation with an interested prospect, but I can’t seem to get the prospect to return my call, I’ve had great success sending a funny e-mail to the person. I use a multiple-choice format such as:

  Chris, I’m having a little difficulty reaching you and wanted to know how you’d like to proceed. Please reply to this e-mail and check the box that applies to you. Thanks!

  __I’m still interested. Please reach out to me around________.

  __I’ve been in the Amazon jungle for two weeks. Give me another week to recover from the snakebite and reach out to me again.

  __My mother-in-law is in town threatening to move in with us. Can you help me with this challenge first?

  __Give me a couple of days. I’ll get back to you. Promise!

  __I’m not really a good prospect for you at this time.

  As with all the strategies in this book, the relationship is king, meaning the type of rapport and trust you’ve built up—along with knowing the personality of the prospect—will allow you to determine how far to go in using humor.

  Disclaimer: And if you don’t have a good sense of humor? Well, these strategies are not for you. Play it straight.

  MAKE TIME FOR SETTING APPOINTMENTS

  I can’t tell you how many people I meet who seem to have all sorts of excuses about why they’re not calling their referral prospects. None of the excuses make sense. And remember, if you’re not calling your referral prospects, you’re burning your referral bridge between you and your referral source.

  If you have trouble finding the time to make your prospecting calls, make an appointment with yourself and respect that appointment as if it’s an appointment with a client. Dirk Zeller says, “Prospects represent future revenue for your business, so they are every bit as important as current clients.”

  I suggest you batch your phone calls; schedule phone-calling time for yourself. If you’re not doing this, find someone to hold you accountable to this business-building behavior.

  I used to procrastinate with my writing (books, articles, newsletters). I told this to the members of my business study group, so they suggested I set a goal with some accountability. I agreed to write eight full days in the coming three months. For each day I missed, I would put $250 into the group’s kitty. At our next meeting I wrote a check for $750. I missed three days. My colleague (and friend) Steven Gaffney immediately said, “Obviously the penalty wasn’t enough.” And, of course, he was right. The point isn’t to write the check; it’s to make the goal. I upped the amount to $500 per day and haven’t missed a day since—$500 got my attention.

  What will it take for you to make sure you schedule enough time for setting appointments (or addressing any other part of the sales process you’re letting fall through the cracks)?

  DEALING WITH THE BRUSH-OFF FROM NEW REFERRAL PROSPECTS

  Even referral prospects can give you the brush-off if you don’t approach them properly:

  “I’m not interested.”

  “I’m happy with the person I’m using.”

  “You’ve caught me at a bad time.”

  “We don’t need [or use]__________.”

  I remember calling a prospect in Phoenix. His brush-off was “Referrals don’t work in Phoenix.” Man, was I caught off guard with that one. I’d never heard that before. Everyone I called always knew the value of referrals. I was just getting started in my new business, so I admit I didn’t handle it very well. I don’t know if he really believed that or was just testing me. I did say, “Really? I’ve not heard that before. Tell me more”—which is a pretty good initial response to most objections. The truth is, he wasn’t interested and made it pretty clear quickly.

  When you work from referrals, and especially introductions, your percentage of brush-offs or knee-jerk reactions will diminish significantly. Much of what’s covered in this book can directly or indirectly help you reduce the chances for a negative knee-jerk reaction on the part of your prospect:

  1. Work from high-level referrals. The higher the trust between the referral source and the prospect, the better initial reaction you will get.

  2. Turn referrals into introductions. When the prospect knows who you are, why you’re calling, and a little about the good work you do, brush-offs are rare.

  3. Ask your referral source, “How do you think he’ll react to this introduction?” This might give you a sense of the personality you will encounter.

  4. Ask your source, “Do you know whom she might be using currently?” This can help you prepare your approach to this prospect.

  5. Present yourself as a “resource” or as an “additional resource.” Don’t come on too strong, but be confident in your ability to add something to the prospect’s situation.

  6. Do your homework. The more you learn about the prospect—from your referral source and the Internet—the better opening statement you will have. Learning what the referral source likes or admires about the prospect almost always eliminates the negative knee-jerk reaction.

  7. Prepare for the phone call. Think through your opening statement and initial questions. Don’t wing it!

  8. Send (via e-mail) a little something of value before you call; for example, send a special educational report or a link to a short educational video (not promotional material—educational material).

  So what would have helped me with this prospect in Phoenix? Well, just about everything in the above list. When you do get the brush-off, try not to let it get to you. Acknowledge it and then ask a question. Sometimes just saying, “Oh?” or “Tell me more” will get you past the knee-jerk response. Sometimes it won’t. Sorry, nothing works all the time. Don’t you just hate that?

  LEAVE A VOICE-MAIL MESSAGE THAT GETS RETURNED

  Jill Konrath, in her book Selling to Big Companies (Dearborn; http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com), provides these tips for getting your prospects to return your voice-mail messages. I personally use several of these ideas and find them very effective, and they work with referral prospects as well as other types of prospects.

  1. Get down to business right away. Your prospects don’t like phony friendliness. Instead, be professional and state, “Eric, Jill Konrath calling. 123-456-7890. The reason for my call is [state a compelling benefit or idea].”

  2. Reference any referrals up front. The single best way to keep prospects listening is to mention the name of a respected colleague. Make sure you state this person’s name immediately: “Pat Jones suggested I call you.”

  3. Show you’ve done your homework. Let prospects know you prepared for their call by researching their business. Tell them if you’ve worked with other similar people or companies. You might say, “I was on your website and noticed …” or “In working with other CPA firms, I know they’re struggling with …”

  4. Mention a recent newsworthy even
t. Bring up recent events that create a need relevant to your offering. This includes things like third-quarter earnings, new management, acquisitions, downsizings, higher interest rates, or new strategic initiatives. Let the prospects know this is what triggered the call.

  5. State a strong value proposition. Prospects are always interested in the business outcomes you can deliver. Instead of talking about your product or service, use business terminology and metrics: “We help companies shrink time to revenue on new product launches by up to 47 percent.”

  6. Share a fresh perspective. Nothing is more tempting than ideas, insights, or information that can help prospects eliminate their problems or achieve their objectives: “I have some ideas on speeding up your sales cycle” or “We recently did a study of CFOs’ primary concerns in today’s business environment.”

  7. Eliminate any self-serving verbiage. Much as you might like to talk about your state-of-the-art systems, unique methodologies, and passion for excellence, it turns your prospects off. Get rid of all self-promotion puffery, creative crap, and technical tripe.

  8. Sound like a trusted peer. Today’s buyers want to work with savvy sellers who bring personal value to the relationship. Don’t sound like you’re hoping to meet with them or grateful for even 10 minutes of their time. Instead, talk like you would if you called a colleague with an idea.

  9. Use a script as a foundation. Without an outline, you’ll ramble on and on, which virtually guarantees you’ll be deleted. You have 30 seconds max on a voice mail. Every word counts, so make sure you get it right. If you get deleted, you’ve blown the opportunity.

  CAN YOU HAVE FUN IN A VOICE MAIL?

  I know that Jill Konrath advises, “Get down to business right away.” And that’s what I usually do. However, when working from referrals, you can often have some fun with your new prospects, if you know their personality and the nature of their relationship with the referral source.

  Here’s a real-life example. I got a referral from Ray Johnson to Milton Brooks. I asked Ray, “Tell me something you like or admire about Milton.” Ray said, “Milton has more integrity than anybody I’ve ever met. He’s a stand-up guy!” Nice!

  I called Milton and got his voice mail. My message went something like this: “Milton, this is Bill Cates with Referral Coach International. Ray Johnson told me to give you a call. I have to say, you have a real admirer in Ray. He said some pretty nice things. Tell you what… I’ll fill you in on what he said when we speak.” Do you think I created some fun curiosity with this message?

  Milton called me back and got my voice mail. “Bill, this is Milton Brooks. You can’t believe a thing Ray Johnson says. I’m in all week. Give me a call.” Now I know we’re having fun.

  I finally reached Milton. “Milton, I can’t believe a thing Ray says?” (No response.) “Ray said you had more integrity than anyone else he’s ever met. He said you’re a stand-up guy!”

  Long pause. “Well, I guess you can believe a few things he says.”

  ACTION STEP

  Have fun with referrals! If you’re not having fun, you’re probably just not doing it enough.

  E-MAIL PROSPECTING TIPS

  Jill Konrath, author of SNAP Selling (Penguin; http://www.SNAP Selling.com), shares these tips for sending e-mails to prospects:

  Length. Keep your prospecting e-mails under 90 words. Shorter is nearly always better when dealing with today’s crazy-busy prospects. Remember that many people are reading your messages in their preview screen or on their mobile device. They hate scrolling, and worse, they hate rambling messages.

  Look. Simple text (black and white) messages are essential when reaching out to a new person. If you have fancy templates, save them for your friends or family. They don’t evoke the image of a highly capable resource. Also, think carefully before using logos, and definitely avoid using colored fonts. Logos and colors, especially red, catch the eye of spam blockers.

  Links. If you have some good resources on your website that you want to drive your prospects to, only send one link per e-mail. People will look at one link, but more than that sends them into overwhelm. Future e-mails can include the additional links.

  Referrals. If you’ve got a referral or useful name, by all means use it in your subject line. It’s the ultimate way to get a quick reply. Subject lines that address immediate concerns, company changes, or critical business issues are also highly effective.

  GET PROSPECTS TO RETURN YOUR CALL OR E-MAIL

  You’ve got the referral. You’ve even turned it into an introduction. Now you have to get your new prospect to return your voice mail or e-mail.

  Go for a Five-Minute Phone Call

  I believe that most people try to go too far too fast with their new prospects—especially the really busy prospects (which seems to be just about everyone these days). Try making your first contact a five-minute phone call. That’s it! In your e-mail or voice-mail message, tell the prospect that all you need is five minutes of his or her time: “I’d like to present myself as a resource for your company. Can we set up a five-minute phone call to get the conversation started? That’s it. Five minutes. From there we can decide what our next step should be.” This becomes an easier yes for your prospect.

  Make It a Productive Call

  Planning your call will lead to a more productive call.

  Minute 1. Acknowledge the referral source, the referral source and prospect’s relationship, and perhaps the reason the referral source thought this would be a valuable call for the prospect.

  Minutes 2 to 4. Ask the prospect a question or two. Ideally, your referral source told you one or two things of importance in the prospect’s life or business, and your products and services can have a positive impact in those areas. Craft a question or two that helps you make that connection. Or have a couple of generic questions that have proved to stimulate further conversation.

  George said that you’re looking to retire in about three years. Is that an accurate time frame, and have you sat down to figure out how you will maximize your income once you retire?

  (If yes.) How confident do you feel in your ability to execute your plan? (Again, you’ll have to come up with questions that fit your business.)

  Minute 5. Suggest a next step. When you dial the phone number, have a next-step goal in mind. It could be to get the prospect to accept information you’d like to mail that fits his or her situation. It could be to set up an in-person meeting. It could be to schedule another, longer, phone call. Have a goal in mind and be ready to be flexible.

  Bob, based on this quick conversation, as well as George’s recommendation, I suggest we schedule a time where we can examine your situation in more detail. It’s very possible I can become a valuable resource for you in this area. Shall we look at our calendars?

  Perhaps you’re feeling too limited by this 5-minute call. Try asking for 5 to 10 minutes. Try asking for 7 minutes (that will look a little different). The point is to create a situation to get an easy yes to your request for a little bit of the prospect’s time.

  Of course, the more credible the referral source and the better the introduction, the easier all this will go.

  ACTION STEP

  Create an agenda for a five-to seven-minute phone call. Role-play it once or twice with someone. Now you’ll feel confident asking for a very short phone appointment.

  COULD YOUR FIRST APPOINTMENT BE ONLINE?

  Even if you live in the same city as your prospect, consider holding your first meeting online via Skype or one of the many online meeting or webinar services available. This option will allow you to connect with your prospect in a more substantial way than just a telephone appointment, and it will save on driving time. Of course, if you are doing business nationally or internationally, you are probably already using this option. Using Skype or another online service provides the opportunity for videoconferencing and showing visuals (like Power-Point slides). Connecting with video usually helps with the rapport-and trust-building process.<
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  Here are a few tips for having a smooth and productive online appointment:

  1. Work from an agenda, just as you would with any other meeting. Let your prospects know you have an agenda. If appropriate, share the agenda with the participants ahead of time so that they can provide feedback and make adjustments. You can even provide your prospects with some of the questions you intend to ask them, so they can be well prepared.

  2. If there are any printed materials involved, confirm all parties are in possession of these materials the day before. If the materials are essential to a good call, reschedule the call until they arrive.

  3. Limit your online appointments to 60 minutes or less. Try not to cover too much in your first appointment, unless your prospect is extremely interested in what you offer and is already in “buying mode.” I’ve run online appointments as short as 10 minutes that have been very effective in generating the next step.

  4. As with all appointments (live, phone, or online), do your best to have all the decision makers present. One good thing about online appointments is that you can record them, and so a decision maker (or member of your team) could view the appointment later if he or she were so inclined.

  Whatever technology you choose to use, don’t use it for the very first time with a prospect. Practice using the technology a few times before trying it with a prospect or client. You want the technology to serve your purpose, not become a distraction.

  GET PROSPECTS ENGAGED IN YOUR MATERIALS OR WEBSITE

  Given the nature of the work I do, I have very few in-person appointments. Almost all my appointments are over the phone or use some sort of web-based meeting software. I’ve found that getting my prospects engaged in the materials I’ve already sent to them or having them look at certain pages on my website seems to get them more involved. I believe the visual aspect of the sales process is very important.