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Once you build a little trust with your clients they often come to rely upon you for more than the scope of your products or services. “I know you’re my accountant, but do you know anyone who can fix my garage door?”
Smart providers realize the power in this trust building advice and actively work to build and develop a network of referable products and services. Some people who practice strategy become so important as a resource to their clients they are virtually locked into a relationship.
There is a real estate agent I know who is so good at helping homeowners find great handymen and contractors that her clients don’t make a move without calling her first. (That’s how Angie’s List was created by the way.)
Some people are just naturally wired for this, but every business can tap into the power of a network. The key is go out there and proactively groom your network or resources. Find the “best of class” in a range of products and services that you know your clients may benefit from and send letters to each of these providers suggesting that you have clients that could utilize their services and that you would like to know the best way to refer them.
Do this aggresively and you will start to build up a network of superstars all for the benefit or your customers. And, a funny thing will happen on the way to building your network - you will begin to receive referrals from your new partners.
As always, the best way to get referrals is to give referrals.
Comments
This entry was posted on Friday, August 3rd, 2007 at Aug 03, 07 | 5:31 am and is filed under Referral Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
I do this to a limited extent but I need to really have a more complete Preferred Provider Network as many businesses call them.
If you add this PPN to your website, it might also create opportunities for quality incoming and outgoing links… which will affect your organic search engine rankings.
Great advice John.
~ mel
Melvin Ram
CEO & President
Volcanic Internet Marketing
Direct: (916) 743-9369
Email: melvin@volcanicmarketing.com
There are a lot of different schools of thought on getting and giving referrals. It would be good to watch your mentor up close as they get referrals so you can understand the mechanics of it as well as the little details they use while getting the referrals.