how to ask for referrals

This may surprise you … or it may not.

An American Management Association study shows that “only 65 percent of clients buy every year where they bought before.”

So … how do we find new clients to replace the 35 percent lost each year?

Start cold calling?

Actually…

…there is an EASY, no-cost way to add new clients…

…without cold calling.

How?

It is something only 12 percent of salespeople do:

ASK FOR REFERRALS!

How do you ask?

You will get the best answers with this question:

“Who else do you know that could benefit from using our products?”

After asking this question

DON’T say a word until they answer.
DON’T put words in your customer’s mouth, and
DO thank your customer for sharing this valuable information!
.
Not sure who to ask?
.
Think about the clients who LOVE you. (You know who they are.)
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You CAN do this – easily.

Question For You

Are you looking for more ideas to earn new customers and KEEP the ones you have? Join my one-to-one e-Course! You can see a description of the course plus tuition investment on this page.

Thanks for reading – here’s wishing you an awesome day!

Ann
PS- Questions about the e-Course? Please send me an email: annbarr@annbarr.com

success-road-sign Wouldn’t it be nice to open an email from someone and read this:

“My friend recommended that I buy your products because she has been very happy with them.”

Or answer a phone call from someone who says the same thing?

Wow!

New sales without cold calling.

New sales without sending an email.

Just new orders.

Lots of new orders.

Sales coming in because customers recommended you or your products or your company.

Awesome!

This actually happens on a continuing basis to a successful business in Chatsworth, California.

In fact, they tell me that more than 150 of their current active accounts have come from referrals over the last two years!

This company’s products and services must be very, very good to attract this number of referrals who continue to buy from the company.

What is the secret to their success?

From their website:

“Our mission is to create quality products, quality services and quality relationships.”

From the referrals they receive, it seems their mission is accomplished.

This is one of the compelling testimonials they received:

“I just realized that we have been working with [company name] since 2007. I wanted to take a moment of your time to thank you for the excellent customer service you have provided me over the past several years! We make most of our inkjet cartridges in house, however the Dell’s and Lexmark’s that we have trouble with and are known problematic cartridges, we get from you with excellent results.”

But not every business is lucky enough to attract referrals without asking, so what is the best way to ask for a referral?

The best time to ask is after a happy customer has thanked you for your excellent products or fast delivery or anything else they love about your products or services.

How to ask:

First: Don’t ask “Do you know anyone else who can use our products?”

Reason: This question makes it too easy for the customer to say “no.”

Better: “Who else do you know that can use our products?”

Reason: This is an open-ended question that prompts the customer to THINK about an answer.

Here is a thought for you:

If you set a goal that you will get two referrals each day from your customers, at the end of the week you will have 10 new prospects and they won’t be as a result of cold calls. Nice!

To learn more about how to get good referrals plus specific and creative ways to increase your sales, join my e-Course. I would love to work with you and help you achieve and surpass your goals!

Ann

An Easy Way to Add New Clients

The Secret to Getting Good Referrals

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