Ask for the Referral

When I ask sales people where most of their business comes from the number one answer is always REFERRALS. So the question is, do you have a specific action plan for obtaining those referrals?

When I ask that second question sales people look at me with a blank look; so the answer is obviously no.

You need to come up with a specific plan to obtain referrals and it needs to be plan that you can work each and every day. As a real estate agent you can harvest referrals from a number of places:

• Friends and Family Members - these are people that know and love you AND are happy to help you succeed.
• Clients - these are people that have experienced your professionalism first hand and can easily vouch for you.
• Referral Sources - these are people who have access to the people you want to meet. They might be well connected individuals who you can befriend and become friends with.

Next you have to ask...

Growing up my daddy always said, "Gina, if you don't A-S-K you don't G-E-T." As sales people we learn to ask for the sale, but, too often we forget to ask for the referral. Do whatever you need to do to REMIND yourself to A-S-K.

When to A-S-K...

Asking starts early. Sales people always tell me, I ask after I have had a successful transaction. When you first meet with a prospect start laying the ground work for that referral. You might say something like, "I know it is too early to ask you for a referral to your friends, but I want you to know that when the time is right I would appreciate you sharing my name with them." You want to get your new clients comfortable with sharing your name with their contacts.

Say thank you...

Too often we fail to properly and personally thank those that support our business. While an email is nice, and even flowers or a gift are lovely, most people appreciate a personally handwritten note... AND, I do mean personally handwritten. In the age of easy electronic ordering and such the handwritten note garners a great deal of attention.

So what's your plan?