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A big question I am asked each month from professionals I work
with interested in increasing their client and customer
referrals(realtors, financial advisors, attorneys, CPAs,
bankers, etc.) is this: "When I discuss referrals, how do I
overcome referral objections?"
Essentially, this is an age-old sales dilemma grounded in one
thing: fear. And the "fear," in this case, is on both sides of
the equation:
Equation #1: I am afraid (fearful) to ask the client or customer
for a referral.
Equation #2: The client or customer I am *asking* for a referral
is afraid (or fearful) to discuss the subject with me.
I want to be clear: The client or customer you're asking for a
referral is NOT telling you WHY they are afraid. It is often
well below the surface. The key to this lies in discovering why
the other person is fearful to begin with. And there are three
(3) ways you go about doing this.
1. First, eliminate the other person's fear by adding more
information. If they object to your comment about referrals, you
may start by saying something like: "John, I'm glad to hear you
say that. I know exactly what you mean," or "Thank you for
bringing that up; it's a good point."
Another way is to use the "3-F" format: Feel, Felt, Found.
Practical example:
"John, I know how you *feel* about providing referrals. I've
*found* the same to be true in my business, in that I never give
referrals until I understand all the work someone has done for
me. I've also *felt* that once I've gotten all of that
information, I'm happy to refer business. Is that what you
really meant??"
Tip: At this stage, you must go slow, slow, slow--- present the
information that dispels the person's perceived problem in
granting you a referral. Be careful, and go slow.
2. Treat the referrers' objection as an "objective." Legendary
sales master Zig Ziglar once said that a person's objection to
anything in life is simply their *objective.* It's nothing more
than them trying to accomplish something they are not telling
you about!
For example, a CPA or attorney is not objecting to referring one
of their highly valued, affluent clients to you--- they just
have a certain "objective" before granting you the introduction.
Do you know what that "objective" is? Remember: objection equals
objective.
3. Probe to see if their voiced objection is the only one they
REALLY have. In most cases it is NOT. So work towards
confirmation and reinforcement. For example, confirm and get
reinforcement onto the table.
Practical example: "That's a good point to consider John. Your
question is whether this is the smart thing to do right now,
isn't it?"
When the person replies yes, begin to ask for reinforcement:
"Well, you do like the program, don't you?"
You need reinforcement from the referrer.
Remember: Every instance is different. And every person is
different, as is their communication style. Discover the nature
of a person's resistance. If the conversation becomes heavy or
tense--- back off.
Don't ruin your chances for referrals later by exploring too
hard now. But get exploring!
About the author:
Daryl T. Logullo is the Founder of Strategic Impact! and
Marketing-Referrals-Tools.com He concentrates on referral
building strategies for today's professional. Get "The Most
Powerful Referral 'Secret' Ever Discovered," instantly delivered
at http://www.strategic-impact.com/Rule3. Or instantly grab 50+
FREE marketing and referral tools here:
http://www.Marketing-Referral-Tools.com
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