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Getting Referral Business - A Proven System

by: MichaelWalsh
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Business referrals are one of the tried and true (but sometimes frustrating) ways to grow your small business. A few years ago I learned a fact about how the brain works that when I applied it, exploded my referral business. Below, I'm going to quickly outline it for you so you can start using it today.

Most experts state that the best time to get referrals is after you have proven yourself to a customer. While this sort of works, it doesn't even come close to being an effective way. If you've tried it, you know what I'm saying.

If you wait until you have proven your worth, most of the time you've completed your work. Your client is pleased but then they are immediately on to the next thing. You're gone from their mind. It's not personal-it's the natural way their brain works.

Your brain is programmed to pay attention to what's immediately of consequence. What just happened is already starting to fade. When you are in the middle of doing a task you can hold all the details in mind to a very exacting degree. A couple days after you have finished, many of those details have faded, because you are on to the next important things.

For example, a mother sleeping in a 14th floor apartment above a noisy street can sleep, oblivious to the noise below. Yet when her baby stirs two rooms over, she's up like a flash and at her child's side. The reticular activated system is the brain's system to selectively and automatically focus what you pay attention to.

Have you ever noticed how, once you like a certain car, you start to see them everywhere? Did they just suddenly appear or were they there all along? Your RAS responds to your interest by making the cars noticeable. They were there all along, before you liked them but they were not important so the RAS ignored them.

Some people advocate that the time to bring up referrals is after a product or service has been delivered and the customer is happy with the outcome. However, if you do it this way, your customers RAS will not automatically work with you. Your customer has gotten their result and their mind is on to the next thing - you are automatically forgotten.

You prime the pump by talking about referrals right away.

Example of a Referral Request

When you're talking to your customer for the first time... you can say something like, "Mrs. Jones, I only will take you on as a client if I am absolutely convinced that I can over-deliver exactly what you need.

Our business grows by word of mouth. So, we don't stop until we achieve success together.

My business uses referrals to spread the word. And to make sure that happens I keep working until you are happy.

I make sure, up front, that the fit is good and I can hit it out of the park.

So It's really important to my business to do a good job. I'm relying on impressing you enough that you are happy to be an ally and do some promotion of my business. I don't give rewards or trips for business referrals. I make sure that my prices have no hidden charges and that they offer a great value.

I only expect that you will refer a friend if it makes sense that they will benefit as much as you have.

I make sure that you get a ton of value so that you want to send friends and associates to get the same results.

I will ask to see how I am doing along the way, to make sure that you are more than happy. Any people you refer will also get the same level of service. OK?

By planting seeds in this manner (or in your own style), you will increase your effectiveness in gaining referrals. Your customer's RAS will automatically and most importantly, without their having to remember, respond by bringing to their attention the colleagues that will benefit from working with you.

Give it a try!

About the Author

Want to discover hidden tips that will have your business doubling, even tripling or more? Discover Michael Walsh's free Business Growth Report For additional great free information go to Business Growth blog

Getting Referral Business - A Proven System

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