Over the last thirteen years of running I’m Your P.A. I have been heavily involved with networking in many different networking groups. Some groups like BNI and BoB Club do pass referrals as part of their networking meeting, others like 4 Networking don’t actually pass referrals in the meeting, however people do refer to each other regularly as they get to know like and trust the members. Referrals even happen when online networking.
I have found that the closure rate on a referral compared to a lead or cold call is around 75%, so what do I class as a referral? For me it is where I have been recommended to someone who is in the market for my services and because of that recommendation they are now expecting my call. I believe the trick is to make sure that anyone who is likely to be referring you knows the easy way to do so, and a few stories to back it up, if left to their own devices there is a real temptation to try and sell your services on your behalf.
So how do we train people to spot the opportunities for us? Firstly, I suggest that you ask your clients what benefits they get from your business. Recently we ran a customer survey and had comments back such as:
“We needed back up for when our office is un-manned. I’m your PA provide this in a very pleasant and efficient manner. I am also impressed with the way in which they seem to know which calls are important, and contact us immediately by telephone.”
“Since employing I’m Your PA to take care of all my calls I have been able to better structure my days and my clients have reported how much quicker I am resolving their support request. I should have outsourced my call handling years ago! Thank you Michelle an Team for providing a true 5* service!”
The above two statements are great to share with people as they speak volumes about the business, they are easy to recall and don’t go into detail as to what we do, how we do it and what the costs are – all of which could trip up a non-experienced person trying to “sell” our services. So what statements can you give to people who may be able to recommend you?
Last year I’m Your P.A. was able to attribute £162,000 worth of business to one network alone where the members often speak about us both to their contacts face to face and on social media, networking works, if you want any tips on ways to make it work for you, then please get in touch on 01902 244344 or email me michele@thenetworkingqueen.co.uk
Have a great month networking and let’s catch up soon
The Networking Queen x
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.