Do you ask a new prospect for a referral on the first appointment? Do you wait until the second appointment? Do you wait a year into the relationship? The answer is, "It depends." There are at least two things to consider when determining when to ask. First, value must be given and value must be recognized. Second, you must consider the personality of referral-giving candidate.

Value Given and Value Recognized. Sometimes it's easy to know this has occurred, because your prospects or clients will tell you. They'll say things like "this has been a very helpful meeting" or "I'm glad I finally started working on this." Sometimes you have to ask with simple questions like, "Has this meeting been helpful?" "Have you found this planning process helpful?" Can you provide value on the first appointment with a prospect? Absolutely! In fact, I hope you are. One could make the case that if value hasn't been recognized, then it hasn't been delivered. Your prospects' and clients' perspective is their reality. Whatever your prospect's or client's perspective is, it's the truth to them and you need to honor it and use it as your starting point..

Open Versus Self-Contained. This is one measure of personality we need to consider when asking for referrals. Open people are much more willing to let you into their lives through the referral process than self-contained people. Therefore, you can (and should) ask open people sooner into the relationship. Contained people can be great source of referrals , they just need a little more time to trust you. Plus, they like to be in more control of the process than the open types. Ask value-measuring questions. If value has been delivered and recognized, and you feel the referral candidate likes you and trusts you - it's time to ask for referrals.

RCI – Tools to Help Your Get More Clients – Make More Money!

1. Subscribe to our F-r-e-e email newsletter "The Referral Minute." For more info: http://www.referralcoach.com/newsletters/
2. Take our F-r-e-e referral marketing course via email to get up-to-speed with our system. For more info: http://www.referralcoach.com/members/course/
3. Assess your referral ability and create your road map for referral success with our "Referral Confidence Checklist." http://www.referralcoach.com/checklist/
4. Read some of our F-r-e-e articles that will help you grow your business. For more info: http://www.referralcoach.com/members/articles/
5. Get the best referral educational tools available at our Referral Marketing Store. For more info: http://www.referralcoach.com/referral-store/
6. Check out our next Referral Boot Camp where you learn our complete system. For more info: http://www.referralcoach.com/individuals/boot-camp/
7. Want to make referrals a true and lasting habit? Check out our new coaching program. For more info: http://www.referralcoach.com/individuals/coaching/

All the folks at Referral Coach International are eager to be a great resource for you. Call us at 1-800-488-5464.

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