Eliminate Your Personal Barriers to Prospecting for Referrals

There are many barriers you may face in asking for referrals. You might be afraid of jeopardizing the relationship and future sales. You might feel you haven't served the prospect or customer enough (so you don't deserve to ask yet). You might hear "no" and think in means more than it does.

Many people don't ask because they've had a bad experience around referrals and they don't want that to happen to their clients.

It usually boils down to the F word... FEAR. Fear of rejection, or the fear that asking for referrals will some how damage the relationship you have with your satisfied client.

Like most fears, this one is a ghost. In fact, it's really a projection onto your potential referral source. It's a trick your unconscious plays on you. Since you're feeling awkward about asking for referrals, you think the other person will feel awkward being asked.

If you've done your best to be sincere, if you've served them well, and established a relationship of mutual trust, then your clients and referral alliances will not mind your request. In fact, they may be extremely happy to help you. Remember to foreshadow your request for referrals early on in the relationship; then it will be much easier for you to ask.

The truth is, because referrals allow you to serve many people you clients know, the referral process can actually strengthen your relationships with your clients.

Doing a good job for others, as opposed to just trying to make the sale, builds the confidence necessary to get referrals. Building a practice from referrals takes a true attitude of service.

When to ask is partly an intuitive thing. When you're not asking, just make sure in your heart that it's because the time isn't right, not because you're wimping out.

Please, please, please don't let fear hold you back from this most powerful way to build your practice. Some people tell me they don't ask because they forget. I ask them if they often feel uncomfortable about asking for referrals. They usually say yes. I guess it's convenient that they forget; isn't it?

If you want to establish asking for referrals as a habit, I have a couple of suggestions for you:

First, bring an agenda to every meeting you have with a prospect or client. As you prepare the agenda, determine if this may likely be a good opportunity to ask for referrals. If it is, put it on your agenda in big letters so you won't forget. And make sure you manage the meeting so you have some time to bring it up.

Second, get a friend, colleague, or your boss involved. Tell them you need their help in helping you establish a new habit. Set some goals and ask them to hold you accountable. If you really want to do this badly enough, you'll find a way through whatever personal barriers are holding you back from your next level of success.

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.