THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Your first step is to really digest this fact . You ’ re not asking for a favour . Effectively , you ’ re opening up the opportunity to help people they care about . You can do this at three levels – your attitude , behaviour and language :
• Attitude – your clients want to help their peers . Your role is to facilitate this chain of helping .
• Behaviour – build a habit of helping by doing so often and authentically . Offer help to clients when you see an opportunity ; if you can ’ t provide the service , can you refer them ?
• Language – words can carry a lot of weight , so choose them wisely . For example , ‘ getting referrals ’ sounds like sales . Instead , using ‘ introductions ’ can appear more friendly .
2 . Become referrable in the first place The second part of this framework is that to succeed with ‘ introductions ’, you need to prepare and focus on :
• satisfaction – increase levels of satisfaction as much as possible and measure it
• value – list all you do that adds value to a client and what else you can do
• strategy – becoming referrable isn ’ t about one moment in time . Consider all the phases , barriers and touchpoints to implement a broader referral strategy .
3 . Strategising Practically speaking , you should consider three stages to plan and deploy your strategy .
Prepare Be prepared by defining your goals , processes and collaterals to be delivered across all touchpoints . For example :
• Ideal client profiles – take time to define who your ideal clients are .
• Plan touchpoints – lay out all the interactions you want to have with clients and prospects , such as feedback , annual reviews , check-ins , comms ( social , newsletter ) and education .
• Make ‘ introduction talks ’ intentional – be considered in choosing a good moment to have a fairly short but intentional conversation about making introductions .
• Track relevant info – prepare a digital tool to track client information you ’ ll use for your strategy and measure its impact .
Deliver The first stage of delivering is to make sure you follow through on everything you ’ ve prepared for . But delivery is also about how you interact with your clients , to meet their needs , increase their satisfaction and perceived value of your services . Here are some ideas to shape your tactics around introductions :
• Guide clients to create a value narrative – your goal is to broaden the client view of their journey with you and enhance how they perceive the value they receive .
• Ask for feedback on negatives and positives – outside of written feedback , you should give your clients the opportunity to express verbally how they feel about your services .
• Spell it out – clients need to be clear of your intentions and understand what you ’ re asking of them . This should be a dedicated moment where your clients fully process your ask .
• Remind client they were referred – when one of your clients joins you as a result of an introduction , remind them of that . This is an effect known as ‘ referral contagion ’, where clients who were referred are more likely and open to referring others .
Close The connection phase is all about strengthening the relationship with a prospect , so they become a client . Curate every step and detail so that prospects feel confident and reassured in choosing you and of the value you ’ ll bring . Here are some actions to consider :
• Take the lead by following up effectively and promptly after first introductions .
• Set expectations for your first meeting by making clear how you ’ d like to help them .
• Help them feel familiar with you and validated in their choice by linking to your online profile .
• Make each step of the journey as easy as possible – for example , using technology to allow them to schedule meetings .
• Even if the prospect doesn ’ t become a client , remember to thank whoever made the introduction to show your appreciation .
Unlock the potential of client referrals To learn more about the strategies behind referrals , visit our CPD hub at aegon . co . uk / cpd where you can find our recent webinar : ‘ Client referrals : strategies to grow your business ’.
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