PART 2:  THE LIST

So we put together a list of affluent clients or people that we want to get referrals from.  The first people on that list are the people who have given you referrals in the past.  Even if you have never asked for a referral, some clients will still send you a referral from time to time.  Those people are on the top of the list.  The next people you put on the list are the good clients who were introduced to you as a referral.  These people already know how important referrals are to you, so put them on the list and ask for some more.

The third person on your list is any person you ever sent a referral.  This is the “reciprocal referral” and it works really well.  Did you ever get a Christmas present from someone that wasn’t on your Christmas list?  I bet you felt bad and rushed right out and got them a nice gift in return, right?  The reciprocal referral works the same way.  Any CPA or Attorney or anyone that you ever sent business to should be on your list to produce some referrals for you.

Then you close out your list by adding all those affluent clients that you want to clone.  Just focus on the one’s that you think trust you the most.  Remember, most clients are happy to refer others to you once the trust level reaches their comfort zone.  For most of us the list is now 40 or 50 names and for some of us it could even contain a couple hundred people.

CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR LIST:  At this point we should talk about the care and feeding of your list.  Keep this list of people who are going to build your business and guarantee your future for you in a separate book or in a separate part of your database.  Just as it is imperative that you talk to your best clients on a regular basis, it is also important to talk to your best referral sources regularly.  Now you are “cultivating referrals” and guaranteeing your business.

PART 3:  ASKING FOR THE REFERRAL

It is amazing to think that 3-seconds can guarantee your future.  Those 3-seconds are on the end of every single phone call or conversation.  And they go like this:  “Do you know anybody else that I can talk to about this?”  

Now when you first start adding that to every phone call it will be like a “pop quiz” and if you remember back a few years, many of us may not do well on a surprise test.  The question comes out of the blue and your client may not be ready with a list of names and phone numbers right on the tip of his tongue.  (So don’t expect too many positive responses when you first start asking.)  That is why we send letters asking for referrals, and that is why we add the referral question to the bottom of every correspondence or note we send.  By the third or fourth time we ask, it’s not a pop-quiz anymore.  They begin to expect it.  And they will start giving us names.

In the beginning the best way to get a good response is with the “conversational referral.”  The whole idea here is to get them out of the surprise pop-quiz situation and put them into the environment where they are with their friends and associates.  When you do that they can see their friends’ faces and they are thinking of their names.  

Do this by asking them if they belong to any clubs/associations/organizations/groups?  Or ask: “Do you have any hobbies?”  Follow it up with something like: “Well, when you attend those meetings—When you’re at the club, do any of your friends/associates ever talk about their retirement plan/investments/insurance/stock portfolio?

If the answer is no, then we plant the seed.  “I’d appreciate it if you would keep me in mind when any of them ever do.”  If the answer is yes, then we come right back with: “Would you mind if I gave them a call?  Or maybe if you have just a couple minutes this week, could you call them and tell them I’m going to contact them?”

This simple process and the 3-second ending to every call you make will guarantee your future.  The average financial advisor/consultant can increase his or her assets under management by 25% or more every year.  And all it takes is 1 (ONE) referral from each of your best clients in the next 12 months, just 1 per year.  You will do more than that.

The key is not how you ask for the order, but rather how many you ask for the order.

HAVE YOURSELF A GREAT DAY!

Ron Keese