The Best Referral Selling Question You Can Ask A Client

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The single best new customer that you can get is one that is referred by someone who has bought from you. This is an even better lead than when someone calls you to ask questions about your offer. Why? Because the referral know someone who bought. To them, buying from you is a natural conclusion to a sales presentation.

At the end of a presentation, when I make a sale..I ask for a few referrals. There are several questions I ask to trigger referrals, but this one is my favorite; "Who has referred a salesperson to you in the past?". And I want to hear the story. What happened? Was the salesperson professional? What was she selling? Did the customer buy? The "Did you buy" question makes all the difference.

Why? Because there are two different ways that customers send salespeople back and forth to their friends. They may do it as a joke to their friend, a form of "Tag, you're it". In this case, a sale rarely happens, and the salesperson is used as a pawn to play a game between two friends. I've only had this happen twice, and it wasn't fun.

The other way that salespeople are sent to friends is like this; "We bought, my friends usually buy what I buy, and we send good offers to each other."

In this way, a sale is highly likely, because the referral is conditioned to buy when referred by their friend. This also happens in groups. In fact, I spent two years once, working a network of these "My friend bought, and so, I want what he has" referrals.

If the customer (I never ask for referrals from people who didn't buy) sends me to see their friend, and I ask what happened the last time they sent salespeople to see each other....I want to hear that sales were made. If there is a history of sending salespeople to see each other, without sales? I stop asking questions about the lead, and change the subject. But again, this happens very rarely.

If the referral is used to getting salespeople referred from my customer, I'll have him call the referral right there. I'll even get on the phone and say something like "Hi, Bill. Mike seems to think I should talk to you. I promised him I would show you what I do, and see if it's a fit. Are you going to be available tomorrow at 3PM?" . Now, even if he says "I'll talk to you, but I'm not buying anything", I want to see him. Why? Because his history tells me something different. He's already conditioned to buying from a salesperson that Mike has sent him. I'll have to do something to screw it up, or hell probably buy from me. And his "objection" is just a weak attempt to avoid an appointment.

Remember, ask "Who has referred salespeople to you in the past?" and "Who have you referred salespeople to, in the past?" and then ask;

"What were they selling?" (and maybe "how much did it cost?")

"Did you buy it?" or "Did they buy?"

These referrals will tend to be your easiest to see, and sell.
#client #question #referral #selling
  • Profile picture of the author misterme
    Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

    The single best new customer that you can get is one that is referred by someone who has bought from you.
    Oh yeah? Sez who? I sez the single best new customer you can get is someone who'll refer several more best new customers to you.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by misterme View Post

      Oh yeah? Sez who? I sez the single best new customer you can get is someone who'll refer several more best new customers to you.
      And I sez that the best customer you can have is one that is referred by a buyer...who has also referred other sales to you...and they are all part of a group that tends to buy whatever everyone else in the group buys. So there.

      And I sez that anyone who disagrees wit me is a big fat Jamoke.

      By the way, there are few more certain sales, than going to see someone who knows 5 others that have talked to you...and all of them have bought.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rus Sells
    I like how you framed this Claude, typically I ask for referrals when they hand me the deposit check. Then I get referrals who are known for paying as well. There's a deep psychological reason but I won't go into it here. lol
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by Rus Sells View Post

      I like how you framed this Claude, typically I ask for referrals when they hand me the deposit check. Then I get referrals who are known for paying as well. There's a deep psychological reason but I won't go into it here. lol
      Rus; You triggered something.

      Yes, get referrals from people why buy like you want to sell. Get referrals from people who pay right away. It's amazing the power there is in having the prospects friends behave a certain way. And I love selling to prospects who are referrals, because it's far easier to get referrals from them. I don't think I've ever heard "I don't give referrals" from a client that was obtained by referral. To them, it's just part of the process.

      And the times I ask for referrals is;
      When they just wrote me a check.
      When I've just helped them with something, a free service.
      When I've just referred someone to them.

      And I sometimes ask "Who have you recently told, among your business friends, about what I did for you?" I want prospects the client has bragged to. Because now, it's like the prospect is surrounded.
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      • Profile picture of the author MRomeo09
        I'd argue that the best referral question is AFTER you've already sold a referral from them.

        "Claude, thanks so much for sending me to Bob. He's super excited about our work together, and it looks like we're going to be able to increase his sales at least $100k/yr. Claude I really appreciate you introducing me to Bob, and even more I think Bob appreciates the introduction. Who else do you know that I can help this month?"

        Part of the reason why they won't refer more business to you, is they are worried about how you will treat their business partners/contacts. If you can assuage that fear, you are doing well.

        Our process looks something like this:

        1. Do deal with Claude
        2. Get referral of Bob from Claude
        3. Do deal with Bob
        4. Ask Bob to contact Claude thanking him for the referral. "Bob, would you mind calling Claude and letting him know that I took great care of you, it would mean a lot to me. I just want him to feel assured that I always have his best interests in mind."
        5. Now that Bob has made the call to Claude asserting that he feels fantastic about our deal, and that I care about taking care of any referrals. Bob is also more inclined to give me referrals. So I get referrals from Bob(step 2).
        6. Go back to Claude and get more referrals.

        Make sense? This is how you take one or two clients and multiply them into 100 or more.
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        We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up ... discovering we have the strength to stare it down. - Eleanor Roosevelt

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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Originally Posted by MRomeo09 View Post

          I'd argue that the best referral question is AFTER you've already sold a referral from them.

          "Claude, thanks so much for sending me to Bob. He's super excited about our work together, and it looks like we're going to be able to increase his sales at least $100k/yr. Claude I really appreciate you introducing me to Bob, and even more I think Bob appreciates the introduction. Who else do you know that I can help this month?"

          Part of the reason why they won't refer more business to you, is they are worried about how you will treat their business partners/contacts. If you can assuage that fear, you are doing well.

          Our process looks something like this:

          1. Do deal with Claude
          2. Get referral of Bob from Claude
          3. Do deal with Bob
          4. Ask Bob to contact Claude thanking him for the referral. "Bob, would you mind calling Claude and letting him know that I took great care of you, it would mean a lot to me. I just want him to feel assured that I always have his best interests in mind."
          5. Now that Bob has made the call to Claude asserting that he feels fantastic about our deal, and that I care about taking care of any referrals. Bob is also more inclined to give me referrals. So I get referrals from Bob(step 2).
          6. Go back to Claude and get more referrals.


          Make sense? This is how you take one or two clients and multiply them into 100 or more.
          Of course, of course, of course. First, you need to know that it's very important to me to have you believe that I'm better at getting referrals than anyone here. I have a fragile ego, and the attention span of a 3 year old girl.

          Now that I've said that....You have a very good approach. In fact, it's nearly word for word what's in my book in my signature. I hope that means that great minds think alike.
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          • Profile picture of the author MRomeo09
            Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

            Of course, of course, of course. First, you need to know that it's very important to me to have you believe that I'm better at getting referrals than anyone here. I have a fragile ego, and the attention span of a 3 year old girl.

            Now that I've said that....You have a very good approach. In fact, it's nearly word for word what's in my book in my signature. I hope that means that great minds think alike.
            But obviously I do Claude, I do. I love referral marketing, it's the core of my business.

            Have you ever looked at any Paddi Lund stuff? It's good stuff and one of the cornerstones of my business philosophy.
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            We do not have to become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing that comes up ... discovering we have the strength to stare it down. - Eleanor Roosevelt

            Your opinion of yourself becomes your reality. If you have all these doubts, then no one will believe in you and everything will go wrong. If you think the opposite, the opposite will happen. It’s that simple.-Curtis Jackson- 50 Cent
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            • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
              Originally Posted by MRomeo09 View Post

              But obviously I do Claude, I do. I love referral marketing, it's the core of my business.

              Have you ever looked at any Paddi Lund stuff? It's good stuff and one of the cornerstones of my business philosophy.
              I remember the name. If he wrote a book, I've probably got it. I'll check him out. Thanks for the heads up.
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              One Call Closing book https://www.amazon.com/One-Call-Clos...=1527788418&sr

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