Last week I wrote about a leak in your Roofing business that is costing you big money
Common responses to this are: “What can I do about it?” How can I plug this hole?” and ”Why aren’t I getting referrals?”
Without knowing the specifics of your business… the short answer is that you are most likely using worn-out networking strategies or tired sales techniques that simply aren’t very effective.
This is understandable. It’s what I’ve observed over and over again from my coaching clients.
If you know much about me, you know I think networking is a huge waste of time but if you’re doing it, it probably goes something like this: You go to a meeting with a networking opportunity. You meet as many people as you can, you give your 30-second “elevator speech” and you exchange business cards, right? I mean that’s what we are taught to do.
And just by the mere fact you’re reading this article, you’re smarter than the average roofing contractor or roofing business owner so I’m sure you’ve learned some strategies to make you a little more effective than the average bear… I mean person.
You know better than to be “one of those annoying people” who just goes around trying to peddle their wares to anybody and everybody. Hopefully you’re savvy and smart enough to NEVER hand out business cards unless someone asks you for one. What!?! Yes, you read that correctly. If you’re giving your “elevator speech” and handing out cards to everyone… STOP! Everyone hates that person.
I’m hoping you know how to target your ideal prospect and, only if you are asked for a card, you have an offer on the business card you give out.
So what gives?
Well, there could be a few reasons your not getting as many referrals as you should be… such as focusing on the wrong people, having no systems in place, or unintentionally putting pressure on customers.
Here are five things you can do to increase your referrals:
1. Focus on the Most Profitable Relationships. It’s impossible to have quality relationships with every person you meet. Who has time for that? That’s why it’s mission critical to be very selective about where you focus your time and energy. For example, why would you spend the same time and energy on a customer who purchased one roof in the last 8 years as you would an insurance agent who has a multimillion-dollar agency with 10,000 clients, who own homes?
2. Put Referral Systems in Place. We’ve already discussed how you don’t have time to build quality relationships with everyone; however you can put systems in place to naturally and easily meet insurance agents and cultivate those relationships so that you can have an endless stream of these quality relationships referring you. In fact, my own roofing company has right at 600 insurance offices who refer us business in the Dallas/Fort Worth market.
If you’re not familiar with the value of systematizing your business, reach out to me and I’ll give you two phenomenal books, on systems, as my free gift.
3. Make people comfortable giving you referrals. One of the most vital things to keep in mind is that people don’t like to feel like they are “selling” their clients and/or friends to you.
Offering incentives or bribes, in exchange for referrals not only makes people uncomfortable but it causes people to question the quality of your services. Much in the same way the unquestioned authorities and proven experts DO NOT have to cold call and knock on doors to generate business, neither do they need to bribe their clients for referrals. Don’t believe me? When is the last time, the best cardiologist in town, knocked on your door or paid for a referral? I rest my case!
More specifically, if you’re wanting to generate referrals from insurance agents or Realtors, offering them incentives and or bribes puts them in a ethical dilemma. Can you imagine the explaining they would have to do if their client found out they were paid to refer them to you? No one wants to have that uncomfortable conversation.
Also, some of your customers want to refer you, but don’t know how to approach their friends and family. By giving them easy ways to refer you without making it feel like you are paying them to do so, you will receive more and better referrals.
4. Learn to Ask without Asking. If you learn to implement a system that effectively applies all the psychological triggers required to cause your client to refer you, you NEVER have to actually ask yourself. While people rarely ask if you want help promoting your services, if you’ve provided quality service, and you make it easy for them to refer you, most people enjoy telling others about things they try and like.
5. Show Appreciation. Who doesn’t like to be appreciated? When you show people genuine appreciation, they’re grateful, they won’t feel guilty and they will be more willing to refer you the next time the opportunity arises.
Always remember to thank those who refer you. Keep them updated on what happened and the progress of the job.
Generating referrals takes a well-designed strategy, a system that reliably operates, and consistent effort to maintain. But the pay-off is worth it. Referrals are, without doubt, the easiest prospects to close and most profitable sources of new customers. Eliminate the worn-out networking strategies and tired sales techniques and replace them with intentional, well-designed strategies and systems.