Referral marketing is one of the most powerful ways to grow your business. As a business owner and marketer, you know that networking is a meaningful tool. You may have networking opportunities on the calendar. Perhaps even regular networking meetings. But are you making the most of them? If you really want to grow your network, build referrals, and advance your business or mission, there is one question that you should be inserting into every possible conversation:
“Who else do you think I should talk to?”
If you’re in a good conversation about an important topic that has the potential to positively impact your efforts, whoever you are talking to very likely knows someone else who could be a resource. You can be proactive in generating new leads from current contacts. This question will get you started.
You can be proactive in generating new leads from current contacts. #networking #smb #smallbiz Share on XI’ll tell you a story. Out of college, my first job was working for the Torino Olympic Winter Games. Telling you how I got there would be a much longer story, but let’s skip to the part where I realized how amazing that line of work was. I loved it. And then the Olympic Winter Games ended. Oh no! How could I continue doing Olympic things now that the event was over?
With that quandary, my idea to move to Colorado Springs was born. The US Olympic Committee and many of the National Governing Bodies for various US sports were based in Colorado Springs. That city is basically the hub of Olympic activity in the United States. It seemed like the right place to start, and I figured I had a much better shot of getting a job in the Springs if I was there.
I bought a one way plane ticket and found a cheap apartment. I started wandering onto the campus and getting to know the lay of the land. The first day I ran into the facilities manager of the gymnastics gym (the sport I used to do), and we talked about my journey and why I had moved to Colorado. He told me to come back the next day so I could watch the gymnasts in training. When I came back, he had a lead for me. He had run into an old friend on campus, told her about me, and asked if she would meet with me. She agreed. Armed with her business card, I made my first appointment.
In that first meeting, I learned all about her role, her department, the path she had taken. I told her what type of work I hoped to get and what motivated me. At the end of our chat, I thanked her very much for taking the time to talk with me. Then I asked, “Who else do you think I should talk to?” She gave me a list of five people and their emails. I immediately reached out, invoking her name in the subject line as a referral.
I got a meeting with all five new contacts. In each meeting, I learned about new roles, new departments. I kept a log of everyone I had met and the interesting things they had told me about themselves so I would remember the details the next time I ran into them. Every time I closed with the question “Who else do you think I should talk to?” It always yielded at least a couple new names and emails.
In one month, I had obtained 50 informational interviews on campus. I had a ton of contacts and always made sure to remember the little details. I knew a little about almost every department, and I got three-part time jobs from those interviews. It was enough to tide me over until I landed a full-time job in my department of choice. And it all came from my ultra-aggressive approach to build referrals.
Referrals can open doors for you that would otherwise be locked. #networking #smb #smallbiz Share on X“Who else do you think I should talk to?” is the most powerful question you can ask. Once someone has had a deep enough conversation with you, the chances are that they are making their recommendations for a good reason. A well-placed name and a little information on why this contact would be so appropriate for you to talk to is all you need to create quick rapport with the new lead. An email from an unknown person can look like spam, but an email that mentions the name of the referrer and why that person thought to refer you cuts through the uncertainty so you can skip ahead into meaningful prospecting. Referrals can open doors for you that would otherwise be locked.
So, if you are out there now trying to build referrals and grow your network, be sure to try this new line. It may surprise you how effective it can be.