How to Ask for Referrals

For all you sales pros out there - this might not even be worth a separate mention. But all too often, I find that people do not ask for referrals. I believe there are several ways one can ask for a referral and several opportunities when one can ask for referrals.

Ask for referrals often. I push the envelope on this, because I feel one can ask for referrals even before you have consummated a sale. I believe there are two things needed before you can ask for referrals, and as soon as you have them, you should ask for one. They are simply:

1. A rapport with your prospect or customer.
2. A reputation of Trust and Value.

It's what Matters:
If you lack either of the above mentioned requirements, they will be hesitant to make the referral - simply because you don't matter. Either you do not matter enough to them, to want to help you. OR you offer, service or solutions is not valuable enough to matter or make a difference to their friends.

It's about Power:
There is one more perspective to hold; and that is how you ask for the referral. Always ask it in a way that does not seem like you are asking for a favor or for help.

Ask for the referral powerfully e.g.

• Ask them if they think what you have to offer might be of value to some of their friends.
• Or if what you have might be of benefit to their colleagues in other companies.

In Conclusion:
Get comfortable asking seemingly tough questions, learn to always stay in control of your conversations, always build rapport fast and always be selling something of value. If you do all this; you will be able to ask for referrals quickly, often and effectively - this gets you back into the numbers game and helps create more opportunities for you to go sell something.

How valuable is Your Client Database?

Your business' database is one of your most valuable assets. Are you treating it like something of value, or are you allowing it to deteriorate and depreciate in value?

There are two ways a good, up to date database of contacts (certainly customers and prospects but also vendors, employees, and other key people) adds value to your business:

1. It helps you do business more efficiently in the here and now.
2. It makes your business more desirable, sellable and valuable when it comes time to cash out.

It helps you do business more efficiently in the here and now.

How? It allows you and your team to find information on contacts, like phone numbers, email addresses and web site addresses. It allows you to record conversations, quotes and transactions. And, it allows you to review all these after the fact.

It makes your business more desirable, sellable and valuable when it comes time to cash out.

This one is a no-brainer. If you are buying a business, do you want it to come with a Rolodex or even worse - a pile of musty, crumbled, jumbled and un-filed business cards? Or, would you rather have it come with a current, accurate and thorough (and regularly backed up) electronic database of key contacts?

Every time you get a new contact, ask:

• Could this be a potential customer?
• Could this be a potential source of referrals?
• Could this be a potential supplier?
• Could this be a potential key contact of any kind?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes", by all means capture the contact into your database - including an email address.

Put someone in charge of maintaining and backing up your database, and make sure everyone knows how to access it and use it properly.

Treat your database like the valuable asset it is. You'll be glad you did.

Coach Me

Anybody who has ever worked in an inbound contact center knows the environment is high pressured and performance orientated. The performance targets are high, the calls never stop and rest breaks are far and few during each shift.

To operate at levels of such high expectations, many contact centers have turned to coaching as a tool; usually with the team leader being a coach to their agents.

Coaching unlike counseling is targeted at a specific area of performance with predefined objectives and target. It’s also very much about providing feedback. As the coach, team leaders need to appreciate that feedback good or bad must be honest. It should come from the heart and be of value to the agent involved. After all, coaching is about being people orientated, not task focused.

Furthermore, constructive feedback is an extremely powerful process and must be communicated delicately .It is important that the agent acknowledges and accepts the feedback before the coaching session proceeds further. As a coach, we must also be willing to receive feedback ourselves, if any is given.

The ultimate objective of any coaching session is for the purpose of development. Team leaders need to ensure continuity and that the coaching session is solution focused. At the end of each session, the agent must leave with the knowledge of their performance and what needs to be done to enhance their performance

Lastly, coaching sessions should never be perceived as negative. Always ensure that it is held periodically and not just when negative performance needs to be highlighted. Coaching is an integrated part of contact center operations. It cannot be seen in a bad light and the team leaders handling these sessions need to devote time and effort to the development of their people.

Maximize Sales & Reach Everyone

It’s dizzying at times. With many products and services, there are often several people within an organization who either influence or actually make buying decisions. A good salesperson needs to talk with everyone who is involved in a purchase, but coordinating these efforts among a maze of departments and divisions can be a challenge.

The key to successfully managing sales under these conditions begins by starting off immediately on the right foot. When approaching a new account, use a “top down” selling approach. Start with the highest decision-maker in the company and work your way vertically and horizontally through the organization. The vice president isn’t going to say he doesn’t have time to see you if the president has suggested the meeting.

Having said this, you ,must respect the customer’s processes and be prepared to coordinate your sales efforts with several different departments.

Remember your basic sales techniques: Ask questions and listen carefully to the answers. Show how your product or service can meet the customer’s needs and solve problems for them. See clients regularly and entertain them appropriately. Be sensitive to their requirements, even though you may find them frustrating, and respond promptly when there’s a problem.

Always remember the impact of decision-influencers—the people who don’t make the actual purchase but who might make a difference in your results. Receptionists and assistants are often very influential in terms of expressing their opinions about vendors. They can also be a tremendous source of information and support for you, so nurture those relationships in a sincere and non-patronizing way. If the decision-maker won’t be the ultimate user of your product, ask if you can meet with the staffers who will directly use what you’re selling to do a needs analysis and show how your product works. If you get those people on your side, a great deal of your work is done.

Once you close a sale, continue to penetrate the account. Ask the satisfied customer who else in the organization might have need of your products or services. In most cases, they’ll be happy to refer you to someone else you should be calling on—and you might even get a referral to a brand new client.

Beware of Your Body Gestures When Talking to Customers

Body language (those gestures, body movements, facial expressions and other forms of nonverbal behavior) serves as a mirror to our inner thoughts. As children and young adults, we learned how to control our words. We quickly learned what we could say that would be acceptable to those around us. We even learned how to say it. We consciously worked and re-worked our words to make sure we said what we meant to say.

But do we spend time rehearsing our body language. Are we standing up straight and tall when speaking to your client? Are we smiling? These are some suggestion about using body language in customer service:

Notice and Offer Assistance
Always notice a customer’s body language as they approach. What is the first thought in your mind?

What about yourself, are you aware of your own body language. What are you projecting?

Always start your conversation with the customer by offering assistance. After all, the reason the customer is talking to you in the first place is that he or she needs some help. After offering assistance, wait for the customer to respond. Listen carefully to the customer's words as it's now the customer's time to deliver her carefully prepared and rehearsed purpose for the visit. You need to focus your attention on the customer's words. How clearly is the customer describing what is the challenge facing her and what she expects to be done?

Take a look at the body language
Examine the customer's body position, gestures and overall demeanor. Do they support the customer's message? Is the customer asking you about your company's return policy in a gentle tone of voice with a smile on her face? Or is the customer asking about special delivery in a growling, demanding voice, while banging her fist on the counter?

Decide whether or not the body language supports the verbal message
If the body language is consistent with the nature of the verbal message, it is likely that the customer is saying exactly what he or she means to say. The body language appears to confirm the message. If the body language is inconsistent with the verbal message. In either case, you must respond carefully.

Determine the customer's most likely message
You only have an assumption of the customer's message, You have to find out whether or our assumption is correct. Decide in your own mind what the customer is trying to say. If in doubt, follow the message from the body language. As we said earlier, body language is likely to be a better gauge of reality. So, before acting on our assumption of the customer's body language, test for reality by asking the customer a question. For example, "I sense that you are not pleased with the service we've provided so far. How can we be of more help to you?" or "It seems that you like our store's return policy. Is this what you were looking for?"
All this while be aware of the message your body is projecting and how they are responding.

The Requirement of the Sales Mindset in ANYONE

What makes a good salesperson? A good sales person is very much like a therapist - listening, empathy and patience are all virtues found in them (sales persons I mean – and some therapists as well). Somone somewhere has said that selling is not about pushing your foot in the door but about opening the door and making it easier for your prospect to pass through.

“A piece of cake with your coffee, sir?” is a good question to ask of the customer who looks a little hungry. Perhaps he missed his lunch? You can't really ask, but you do know that the cake was made by Polly who has a learning difficulty. Polly will not understand if no one buys the cake she helped make. You have a choice. Sell it or explain away your failure to her.

If you are ready to shift your sales mindset, here are some guidelines to help you get started:

1. Look for what the other person is thinking and whether there is actually a real possibility of a fit. Do not assume they should buy what you have. Aim to connect, not force or persuade.

2. Help your prospect solve their problem, instead of referring to your features and benefits – this centers the conversation on the other person.

3. Be sensitive to the early interaction with your prospect – keep your mindset stay in the present moment and avoid pushing forward (where you want to go – which you can only guess at best).

4. Avoid chasing prospects – behave with dignity. Create a pressure-free atmosphere – set a tone of equality and mutual respect.

5. Connect with your prospects rather than work through a list. Focus on how to make a true connection with each prospect – this naturally helps build trust – think about and discuss their issues, not yours.

6. Creating trust with your prospect is your primary goal – not making the sale. Creating genuine trust is the essence of building real relationships—real relationships turn into more sales.

7. By thinning the tension and pressure in the sales process between you and your prospects, you bring both of you closer to an honest and truthful conversation.

8. Change By using phrases like ‘would you be open to’ instead of ‘would you be interested in’, you immediately set yourself apart as someone who is patient, open minded and willing to listen.

9. By having a deep understanding of the problems that your prospects experience everyday, the easier it will be for you to really feel that you know and care about their situation.

10. Be honest always, sincere and have a genuine concern about helping your customers. The beginning is always more important than the end.

Saying “No” to Customers

The one word every single customer “hates” to hear is “NO”. But sometimes, the only appropriate response from the company is "NO." Perhaps, it’s good to realize that at the risk of compromising your work ethics, losing money or breaking the law than losing a customer is a necessary evil in order to keep the balance.

Here are some good things that can come out of saying "no":

1. You have more opportunities to say "yes" to the right customer.

2. You have more time to do the things you want to do rather than serve inconsiderate people.

3. Saying “NO” expresses how you really feel. You are taking responsibility for your own feelings and letting others take responsibility for theirs.

4. Someone else who really wants this customer's business, has a chance to get it

Learn how to say "NO" gracefully:

1. Use non-verbal cues to underscore the "NO"-shake your head; use a firm and direct voice, use eye-contact.

2. "Sir/Madam/ Name, I am unable to do that." Don't beat around the bush.

3. Add an explanation if you want, but don't apologize: "The reason is because it would be against company ethics if that were to be done."

4. Be empathetic if the situation calls for it: "I know how hard it is to have that happened."

5. Recommend an alternative if one is available: "Let me refer you to..."
Saying “No” to the customer is not something bad. It is a necessity for business survival.