Effy ShkuriThis blog is updated on 25th of July 2021
Who is willing to help you with referral marketing?
Trust should be enough for receiving referrals..don’t you think? It’s close, but as my brother says, “almost right is 100% wrong.” Trust alone is not sufficient for finding the best referrers. You need to add some flavor and sugar to the ‘Trust cocktail’ to qualify the best referrer.
So, how to qualify the ‘referral persona’?
1 – Who trusts your character?
Hopefully, for you, this is a very long list. From my experience, the list is shorter than you think. Value is something you can deliver every day, but to know someone’s Character requires a lot of time. The older you are, the longer the list (depends on your style of course).
Referrals are like the blockchain nowadays. It’s transparent, and your trustworthiness requires validation by somebody else in the network.
2 – Who knows your target audience?
It could be your friends, family and some fools, but not most likely. Business promoters. People that work in the same industry as you can probably help you best. So it’s a list of colleagues, former colleagues, semi-competitors, self-employed professionals, and customers. If you are in recruitment, then the customer could also be a candidate. Just a matter of perspective.
3 – Who believes in the value you can offer?
I recently asked a friend if he could help me with an introduction. He said yes instantaneously because we know each other for 20 years. I know he trusts my character. At the same time, he asks me “what can I tell my other valued relation. I don’t know what you exactly do.”
What he meant, but didn’t say was “What can you do exactly for him. What is your value? I trust you, but the relationship I have with the other person is important to me as well.”
4 – Who have experienced your value?
This question defines your most valuable ambassadors. The experience is leveraging all the other criteria. The more experience, the more you can vow for somebody.
The best referrer fits all four criteria. The most important criterium is, however, is the latter because it has the highest integrity.
BONUS: The ‘mercenaries.’
Of course, there is a particular group of professionals who are willing to help you if they can earn something as well. No disqualification, but it’s an entirely different type of ambassador. Can be extremely effective by the way. The motivation is mostly money, not altruism.
P.s Want to know more about effective referral selling? Read more about video prospecting and download the ebook.