There are many different kinds of referrals. They vary in quality according to how much of a rapport or relationship the person who is referring you has cultivated with your prospective customer. Here are a few good examples.
A) “I Know _______. They do great work. I know you will like them”. In this scenario you have authorized someone to use your name. You can feel fairly certain that they have established a good level of credibility with the prospective client. By allowing them to say that he or she endorses your product or service, you gain valuable leverage with the prospects that know them
B) A meeting is arranged. They have taken it one step further, taking the responsibility of working out the details of getting you and the prospective client together to discuss business.
C) “Slam Dunk”. In this scenario, the sale is closed before you even contact the prospective client. This is networking at its best. This is indicative of a strong relationship between not only the person referring you to the customer, but also a strong relationship between you and the person referring you.
The type of referrals you receive often depends on the relationships that you nurture. The best nurturers make the best networkers, who incidentally, make the most slam dunks.
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