You are having what we at BTN call a coffee break or maybe you are at a meeting or luncheon. Everything is going well.
In Sales and Business you are taught to “ask for the sale”. You can do this in Networking as well by asking for a referral. Believe it or not a lot of people don't or worse, they did but it came out so feeble is sounds something like this.
“Yeh! I'm really good at what I do. So, if you know someone who, you know, could use my services, um. Just let them know.”
Many people feel, asking for a referral is like taking a risk or asking a favor. If that is your position, you will sound like the guy above.
Yet, you give referrals all the time. You tell friends, family or coworkers about that great movie or the awesome app you just downloaded or that hole in the wall with the best sushi you ever had. You may have even asked your friends for a good mechanic or a hotel.
When we do, we aren't thinking of risk. Am I going to lose a friend if I give him my mechanics name? Am I going to lose my mechanic?
What makes that different from asking for a business referral…? Truth, integrity, helpfulness. Think about it. That takes the risk out of the equation right there. That is what makes it a positive experience. Also, if you refer people that you know, like and trust, it makes it easier to give referrals.
Start changing your mindset to forget about risk and concentrate on trust, friendliness and helpfulness and soon you will be exchanging referrals, building trust and business.
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