Happy “New Clients” Year Through Introductions

If you want to make 2016 a great year for introductions to quality prospects (who become new clients!), you have to be careful not to make the mistake of creating merely an Introductions Initiative to get more referrals and introductions. An initiative will only yield short-term, temporary results at best.

Well… what about an Introductions Program in 2016? Only if you want a modest increase in new clients through referrals. What’s better than that?

If you want a thriving business based on Introductions to qualified prospects – then you want to build a Culture of Introductions throughout your firm.

The Decision

Getting referrals and introductions is much more than simply asking for them. While asking for introductions to people you believe you can help will always be a viable and appropriate means to meet new clients, building a culture of introductions is so much more than just asking.

It starts with your decision to keep growing your business based on how your prospects would prefer to meet you – through a recommendation from someone they already trust. Once you make this commitment, the tactics and methods to build a culture within your business becomes a pretty natural thing to do. It starts, however, with the decision.

The Culture

Here’s a list of some of the elements that go into building a culture of introductions in your business. Use this as a checklist of areas you want to master in 2016:

Set a goal to get ___X___ number of clients through referrals.

Communicate this decision and goal to everyone in your firm and have them determine what their role in reaching this goal will be.

Deliver a valuable experience to all your prospects.

Deliver a new client onboarding experience.

Use your ongoing client-service promise to continue to bring value and build business friendships.

Give referrals / make introductions in all areas of your life – clients, prospects, friends, family, and colleagues. (Not only you, but all members of your firm.)

Promote referrals / introductions on a regular, but not obnoxious basis.

Ask for introductions to specific people or categories of people.

Use educational and social events as a way to bring value, have fun, deepen your client relationships, AND meet new people.

Form productive relationships with Centers of Influence. (Note the emphasis on the word “productive.”)

In Summary

1. Set your new-clients-through-referrals goal for 2016.
2. Implement a plan to reach that goal that also changes the culture of your business so that you can sustain this growth through referrals over time.

Let me know how it goes? Need deeper training or coaching? I’m here to help.

I would enjoy hearing from you. Send an email directly to me at BillCates@ReferralCoach.com