5 Ways to Mess Up a Referral Source Call

You’ve called a prospective referral source. He or she is on the line with you now. You’ve never spoken before, but you got an introduction from someone you know, so you’ve already got a connection to the person on the line.

How can you blow it now, create a situation where you won’t end up at lunch with this person, and be sure you won’t get any referrals? If you do the following five things particularly well, you’ll do just that, and you might even alienate the person who introduced you to the referral source.

1. Start selling now. Tell your contact how great you are. Tell the person why he or she should refer clients to you. Don’t worry about building a rapport or getting to know one another. Explain that you offer the best service, lowest price, and so forth regardless of what he or she says.

2. Once the person answers the phone, just start talking and keep on talking. Don’t ask any questions. Say what you need to say and roll on. Try not to take a breath. Go, go, go! If the person on the other end of the line starts to talk, just talk over him or her.

3. Try not to listen. Don’t waste time asking the referral source whether this is a good time to talk. If the person explains that he or she is in the midst of a deadline, don’t worry about it. Just keep going and don’t offer to call back at another time.

4. Don’t pay attention to your referral source’s needs. Don’t ask for ideas about how you might be able to help him or her. If the person starts to sound like he or she doesn’t have many referrals to make to you, then blow off the person. Get off the phone and don’t waste your time getting to know the person and taking him or her to lunch.

5. Insist on lunch at the place of your choosing. Don’t ask where he or she would like to go. Tell the person where you like to eat and how much he or she is going to like it.

Basically, put your interests ahead of your referral source’s, and you’ll be well on your way to destroying any hope of ever getting a referral. I hope you’re laughing because you’re so sure you’d never do these things. Unfortunately, I’m not laughing. I just hung up after getting a call just like the one I’ve described. Needless to say, I wiggled and squirmed my way out of the lunch invitation.

Related articles:

  1. What If You Don’t Like Your Referral Source?
  2. TechnoLawyer: Nine Ways to Nurture Your Referral Relationships
  3. Why You Aren’t Getting Referrals from an Old Referral Source?
  4. Fire Your Referral Sources
  5. The Top 8 Personal Hygiene Mistakes That Turn Off Prospective Clients and Referral Sources

  • http://www.constructionlawnc.com Melissa Brumback

    Good article! I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been “sold to” during a meet&greet lunch. Best example: I had just finished explaining that I had been “sold” to at a networking event by someone and how inappropriate it was. My lunch companion nods and agrees, takes a breath, and begins to sell to me. Incredible. Should have just walked out right then and there.

    • http://www.rosen.com Lee Rosen

      Melissa,

      Great idea – lets just stand up in the middle of lunch and walk out. That would send a message, huh? You can then come to Greek Fiesta, meet me (I’m always there), finish lunch and I promise not to sell you anything.

      Lee

  • http://www.GrahamLawCollaborative.com Kimberly Graham

    I thought I “got” this until Melissa’s comment. So if I invite someone to lunch to develop a referral source — I’m not supposed to talk about what I do and how I do it, etc? In other words, when *does* one get the ok to “sell?” Or maybe I’m not getting the meaning of “sell.” To me, talking about what I do and how I do it is selling/marketing, even if it isn’t couched in those terms.

    Kimberly

    • http://www.rosen.com Lee Rosen

      There are lots of great books on networking. I think a good place to start is getting to know someone and looking for ways you can be helpful to them. As the relationship grows, they’ll get to know you and trust you. Usually, they’ll ask for information about what you do and how you do it because they want to refer to you. Take it slow as you figure it out.

      You’ll know if it’s working and if refinement is necessary based on the referrals. I think a good family law referral source will send you a consult about every 6 weeks.

      Lee

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