Now that you've got more than a few sales under your belt,
it's time to get that golden top officer referral! I sometimes
hear salespeople (and entrepreneurs) complain that they don't
(or can't, or have never been able to) generate quality
referrals. Baloney! Here's a simple, reliable way to initiate a
powerful referral that puts you on the radar screen of the very
important top officer (VITO) at your target organization. It's
an extremely powerful technique that has the additional advantage
of working quickly. Here's how to pull it off.
Get out your customer list (or if you don't have any
customers, get out your prospect list). Start at the bottom of the
list, pick up the telephone, and call your current day-to-day
contact at that organization. This will typically be someone at a
lower level in the organization, and that's okay. I suggest you
initiate a conversation that goes something like this:
You: "Hey, Joan, it's Will Prosper. I've got
a quick question for you."
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Joan: "Yeah, Will--what's on your
mind?"
You: "I need a personal favor. Do you know anyone in
(the Association of Library Scientists/your industry here in
town/the ABC or XYZ company) that I might be able to help in
solving a problem or two in a similar way that I've been able
to help you?" (Note: These are specific organizations that
match your "template of ideal prospects.")
Joan: "Let me see... I know the head of experiments
over at Creepy and Crawly Labs. His name is Benjamin Mee, but
everyone calls him Buggs for short. Other than that, I can't
think of anyone else at the moment."
You: "Great--thanks, Joan. Can you tell me a little
bit about what Buggs is doing over at Creepy &
Crawly?"
Joan: "Sure. Things are really hopping. They just
got a big contract from NASA and I think they're going to
expand their operations."
You: "Thanks a million. By the way, could you give
some thought to anyone else that you might know between now and our
meeting next Tuesday?"
Joan: "Sure, Will--no problem."
Important Note: Do not pick up the phone and call Buggs!
I know, it takes willpower, but trust me--this will be worth it.
Here's what I want you to do instead:
- Find out the name, office number and extension of
the VITO (President, CEO or Owner) over at Creepy & Crawly. You
can do this by either surfing the net, looking at the Chamber of
Commerce directory, or using some other directory--maybe the one
that you've purchased. You know the one I mean: the one with
dust all over its shrink-wrap cover because it's never been
used.
- Pick up the telephone--preferably after
hours--call VITO, and leave the following voice message in a
confident tone of voice. Make sure you speak slowly enough for VITO
to understand what you say:
"Mr. Benefito, Joan Goodperson suggested that I make
contact with Buggs Mee, your head scientist. We've established
a proven track record in helping similar research labs reduce their
time-to-revenue without sacrificing quality and safety. Before we
make contact with Buggs, could you tell me that if Buggs really
likes what he sees and is personally convinced that we can help
make your NASA project more profitable, do you know of any reason
why you would not support the selection of my organization as a
business partner? You can give me a call or have someone else
return my call any day between the hours of 3 and 5 p.m. I'll
look forward to your guidance and answer before I explore all the
possibilities with Buggs. My name is Will Prosper and my number is
800-555-5555. Thanks for listening!"
You just hit pay dirt in the VITO insta-referral jackpot! Trust
me, this simple yet powerful process for getting a quick referral
to VITO works. And you know what? It's actually fun!