In today's never-ever post, Joanne Black, author of No More Cold Calling, shares a critical mistake that salespeople make when asking for referrals. And, as the Queen of Referral Selling, she shares what does work too.

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Salespeople should never ask, “If you know anyone who could benefit from my services, please let them know.”

It seems like a simple request for a referral, but it gets us nowhere—except to say we’ve checked “asking for referrals” off of our list. Also, asking for an introduction to "anyone" is far too broad a description for anyone to think of anyone.
 
This phrase bumps up against the discomfort most people feel in asking for a referral introduction. For some it feels pushy, salesy, and too much “in your face.” Mostly, salespeople are afraid that people might say no. So, instead of asking straight-up with confidence, they ask in a lame way and--not surprisingly--get nothing in return.
 
Much better to ask, “Who are one or two people you know that I should meet?” Without an introduction from a Referral Source, you are making cold calls with a dismal rate of return. Ask for a referral introduction to your ideal client and boost your close rate to more than 50 percent!"

Your Turn? Share your Never-Ever Story in the comments section of my blog.

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To learn more about how to build your business through referrals, visit NoMoreColdCalling.com.