It doesn’t matter what product you’re selling; asking for referrals can be a very difficult part of your sales routine. In fact, many sales professionals have shared that asking for referrals is something they … HATE! Why is asking an already happy customer for the contact information for a few friends and family so difficult?

There are three parts to answer this question. First: If a sales professional is uncomfortable asking for referrals, it will show in their delivery and the client will detect it. Second: If the client doesn’t have your product in their hands yet (e.g., keys to the car), why would they willingly break open their address book? Third: Clients HATE giving referrals!

Next, ensure you understand just how valuable referrals are when compared to cold calling, walk-in traffic, and the standard channels of commercial advertising. Referrals speed up the sales process by virtually eliminating the getting-to-know-you steps. In addition, referrals extend your sales network with minimal effort, which reduces your overall sales expenses.

The main problem in asking for referrals is only asking once. In auto sales, for example, the sales staff usually asks for referrals during the time frame where the customer’s new car is being detailed and the paperwork is being completed. They feel the customer is at their emotional peak and are more than willing to share their happiness. So, the sales professional sees this as their “one chance” to draw from these emotions. Failure is not an option at this point.

If they fail to get any referrals, they’ve reached a dead end. Their one chance is gone! This is why sales pros hate asking for referrals. The key here is that after your initial request, turn your referrals into a transaction based system.

When your customer returns to pick up their license plates (transaction), ask for a referral. When your customer returns for their complementary oil change (transaction), ask for a referral. Because sales are a numbers game, you’ve just tripled your chances at receiving a warm list of referrals from a happy customer.

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