Referrals are not ‘Fire and forget’. Remember, when you refer someone you are putting a little of your own reputation on the line. If the person you are referring lets your contact down, your relationship with them will be damaged to a greater or lessor extent.
For this reason, it is essential for you to set up a referral tracking routine.
There are various systems online for the sending and receiving of referrals, like refur.com. However, it is also a useful idea to keep a physical tracking system in your Networking Folder for easy reference.
On the tracking sheet, you can quickly see to whom you have given referrals and who has given them to you. You can complete all the detail on the online systems, but this quick reference guide will help you see at a glance your referral status.
Referral Follow Ups
Referrals You Have Given
A referral you give is not something you ever lose responsibility. You need to check with both your group member and the contact you referred how the referral went. It doesn’t mean you project manage the referral, you just call them up after two weeks and check on the progress.
This allows you to check that you have referred correctly and that your member has given your contact the respect you hoped they would. You would be shocked to realise how many referrals are not followed up on. I know that sounds weird, but sadly it is true.
Referrals You Have Received
Always, always, always give feedback. Even more so if the referral was off target and the need of the person referred didn’t fit your business. This indicates you need to conduct a Recon Meeting with the member who referred you to refocus their ideas about what you do as a business. Done correctly this will ensure they do not mis-refer you in the future. Remember to do a Recon at their place of work so that they don’t feel you are singling them out for special treatment.
If the referral becomes business remember to thank the member who gave the referral with a public ‘rap’ in the meeting and a private thank you beforehand.
As I said in the opening of this module, you never completely lose responsibility for a referral so you need to over see it to make sure it goes as you expected. Set up a system to track referrals, don’t just give and forget or get and forget.
Module Actions
Download and add the Referral Tracking sheet to your Networking Fold (and use it!)
Plan how you are going to follow up both given and received referrals