Referral Flood Blog

How To Move Up The Referral Food Chain

This post will smack some as a tad elitist or politically incorrect but, I'm about to explain a referral marketing fact of life.

People can only refer down the food chain (or maybe in the same food group)

What I mean by that is that is, if you are counting a person to refer the VP of sales for a Fortune 500 company, and that person is seen by the VP of Sales as vendor and not as an equal, good luck. Now, understand that in many cases this is simply a function of title, socioeconomic class or even age - but it's also a function of value.

Plenty of high level executives in your network may not be able to refer you to their peers because even their peers don't see them as valued partners. The food chain rewards value.

And the flip side of that! Plenty of seemingly lower level folks provide so much value in the networking relationships they create, doors open for them in mysterious ways.

With all this said, here's what I'm getting at:

1. If you want to make contact with a higher level (title, income, celebrity status, thought leader, mover-shaker) of prospect you must move out of your current level of network and start breaking in to higher level networks. Quick, how many people in your current network group can and do refer you to executives that are seemingly out of your reach?
2. If you want to break into a network seen higher than the ones you currently play in provide value. Give before your even ask in return. Prove your worth. Be a coach, consultant or information source that outshines all others and the doors to this higher network will open. And when they do, the referrals you receive will be a little higher on the food chain too.

Connect Your Clients For More Referrals

I was just wondering, how many of your clients have never met each other?

One marketing strategy that I often recommend involves bringing small groups of your clients together to meet, network and generally discuss how brilliant you are.

No, really! Have you ever considered putting together a lunch a month with the express purpose of introducing your clients to each other. In all likelihood they share the same challenges, frustrations and passions and, may even find that they can strike up a mutually beneficial relationship on their own. How's that for adding value.

One way I like to position these types of meetings is to work them around a theme of referrals. Make the "user" lunch about helping you grow your business. It is amazing what will happen when a group of like minded clients get together and start swapping stories and strategies about how they can help you build your business. You may even find a little competitive one-upping will occur with you as the benefactor.

Look, no matter what the purpose of these types of events, the relationship you have with each client will grow when you extend this level of trust and ask for this kind of participation.