In recent years, I’ve gotten a ton of referrals from a lovely man who was a client of mine some time back. It seemed obvious to be to thank him for the direct referral of folks who came from his gracious testimonial of my work but somehow I was missing the less obvious notion that he was responsible for far more referrals than I gave him credit for.
It wasn’t until someone pointed out that the referral came from our “six degrees of separation” that the little flashing light went off as to how important this man was to my referral pipeline.
If we’ve learned anything as successful networkers, it is the all-important success step of thanking our referral sources. Don’t let blinders shield you from knowing how deep that referral goes back, keep your contacts in a relational format so that you really know who to thank.
A thank you note is one way to show an expression of gratitude for the referral. A larger bit of business thrown your way might be followed up with something a little more, like a bottle of wine or fruit. It doesn’t have to be excessive or elaborate – in fact, it is better if it is not – it just needs to be timely and thoughtful.
Assignment: Track your most recent referral backwards – this is easier if you are using a relational contact manager – many are even free, like Hubspot CRM.
Where did it start from? Follow up by thanking that referral source with your newfound successful networking skill – handwritten notes.
Want more results in your networking for success? Check back with us at Constant Social Media Networker for more interactive ActionSteps.
I look forward to hearing your comments and results!
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In networking: The more memorable (positive and helpful) you are, the better the results. Questions? Feel free to call The Constant Social Media Networker, ActionSteps4Success Founder and BNI Executive Director Cys Bronner 866-889-3466 or email her at Cys.Bronner@ActionSteps4Success.com
Her motto: Making word-of-mouth marketing work for you