My dear friend Chris has known me since we were 12 years old. This year, and on point, he gave my family a basket of gourmet delights, including various kinds of peppercorn. To Chris and other food enthusiasts, pepper is a thing.
This got me thinking … Someone else would have had to tell him first. Somewhere there is or was someone who felt they needed to share this information with Chris, who confirmed that on a previous trip when he learned the secrets of pepper, he did indeed fly home with kilos of it.
Are you trying to earn referrals from clients or enthusiasts?
When clients refer, the person in need is almost always looking for a convenient fix. Whatever they need is important but not enough for them to invest their time. They are looking for a shortcut.
The reason most advisors don’t get a lot of referrals is that they try to earn ‘convenience’ referrals. Two things have to happen to have a person ask your client to introduce them to you. The person has to have a need that they can’t deny, and two, they have to ask your client and not their brother, neighbour or co-worker for an intro. Those are long odds.
Good news …
Enthusiasts make referrals all the time, and they don’t wait to hear about someone’s problem. They talk about you, on purpose, Enthusiasts are motivated to tell other enthusiasts about the secrets they have discovered, something that they don’t want someone else like them, to miss out on.
So, what is it that you do that someone would miss if you stopped doing it?
Do much more of that.