You don't have time for lots of referrals
Reuben Swartz
Fun "Anti-CRM" for Solo Consultants Who Hate "Selling" but Love Serving Clients. Put the "relationship" back in CRM: conversations, referrals, follow-up, lead magnets, proposals. Host of the Sales for Nerds Podcast 🍷🍷
So many folks I talk to say they want more referrals. Who doesn't want more referrals?
One of the things that came out of the webinar I did last week on "Scheduling for Busy Solopreneurs" is that you only have so much time. If you get 100 referrals, that takes a certain amount of time and attention-- scheduling meetings, rescheduling a meeting or 50, following up, etc. There's even a chance that in the all running around, you miss the one good opportunity.
Compare that to getting 10 great referrals. That's enough that you don't have pressure on any given conversation, but it's much more manageable.
You may have to do some exploration before you figure out exactly who you want to meet, but once you do, don't fall into the trap of trying to treat patients outside your specialty.
This makes it harder for people to refer your ideal clients, and it means you waste a ton of your time (and the patients', and the referral partners').
So if you're doing lots of "networking", and having lots of meetings, but people aren't buying, consider that you may want to focus your ideal client profile for your virtual sales team, i.e., your referral partners.
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1wI know I have learned to be very selective with whom I get on a call with. From time to time, I'll attend an Alignable Smart Connect online networking event. Network marketers will often try to collect my phone number or try to get me to agree to a call with them. However, I already know that they are not my ideal client and that we would only be wasting each other's time. I've also learned to let others know what kind of referrals I like.
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2wQuality over quantity, always! Less referrals = less work; while connecting with ideal referrals is so much fun it doesn't even feel like work :)
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2wSuch a helpful perspective, Reuben Swartz! More isn’t always better—especially when it comes to referrals. Focusing on the right connections makes everything more efficient and impactful. Loved the reminder to get clear on your ideal client profile!
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2wVery true! Lots of referrals to the wrong prospects can and often does lead to a waste of time and energy.
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3wMost small business/solopreneurs can't handle a lot of referrals. I'd definitely rather get the strong 10 referrals over the 50.