Learn more about the science (and art) of referral selling in my new webinar with Finlistics.
It’s interesting how you meet people, and when you sell by referral, you meet a lot of interesting people. In the summer of 2015, I got an urgent call from Barry, a colleague who was working with Dr. Stephen Timme and Finlistics on their sales strategy.
Barry said: “They were just about to hire someone to cold call. I told them they needed to talk to Joanne Black immediately.”
I got on a call with the VP of sales for Finlistics before the end of that day, and thus began a successful, several-year working relationship. It was also the start of Finlistics’s relationship with referral selling.
The Speed of Referrals
Here’s how fast referrals can work:
- First call with Finlistics: August 2015
- Agreement signed: September 28, 2015
- Invoice sent: September 29, 2015
Yep, within one month, I had a new client, and Finlistics was on track to find many qualified (read: referred) clients. Referrals don’t always happen quite this quickly. This was going a little above the speed limit. But prospects become clients much faster when you’ve been referred and have commitment from the leader than when you generate leads by bugging strangers (read: cold calling).
Dr. Timme and I have stayed in touch over the years, so I was quick to agree when he asked me to do a webinar with him on January 19, 2023. It was my birthday, and I knew it was the best way to start off the new year—talking to this brilliant, engaging man about referral selling.
Maximizing Referrals: Strategies for Turning Your Network Into a Powerful Revenue Generator
This was the title of our webinar, and I know I’m biased, but it’s a must-watch conversation if you’re ready to adopt referral selling.
We discussed why every company should be using referrals in their sales strategy. (In a nutshell: With an average conversion rate of 70 percent, referrals are the number one untapped source of new business, yet they are underutilized by sales organizations.)
We also explored:
- Why referrals are your biggest competitive differentiator
- The gaping hole between inbound and outbound referrals
- What gets in the way of sales organizations asking for referrals
- What it takes to develop a referral culture
- Creating metrics that matter
- Five common referral misconceptions
This webinar explores how to get referrals to work for you. When you’re done watching, be sure to check the Finlistics website to learn about Insight-Based Selling and Client I.Q. As Dr. Timme puts it: “When it comes to engaging executive buyers, what you know and what you show are just as important as what you say and how you say it. Finding common ground is easier when you speak a common language.”
Referrals + Finlistics = More Sales Revenue
What happens when you combine referrals and insight-based selling?
Step One: You leverage your relationships to get referral introductions.
Step Two: You learn and apply insight-led selling to gain financial literacy and so much more.
Now, that’s a winning combination!
Watch the webinar now to learn more. Then contact me at joanne@nomorecoldcalling.com for customized referral selling insights and guidance