The Importance of Tracking Referrals: Part II

You should be tracking your referrals. Why? Referrals are like diamonds:

• Everyone likes to show it off.
• You want to know where it came from.
• You want to know who gave it to you or who you are gifting it to.
• You, or the gifter, may keep track of how often you use it.
• People know it’s value and that it comes with a level of quality.
• Some may be more precious than others but each has its own place in life.
• You need to know what kind it is you have so you understand it’s worth.
• And most importantly,  when you aren’t using it, you need a place to to store it, properly cared for, so it doesn’t lose its sparkle.

Imagine walking into a dingy basement with all your diamonds in a pile on the dirt floor. Then, trying to find your precious red diamond amongst the pile. You spend hours sorting through each one, cleaning them off, trying to remember what it looked like, who gave this particular one to you, how may times you’ve used it before, which was the best diamond for each event and so on.

Now, picture yourself walking into a vault, with those diamonds displayed on a shelf, organized with notes, pictures, & categories along with other diamonds available, people discussing the beauty of your diamond & the availability. Nu-Op is like your referral vault; we store your diamonds.

ONE HAND WASHES THE OTHER

Most people enjoy helping others; it’s that warm-fuzzy feeling you get when you assist in solving a problem. Whether it is helping an elderly person bring their groceries to the car, chasing after a mom whose child dropped a beloved stuffed animal at the park, or holding the door open for someone in the store.  The little things matter; it make someone else’s life a little easier, puts a smile on their face and is often well-appreciated. These are the warm-fuzzy people.

Taking this in mind, referrals acts the same way.  You want the warm-fuzzy guy, or gal, in your corner because they’ll be the ones to reciprocate those referrals. “That guy” may be personable but if he isn’t reliable, then he may not be someone you want to exchange referrals with.  Referral tracking allows you to know where your referrals are going and who is referring you. This reciprocity is an important part of a business relationship.

Now, on the other hand, we all have that one friend that shows up to a party empty-handed.  You know “that guy” that comes with nothing to every-single-event or he’ll bring the cheap beer and then drink someone else’s expensive, craft-brewed IPA. We all love “that guy” because he is funny and care-free so we always invite him to a party but when it comes to your contacts of interest, who is it that you want in your circle?

Agents Like It

Professionals are often flattered when asked for advice and most people love to hand out referrals, whether it is a professional they have hired for a service or a business affiliate they have utilized in the past. Business professionals make referrals not only to benefit you but to help themselves also; this is where one hand washes the other. By giving the right referral to the right person, you are lending that extra-neighborly hand spreading those feel good vibes and nurturing a business relationship. By knowing the source of your referral you are able to see who is referring business to you and you also get to know who you are giving business to. This creates reciprocal referrals. Utilizing Nu-Op to focus your marketing efforts on  professionals who are most likely to respond saves you time and helps you earn more money. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

In addition, by having a platform to discuss these referral opportunities, you can open discussions with other professionals if the reciprocity does’t seem to be leveling out. This transparency helps problem solve any challenges you, or they, may be having, help eliminate presumptions, develop expectations, and further your dependability and credibility among peers.

BUILD MORE TRUST WITH COMMUNICATION

As we have mentioned before, referrals develop trust. When you are giving a referral, your client is putting a level of faith in you. If the referral isn’t following through or living up to the expectation, the trust you have developed can be depleted. You need to be able to know who you referred and have an easy way of contacting that referral to be certain they are giving your client the level of service they need. Plus, you open a line of communication between you and your referral which enhances trust, develops consistency and develops a stronger bond. In addition, if your referral is having difficulty in communicating with your client, you can help them through the process creating the same domino-like effect.

KNOW  YOUR REFERRAL

When you take a professional referral, you have the ability to develop a strong reputation among your peers. You should know their qualifications and their work to ensure they are the person that will best suite you or your clients needs. This furthers your relationship with your clients and referrals which can, not only,  lead to an increase in business but also knowing the right person for a job makes you a valuable COI.

It can be difficult finding the right person to assign the right task. You may be new to an area, field of work, or are unfamiliar with the territory at hand. Maybe you don’t have difficulty finding the right person, but tracking the referrals you exchange is a challenge. Possibly, in-person networking events aren’t your thing because you’re that awkward co-worker who replies “Same to you” when someone wishes you a “Happy Birthday”.

Regardless of the why, Nu-Op is the how. Make connections, discover opportunities,  and earn; all with the click of a screen.

Conclusion

As you can see tracking your referrals is a important issue and one that we want people to understand. If you are wondering where part one is click here to read that one as there is lots of important information there as well.

Referrals is out jam here and we have a collection of blogs just talking about them. Make sure to check in on our blog page every so often to see what's new.

Fianlly if you want in on NuOp and can see how easy it is to track your referrals using the platform. You can sign up for free right now and start to super charge your business.