{"id":276,"date":"2012-08-07T14:29:00","date_gmt":"2012-08-07T14:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=276"},"modified":"2012-08-07T14:29:00","modified_gmt":"2012-08-07T14:29:00","slug":"is-your-referral-network-working-for-your-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/is-your-referral-network-working-for-your-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"Is your referral network working for your small business?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Are you successfully leveraging your network for new business leads? \u00a0Getting referrals from other professionals in your field, current customers and friends is one of the best ways to build your sales channel.<\/p>\n
If you aren\u2019t getting the quantity and quality of referrals from your network, maybe you aren\u2019t asking often enough? It also may be that your network doesn\u2019t understand who makes a great potential customer for you.\u00a0 If they don\u2019t; you need to educate them.<\/p>\n
Educating your network is not the same thing as selling them about your products and services. Your network needs to understand what your company brings to the table; but your goal isn\u2019t to turn your contacts into sales prospects. Your goal is educate them about the type of referrals you want.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to do to make your referral network a viable marketing arm:<\/p>\n
Clarify what you do that is of value: Convey what you do as a benefit or a solution.\u00a0 For example,\u00a0 you\u2019re not only a general contractor; you\u2019re a general contractor that works with homeowners to enhance the value of their property. Then explain to your referral network how you do this in specifics to paint a picture in their minds. Be memorable and associate your business with tangible results. You also can use case studies of your work\u00a0 with other customers to illustrate how your company provides value.<\/p>\n