ASKING FOR REFERRALS EXAMPLE SCRIPT
If you want to ask for referrals but aren’t sure how to start the conversation, use these script ideas for different scenarios to use with current or existing customers. Remember, you never know who you can get a referral from until you ask. Use this soft opening and transition to guide you through the referral process.
OPENING:
You: Hi, is this [Prospect’s Name]?
Client: Yeah this is [Prospect’s Name]
You: Hey [Your Name] here with SalesRabbit, how is everything going?
Client: [Let them answer]
You: Great to hear. I was calling for two reasons, the first one was to get feedback and make sure everything is going well with your team using [our product]. How is everything going with that?
Client: [Let them respond]
You: That’s great, what has been your favorite part so far?
Client: [Let them respond]
TRANSITION:
You: That’s great to hear, you know out of all our customers that is a common piece of feedback that we get is [their response]. I’m glad to hear you are getting that benefit. Please continue to keep me posted with any good news or questions you have. The second reason I was calling [Prospect’s Name] is it has been so fun getting to know you and we love working with like-minded people, I wish I had more customers like you. I was wondering if there is anyone that comes to mind that is in a similar situation to the one you were in that we could help out with [your product/service]?
Client: [Let them respond].
ASK FOR THE REFERRAL:
You: That sounds great, it sounds like he would be a good one for us to reach out to and contact. Do you by chance have his phone number? What I’ll do is I’ll send you an email that you could send to him providing an introduction to me so you don’t have to do any work, would you be able to forward that email over to [Referral’s Name] for me?
Client: Yeah, I can do that.
You: It also looks like you know [next referral you want to get]. Then continue to get more referrals out of the same person.
3 WAYS TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE ACQUIRED REFERRAL
Once you have the referrals and your customer has notified their friends for you, it’s time to make your own introduction. There are 3 options to use from here: Call, text, or email. If you’re unsure of which method to use, here are some facts to consider: phone calls are 10x more likely to lead to sales than email but emails sent on Friday afternoons from a trusted source (using your current customers name) will get you 57% acceptance.
Phone calls and emails have been a long standing form of business communication, but what about texting? It may seem too informal, but in 2018 texting was considered the most popular form of business communication to date, and according to a 2014 Gallup poll, “sending and receiving text messages is the most prevalent form of communication for American adults under 50.”
Texting may not be the best option for older prospects, but it still has its place in business. The presence texting has in our data culture, makes business texting a viable option when contacting customers
Here are a few different scripts you can use, depending on which method you’ve chosen to use to reach out:
#1 CALL CURRENT OR PAST CUSTOMER:
Thank you so much [Client’s Name]! That really helps me out. One thing that I have found that most people appreciate, and that most of my customers prefer doing, is giving a quick introductory call to the person that they are introducing me to. They like to do that so that their friends have a heads up before I reach out. Would you mind doing that?
“Hi, is this [Referral’s Name]? Hi, my name is [Your Name] and my name might not ring a bell for you because you and I haven’t met yet. But the reason that I’m calling you is because you were recommended to me by a mutual friend we both know, [Client’s Name]. By chance, did he give you a heads up that I would be calling?
(Regardless of what they say) Well, he had the nicest things to say about you! (If possible, insert a connection-building topic, for example.) “He was telling me that you’re really into [….].”
Great! Also, I’m just curious, how did you originally meet [Client’s Name]?
[Let them tell the story]
That’s great. I have gotten to know him since he started using [your product/service] for the last [Time they have been a customer]. I’ve been working with him to [insert elevator pitch, i.e. secure his home, become energy independent, maintain his properties, etc.]
He mentioned that it might be worth it for me to give you a call and chat for a couple minutes. I know you live in [Referral’s area]. How are you currently securing your home, becoming energy independent, etc. (Whatever matches the service you provide.)?
[Let them talk]
Great, I would like to set up a demo with you to walk you through what we do for people like [Referral’s Name] and you. Would this week or next week work better for you?
[Schedule the appointment]
#2 TEXT YOUR REFERRAL
Text Example: Thank you so much [Client’s Name]! That really helps me out. One thing that I have found that most people appreciate, and that most of my customers prefer doing is shooting over a quick text to the person that they are introducing me to. They like to do that so that their friends have a heads up that I’ll be touching base. Would you mind doing that for me in the next day?
You can then base your text conversation around the scripts from the above phone script.
#3 EMAIL CURRENT OR PAST CUSTOMERS:
“Thank you so much [Client’s Name]! That really helps me out. One thing that I have found that most people appreciate, and that most of my customers prefer doing, is shooting over a quick email to the person that they are introducing me to. They like to do that so their friends have a heads up that I’ll be touching base. If I send you a little email that you can edit, would you be open to forwarding it along to your friend?”
EMAIL TEMPLATE:
Hi [Client’s Name], It was good to talk with you the other day. Thank you for the referrals. Would you please copy and paste the message below and email it to the referral(s) you gave me? That way they have a little heads-up when I call.
I hope you don’t mind, but I recently gave your contact information to [Your Name, Title] of [Your Company] [Your Name] is [one sentence summary of who you are and what you are doing to build credibility].
He is one of the best [insert what you do] in the world and I have found that a quick chat with him is, at minimum, educational and interesting.
[Your Name] will be calling you within the next week.
