How To Receive Referrals: Seven Tips To A Great Contractor Business


by Josh Z. - Date: 2009-05-03 - Word Count: 483 Share This!

Many businesses become successful through word of mouth. A woman who hires a caterer for her daughter's birthday party, for example, will tell all her friends about the great food and exemplary service she got and advice them to get that particular caterer for their parties in the future. In the business world, this word-of-mouth "advocating" of a particular company or brand is called referrals. And especially in the contractor business, referrals are a company's lifeblood. How does one get good referrals to gain a good name?

1. Create a networking strategy.

Building relationships with clients and other people in the business world is called "networking." However, before you can set out into the business network, you must first create a strategy to follow. What are your business goals? What kind of people are you looking to do business with? What kind of person do you want to be known as? Knowing the answer to these questions will lead you to the right networking events.

2. Reputation

Your name or reputation is of primary importance. It is essential that people know you as someone who is efficient, hard-working and can deliver on time and within budget. Take care of your reputation.

3. Refer others.

People appreciate it when you refer them to others who need their services. If, for example, you meet someone who needs graphic designers and one of your clients runs a design company, link them to each other. They'll be thankful for the connection and will probably refer you to their contacts to return the favor.

4. Stand out.

In an industry where there is a lot of competition, it is crucial to stand out. Be someone people will remember. Hone your people skills and try to talk to everyone you meet in networking events. Don't keep to yourself. Make an impression. This will help people remember you so they can refer you and do business with you in the future.

5. Build relationships.

Though you network mainly to benefit your company, you must also keep in mind that you are dealing with people and not machines. Build friendships with the people you meet. Hold the "sales talk" at times and chat about your other interests. More than being good and efficient, people need to know they can trust you. And hey, being likable never hurt anyone.

6. Be present online.

Many companies today do business online. It would be good to be present in these networking communities as well; as it would give you a wider coverage of people working in different towns or states you wouldn't ordinarily meet. Online networks can also serve as training ground where you can practice your relationship skills.

In the end, getting referrals is really all about people skills. If you're a genuinely kind and helpful person, then people will be naturally attracted to you. And if you always deliver, if you do an exemplary job, then referrals will be pouring in no time.

Related Tags: contract, contractor, independent contractor, general contractor, contractors michigan, conractors

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