Step 1

Identify Goals and Strategy

• Determine sales goals for the year
• Identify and describe the target market in a manner easily recognized by others.
• Evaluate current book of business and where the focus needs to be in finding business
• Establish daily activity goals to reach referral objectives

Step 2

Research Potential Sources

• Evaluate your natural market and the influence and determine influence needs to reach decision makers and key influencers.
• Determine words and phrases used by your clients when your service is needed and learn how to educate referral partners to identify and qualify great opportunities. 
• Find new resource and referral partners within your existing client base to expand your center of influence and book of business.

Step 3

Qualify for Influence

• Determination of the necessary level of influence required to shorten your sale cycle.
• Learn how to definitively understand the level of influence present in a potential partner.
• Learn to say no to ‘lovely people’ or see them at Happy Hour, not Pay Time.

Step 4

Close for Interest

• Learn critical interviewing skills to determine not only the influence, but the willingness to support you with referrals
• Determine how best to educate your referral partners on not only sending you business but qualifying the opportunities and presenting your solution from the trusted advisor perspective.

Step 5

Outline Expectations

• Develop Guidelines for Referring
• Establish communication practices to keep one another engaged in referrals.
• Discuss and plan how to avoid ‘train wrecks’. 

Step 6

Gain Agreement

• Determine what steps you will take to support your referral partner and set timelines to measure progress of the relationship.
• Learn how to manage relationships and pro-actively address any conflicts.

Step 7

Nurture and Develop Relationships

• Establish networking groups to manage time constraints with referral partners. 
• Learn meeting structure and agendas to educate your referral partners on your business as it changes.

Step 8

Reward Results

• Learn how to appropriately reward referral partners
• Determine best motivations for different partners

Step 9

Track Benefits

• Know which relationships will pay off over time.
• Spend your time where it counts with referral partners
• Stop wasting time with unproductive people!