I am a little frustrated at the present with the referral conversation in the Progress Meetings. In most of the referral conversations I am getting good emotional responses to the work we are doing and clients have noticed the change from the old service. When we get to the referral conversation, however, I am finding it difficult to get the clients to introduce me the people they know. I have used a lot of the responses you have coached recently and none seem to be working. (It could be that I am not delivering this right). However clients seem to understand what we are doing, (i.e. not soliciting) but still will not introduce me to anyone. It seems to be their view that they are all around the same age and all sorted out and have been with advisers for a very long time. I am coming to the conclusion that, given that my client base is mainly post-60 years of age and not working, maybe this is the way they think. I know that, in your eyes, they would not be Ideal Clients anymore but I am now concentrating more on the self-referral process which is a harder way to go but better than me continuing this process with my clients. I am very interested in your comments.

Article ID: 493
Last updated: 20 Nov, 2019

People who don't refer are not Ideal Clients. If you choose to keep them as profitable non-Ideal Clients, that's your prerogative. The truth is that your clients don't really know whether or not their friends are "all sorted out." It's hard to read a person's mind and know exactly what they are thinking and feeling. My belief is that when a person is unwilling to refer and introduce you to others it's because they either don't trust you completely, or aren't all that impressed with the work you've done for them. That can either be because of them, or you, or some combination. My advice is to continue to make progress with the value you deliver for your clients, your communication skills, to have the referral conversation at every Progress Meeting, and do whatever else you have to do in order to meet people who might become Ideal Clients.

Also listed in
private Referral Conversation™ -> Compelling Referral Conversation™ Help
private Referral Conversation™ -> Ideal Clients Reluctant Giving Referrals
private Referral Conversation™ -> Referral Conversation™ Misc.


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b When I do the Referral Conversation™ with clients, I'm often getting the response that they'd like to check with the people they want to refer first to get their "OK" to give me their contact info. What do you recommend I say when this comes up?
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b I have put together a list of people I would like to meet; a Six Degrees of Separation list, but I'm not sure of the purpose of the list and where to go with it. What script do I use to contact these people? I know some of them through Church, and others I have never talked to. Am I approaching the people on this list to eventually complete their own Financial Road Map®, or am I wanting to meet them to tell them about the new direction of my business and asking where they feel I could meet potential Ideal Clients? Or am I trying to meet the people on this list for both reasons?
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