I regularly receive referrals.
They usually arrive in the form of an email from a smart referrer, along these lines:
Hi Nigel
I hope that you are well.
Julia Smith from XYZ Co. may be giving you a call or emailing you.
I recommended you to her, as I know that you are the best in the business.
If I can be of any further help, just ask.
Kind regards
Will Spreadtheword
What would you think if you received an email like this?
I know what I think: “What a nice guy Will is. After I have looked up XYZ Co. on the internet and searched for Julia Smith in LinkedIn, I am going to see if I can return the favour in some way.”
Of course I become busy with other emails, phone calls and meetings.
The following morning, another email comes in from Will.
“Any word from Julia yet?” he asks. “I have taken the liberty of adding you to our newsletter list and I hope that this is OK with you.”
Over the coming days, I receive a LinkedIn connection request from Will and a guide that he thought would be useful.
Quite the relationship builder, isn’t he?
He still hasn’t tried selling anything to me, by the way.
Whilst I am doing some gardening at the weekend, I find that I am thinking about Will and whether we can either use his services or, at the very least, refer someone to him.
The mind hates an imbalance in the universe, doesn’t it?
