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What you can expect from this best practice:

 

• Think about referrals in a new way

• Ensure your best clients are getting the attention they deserve 

• Position the introductions as a value-added service for top clients

• Ensure your best clients understand how their introductions will be managed

• Regularly reinforce your introduction process to your top clients

• Proactively encourage multi-generational involvement (this is a form of business succession planning – ensuring that when wealth changes hands, it stays with you)

• Learn a simple process to show gratitude when you receive a referral

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Make the Paradigm Shift

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1. To get started, read Zen and the Art of Referrals.

2. Next, carefully review the list of your AAA and AA clients and meet with your team to ensure that all Client Service deliverables are being delivered exactly as expected to this high value client group. 

3. With these high value clients in mind, review the Psychology of Referrals to get a new appreciation of the best way to position referrals to your clients.

 

Imprint Your Introduction Process

 

We will be providing specific direction and guidance with respect to referrals in the Client Onboarding and Client Rebranding sections of this program, however, you can begin using this approach with your best clients right away.

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1. Print a copy of the Introduction Process Scripting. 

   • Customize the script where appropriate for you.

   • Rehearse and role-play your Introduction Process Scripting until you feel comfortable. 

1. When conducting the next round of Review Meetings with your high value clients, share and discuss your Introduction Process for the first time. 

2. At subsequent Review Meetings with these same high value clients, spend about thirty seconds to reinforce your introduction process.

3. When making calls to high value clients during significant market turmoil, you can also reinforce this concept appropriately using the Introduction Script for Turbulent Times.

4. Finally, when you do receive an introduction, we believe you should show your gratitude immediately - before the outcome is determined.  We recommend you send a quality card with a heartfelt message thanking them for their ‘trust and confidence’.  We do not recommend gift giving which can ‘cheapen’ the process and become awkward in the event of a client on a ‘referral run’.  Instead, we believe it’s best if you spoil them as the AAAs they are.

 

Carefully review Questions Your Clients May Ask You so you can respond professionally.

 

Tracking Referrals

 

Use your CRM to carefully track the names of those who were referred by existing clients as well as, keep a running log in your existing clients in terms of who they referred to you and when.  This is important when you are assessing your clients annually to determine who your true fans are.

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