Let People Know You Appreciate Referrals

by Lana J. Chandler

Showing your appreciation for referrals is a key factor in whether you continue to get referrals. “When you drop the ball on a thank-you, the referrals will slip as well,” points out Lyn Murphy, co-founder of PeopleSmart High Impact Training and Consulting in Boston, Massachusetts.

Thank you notes, phone calls, sending information that may help the person, sending them a referral, tickets to an event, invitation to a bank event—all are excellent ways to show your appreciation.

“Most people just want a simple thank you. It’s really the same for both business and consumer referrals,” says Murphy.

Be Timely

“Always thank your referral source in a timely manner. Why? So they are not sitting there thinking, John has not even thanked me for the referral I gave him last week,” Murphy says. “Think about it this way: Have you ever given a gift to someone and you wonder where the thank-you note or call is? Also, in the same scenario, do you ever say, ‘Wow, it’s been a month and no thank-you note from John.”

continue reading »