Читать книгу How to Win Client Business When You Don't Know Where to Start - Tom McMakin, Doug Fletcher - Страница 41

What's a prospective client to do if they haven't hired someone for a specific service before? Maybe they are looking for a web designer, or a financial planner. More often than not, they will ask around to see if someone they trust has a recommendation.

Referrals are the leading source of new business according to my survey, representing 36% of all new clients. This is two times higher than any of the other new client pathways. If we come highly recommended by someone who knows us, we've moved from home plate to second base, maybe even third. In the absence of a repeat client, a strong referral is the next fastest pathway.

The referral source is split roughly 60/40 between our client base (57%) and our professional network (39%). The leading source of referrals is from those we are currently working with or have worked with in the past. This, again, highlights the importance of doing great work.

The next leading source of referrals is from our professional network, or ecosystem: professionals outside of our firm with whom we have a close relationship. This ties into the importance of Rainmaker Skills 3 and 4: building your professional ecosystem and developing trust‐based relationships. Chuck McDonald – an attorney in Columbia, South Carolina, specializing in serving the needs of clients in the construction industry – puts it this way:

The best way to sell your services is not for you to sell your services, but to have someone else sell your services. Nobody wants to hear you say how good you are. It means so much more to have someone they trust say how good you are. Unless you screw up a good referral, you're going to get the business.