3 Tips for Getting More Referrals
Tip 1: Impress; don't beg.
You can avoid being a pest by sharing information that positions you as an expert instead of simply asking for business, says Darryl Davis, a speaker and sales trainer in Wading River, N.Y. For example, if friends, family, or past clients put down less than 20 percent when they bought their home years ago, you can remind them how private mortgage insurance works and let them know they may not need it anymore. "Keep sharing your knowledge so that people say, 'Gee, she knows her stuff,'" says Davis.
Tip 2: Watch how you make contact.
Although e-mail messages and phone calls are easy ways to keep up contacts with past clients, make sure you follow federal laws that govern phone and e-mail contact with consumers. Federal do-not-call regulations prohibit businesses from calling consumers on the do-not-call list unless they've had a business relationship with those consumers within the past 18 months or received an inquiry from the consumer in the last six months. The federal CAN-Spam Act permits you to send an unsolicited e-mail so long as the e-mail meets requirements of the act, which include a clear identification that the e-mail is an advertisement or solicitation, a legitimate postal and e-mail address, and an opt-out mechanism, providing the consumer has not previously decided to opt out of receiving e-mail from your company.
Tip 3: Keep those gifts legal.
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act prohibits payments, in any form, for the referral of business. Therefore, when you host customer appreciation parties or give customer gifts, make sure they aren't predicated on past referrals or the promise of future referrals.
By: G. M. Filisko, www.realtor.org
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