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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®



  SALES MEETING TOOLKIT: RAMPING UP
REFERRALS
 

Ramping Up Referrals, Introduction

Component 1:
Facilitator Talking Points

Component 2: Agenda

Component 3: Handout 1, Ten Ways to Build your Referrals

Component 4: Activity 1, Referral Sources Activity Sheet

Component 5: Activity 2, Notes on Spreading your Web

Component 6: Handout 3, Internet Referral Checklist

Component 7: Handout 4, Tips for Handling Corporate Relocation Referrals

Component 8: Other Resources 		  Component 1: Facilitator Talking Points

These notes will guide you and your salespeople through a discussion of creative ways to generate referrals and offer ideas on ways to work more effectively with relocation clients and networks.

Pre-meeting preparation
  • Reviewall the meeting documents in this kit.
  • Know your company policy on how to allocate company referrals.
  • Know your state’s regulations on paying referrals.

Print the following:

1. These facilitator talking points—Component 1

2. Revving Up Referrals Agenda—Component 2

3. Handout 1: Ten Ways to Build Up Your Referrals—Component 3

4. Activity 1: Referral Source Activity Sheet—Component 4

5. Handout 2: Your Company Policy on Referrals—You supply

6. Activity 2: Notes on Spreading Your Web—Component 5

7. Activity 2: Copies of the home pages of the four Web sites discussed in
Component 5 and of your own company’s Web site home page. (An alternative would be to have a computer with Internet access in the training room.)

8. Handout 3: Internet Referral Checklist—Component 6

9. Handout 4: Tips for Handling Corporate Relocation Referrals—Component 7

Welcome (1 minute)

Background and goals (2 min.)
In 2000, 19 percent of the U.S. population moved, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That means that roughly one out of every five people you know will move this year. It’s this constantly shifting population that makes referrals—both local and long-distance—such a valuable source of business.

In this meeting we will:
  • Learn some new ways to generate referral business.
  • Review your company policy on how referrals are allocated.
  • Consider the best way to respond to Internet referrals.
  • Look at some ways to avoid the pitfalls of after-the-fact referrals.

Handout 1: Ten Ways to Build Up Your Referrals (5 min)
Review these tips (Component 3) for increasing referrals. Encourage participants to share their best techniques and add them to the list.

Activity 1: Where do We Get Referrals? (10 min.)
Ask two or three participants to name their best source of referral business. Ask them to be specific—don’t just say “past customers.” For example, suppose one salesperson sold three homes to parents of other players in his son’s Pee Wee baseball league. The parents of the Pee Wee league would be a prime source of referrals. Now, write these sources on a flipchart and ask participants to write the sources into the left-hand column of their Referral Sources Activity Sheet (Component 4). Next, ask participants to identify what the qualities the members of each referral source share. For example, the Pee Wee league buyers have young children and probably live in a particular area, since leagues are generally created geographically. Once you have the characteristics listed, ask participants to think of other groups with the same characteristics. For example, parents of children in Sunday school classes at churches near the baseball field might be another prime source of referrals as they share many of the same characteristics as the Pee Wee league parents.

Handout 2: Your Company Policy on Referrals (5 min.)
Review how non-salesperson-specific referrals are divided in your company and how commissions on referrals are paid. (Pass out copies of your written policy.) Are referrals allocated by seniority, by sales volume, on a rotating basis, or randomly? Discuss what commissions are paid on referral inquiries and referral listings. When and how often are exceptions made? Ask participants for feedback on ways that referrals could be handled more efficiently and fairly.

Activity 2: Notes on Spreading Your Web (10 min.)
Analyze the four Web sites suggested in Component 5 to see what makes these salespeople successful at gaining long-distance business and referrals. Use the Notes on Spreading Your Web (Component 5) to lead the discussion. Discuss how some of these ideas could be adapted to your company’s site or the sites of individual participants. If any of your salespeople have Web sites that generate significant referral business, include that site in the discussion.
Handout 3: Internet Referral Checklist (5 min.)
Read this checklist (Component 6) for handling an Internet referral. Ask participants if they have other successful ways for responding to queries received via the Internet.

Handout 4: Tips for Handling Corporate Relocation Referrals (5 min.)
Review these guidelines (Component 7) to avoid finding out after the fact that you owe a referral fee. Ask participants to share any negative experiences they have had with after-the-fact referral fees and what they do differently now.

Adjourn.

Running time: 43 minutes

Component 2: Facilitator Talking Points >