Salespeople 'need to learn how to ask for referrals'

With the measures outlined in the recent emergency Budget likely to put pressure on consumer confidence, businesses must find ways of adapting to the new environment in order to prosper and one way this could be achieved is through asking clients or prospects for referrals.

Bob Urichuck, writing on his Bob Urichuck Management blog, claims that salespeople work too hard and that clients or prospects could do a lot of work for them by referring them to a company which has a specific need for its products.

The crucial factor is knowing when and how to ask for a referral, which is an area where a sales consultancy could provide expert help.

Mr Urichuck stresses that sales staff should not ask closed questions such as 'do you know anyone who might be interested in my services?', as this will get a flat 'no' answer more often than not.

He recommends that salespeople ask the client for names of people who may have a need for their products and also points out that asking for a referral should only come at the end of the visit or contact with the customer.

"A referral initiates trust and reduces your selling cycle time. The time it takes the referred client to buy is usually much less than any other lead source. What this really means is less hassle and more sales," Mr Urichuck states.

Another area where a sales consultancy can provide valuable guidance is in helping businesses reassess their sales plans to make them more relevant to the current economic environment.

Writing on The Sales Hunter's Sales Motivation Blog, Mark Hunter said that many companies are struggling because their sales processes are antiquated.