Developing a Contact List- Part Two
Nancy Roebke   mailto:execdirector@profnet.org


Last week, we spoke about how to come up with a list of 
persons you currently know. Although everyone on that list 
will not necessarily become your client, everyone can lead you 
to clients. In this section, we will talk about how to get 
referrals from all of the people on your contact list and what 
to do once you have those referrals.  

Most people will not feel comfortable giving you referrals 
until they know how you intend to handle these contacts. No 
one wants to refer you someone that you are too aggressive 
with, that you take advantage of, or for what ever reason, that 
you make them look bad in front of. The following is an 
excellent approach to use that is not only non-threatening for 
the referred person , but does not embarrass the person giving 
the referral.  

1. Determine who your client base is. For illustrative purposes,
let's say your clients are CPAs.

2. Ask everyone on your MEMORY JOGGER list for a 
referral to a CPA.  

3. Tell everyone who you ask for a referral from, that you will
be using these referrals to seek advice on how you might best
develop your new business. Make it clear that you will not be
asking for work from these referrals.

4. Write THANK YOUs to all person who provided you with a
referral. Ask that they keep you in mind in the future, should
they have contact with other CPAs .

5. Contact the referrals you receive and make an appointment
for that advice- making sure that you are clear about your
intent- to get advice, not sell anything. Also make it clear
that you will only need a brief period of time- let's say ten
minutes.

6. At this appointment, be prepared with survey-type questions
to ask. These questions should be geared toward finding a need
for your product or service. This need can be of a general or
specific nature- you are seeking information here.

7. Once at the appointment, conduct yourself professionally. 
Dress appropriately. Upon completion of the interview, ask for 
a referral of someone else you might be able to seek advice 
from.  

8. Write a THANK YOU note to the person you had the 
interview with. Thank them for their time and help with the 
advice they gave you. Thank them for their referral.  

9. Contact their referral. Make an appointment with them, 
using the name of the person who gave you the referral and 
making your intentions clear.  

10. Repeat the above process.

This approach will open many doors for you. It is non-
threatening and low-keyed. The information you garnish will 
be useful in helping you tailor your products and services to 
meet the needs your client base. It will also encourage 
members of your MEMORY JOGGER list to refer more 
possible clients your way, once they see how you handle the 
first referrals they send your way.  


Nancy Roebke, is the Executive Director of Profnet Inc, a 
professional business leads generation corporation. We bring 
business professionals together in a non-competitive 
environment to help each other make more money.  
http://www.profnet.org  

Copyright c 1998 Nancy Roebke





Nancy Roebke is the Executive Director of Profnet, Inc. 
Profnet, Inc. is a professional business leads generation 
corporation. We bring business professionals together in a 
non-competitive environment to help each other make more 
money.  


execdirector@profnet.org    
profnet.org


Copyright c 1998 Nancy Roebke