Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

8.2. The Goal: Pearls Called Referrals

The goal of the Hour of Power is to increase your referral business—gathering the pearls called referrals. It's about leveraging the power of the Rule of 250 that I introduced in Chapter 4. According to the Rule of 250, each person knows at least 250 other people they can tell about you. No matter what you are selling, the Hour of Power is a proven method for increasing your referral business.

Far too many salespeople fail to leverage the power of satisfied customers. They spend a great deal of time and energy satisfying the customer, and then they toss away that huge investment by losing contact with the person. As a result, they expend time and energy in a constant pursuit of new customers.

Keep in mind that you already earned the respect of every customer you have satisfied. Your customers may not know how to thank you, so give them the best way possible to thank you: by sending referrals your way.

Unfortunately, customers and clients often forget even the best purchase experiences they've had. With the Hour of Power, you deliver a subtle reminder. You keep the experience alive in their minds. When that customer is talking with someone who is in the market for whatever you sell, he or she will recommend you without hesitation. You become synonymous with what you sell.

NOTE

Harvey McKay, the envelope salesman, taught me that the better your database, the better your business. According to McKay, you should know at least 66 things about ...