[tab name=’Guidelines’]
Guidelines : Requesting
Requesting Referrals
Guidelines and Alternate Phrases
Recall your past association with the reader, if necessary, such as a mutual friend or attendance at a convention.
Gerald Hines mentioned to me last week you might know of …
After leaving Snyder’s summer employment program more than two years ago, I’ve found plenty of opportunity to use the skills learned as an apprentice there. You were kind enough to let me observe you in your job for two weeks, and, as a result, I’ve carved out a sales position of my own here at Ibco.
I enjoyed our short airplane chat last week on the way to Los Angeles.
Outline briefly your services or products and the target customer or client.
Thank the reader for any referral he or she may have occasion to give and include any mutual benefit that you foresee.
If you have occasion to mention our company, we will greatly appreciate it.
Thank you in advance for any referrals that you might send our way.
We will appreciate your passing on this information to anyone you think could benefit.
If you have an opportunity to refer us to someone, we will very much appreciate your taking the time to do so.
If any of your acquaintances express an interest in our products or services, be sure to let them know of us. We will thank you.
Should any of your friends, family, or business associates mention interest along these lines, please let us know, and we will appreciate the opportunity to follow up with them.
Do you ever run across anyone in need of placement services? If so, I’ll appreciate your giving them my name.
As I see it, you and I sell complementary products to the same customer. Seems to me that whichever of us gets to the customer first should suggest the next logical step in the set-up process. Can you envision a way we could construct a mutually beneficial referral arrangement?
Thank you for passing on any of my information to interested colleagues.
Do you think it would be to our mutual benefit to set up a formal arrangement for commission referrals?
I’ll appreciate it if you can pass my name along to anyone who might be interested in this service, and I’ll do the same for you.
I’d like to work out a mutually beneficial arrangement for referrals. Do you have suggestions?
I’ll appreciate your referring to me anyone who needs such services.
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[tab name=’Example 1′]
Example 1: Sample letter for asking clients for referrals
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. Kai:
I enjoyed visiting with you at the trade show last week in Baltimore. Opportunities to relax around the dinner table certainly provide a more civilized way to get to know colleagues than on that jammed expo floor! Your work with the court systems sounds fascinating.
Although I didn’t get to go into much detail about our consulting services, I wanted you to know our clientele resembles your own. We provide sales training to small organizations of approximately 50 employees or fewer. We go far beyond the usual rah-rah motivational meetings to help individual reps design and achieve personal sales goals, by providing the training they need in a one-on-one setting. Our methods may involve only recommending certain audiotape programs for self-study or consulting with individuals on a three- or four-day proposal project.
I will appreciate any referrals to individuals or small corporations you think may be interested in such one-on-one sales training. Certainly, I’ll keep my eyes open for opportunity to refer any investment business your way. Let’s plan to stay in contact or at least to meet up at the next IACB convention, if not before.
Sincerely,
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[tab name=’Example 2′]
Example 2: Requesting letter for referral clients
Company Name or Letterhead
Address
City, State Zip
Date
Addressee
Address
City, State Zip
Dear Ms. Wilson:
I enjoyed seeing you again after so many years. I’m glad to hear that my old employer, Hereford Inc., has extended your contract, because there is certainly a need for your services there.
As I told you, I left Hereford in 19– to start my own consulting firm specializing in personnel services for smaller companies. We assist organizations throughout the entire process of personnel activities–from recruiting to termination and out-placement. I’ve enclosed a complete listing of our services.
I will appreciate referrals to any of your clients or acquaintances who might have the need of our services. Perhaps I could even offer some free “friendly” advice to you in a personnel situation. I’m looking forward to seeing you at other chamber events.
Cordially,
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