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May 27, 2006 4:55 pm

For the vets reading this:

Tell us a little about your experiences concerning when clients began to refer friends and family to you. 

At what point during your relationship did this begin happening?

I'm in my second full year in my practice and am anticipating when this might begin.    Yes, I do actively ask for referrals but there must be a point when they begin to happen on an unsolicited basis.

Have a good holiday.

scrim

May 27, 2006 6:53 pm

Provide good service.  It usually happens around year 3 with the average client.

May 28, 2006 6:00 pm

It happens as soon as you start asking them for referrals.

May 28, 2006 6:24 pm

I have to agree with remotecontrol on this one. 

Look at this from another angle.  I have a guy who cuts my grass.  He's everything that you can possibly want in a lawnmower guy (fair price, prompt, courteous, personable, etc).  He does a great job, yet, I have never referred him to any of my friends or family. 

If someone said to me, "I need a great lawnmower guy.  Do you know of anyone?", I would refer him immediately.  However, over the course of the last 4 years, no one has ever asked me for the name of my lawnmower guy.

On the other hand, if lawnmower guy came to me and said, "Anonymous, I'm expanding my business.  Do you have other friends who also have big yards?  I'd like to introduce myself to them so that when they are ready to change lawnmower guys, they'll give me a chance to bid on their lawns," I'd pull out my address book and gladly give him the names and numbers of a dozen people to call.

May 29, 2006 3:03 am

[quote=anonymous]

I have to agree with remotecontrol on this one.



Look at this from another angle. I have a guy who cuts my grass. He’s everything that you can possibly want in a lawnmower guy (fair price, prompt, courteous, personable, etc). He does a great job, yet, I have never referred him to any of my friends or family.



If someone said to me, “I need a great lawnmower guy. Do you know of anyone?”, I would refer him immediately. However, over the course of the last 4 years, no one has ever asked me for the name of my lawnmower guy.



On the other hand, if lawnmower guy came to me and said, “Anonymous, I’m expanding my business. Do you have other friends who also have big yards? I’d like to introduce myself to them so that when they are ready to change lawnmower guys, they’ll give me a chance to bid on their lawns,” I’d pull out my address book and gladly give him the names and numbers of a dozen people to call.

[/quote]



I like the analogy, especially the “friends who also have big yards?”
May 29, 2006 3:20 am

I forgot, also the " great lawnmover guy" part?  Give me a freaking break, Anonymous.

May 29, 2006 3:24 am

"I get paid two ways...half comes from the fees you pay me and the other half comes from the referrals you give me."

"In order to make a living and spend the time managing your account that I need to, I rely on client referrals, rather than spending all my time prospecting for new clients."

Neither of those are originals with me, but I've found them to be very effective.