How do you turn your contacts into referrals or leads for your business?

I always follow up soon after an event I have attended and received business cards. I make reference to the points discussed as we exchanged cards.

I always "Follow Up" within 24 hours, because some people's memories are short, and they get busy after events. I actually start the Follow Up process at the event itself, to filter out time wasters, and messages pinging about afterwards that are not productive.

Contacts need to be converted into relationships, this requires a proactive plan. Be purposeful! A timely follow up (the sooner the better) is only as good as its relevancy to the other party. The initial follow up should be inquisitive (to learn more or set up the next meeting) or informative (bringing them value or insights). Then every action/meeting behind that should continue along the planned roadmap until the relationship comes to fruition or mutual goals achieved.

Transforming your contacts into business referrals or leads requires a clear strategy. Start by setting a specific goal and timeline for your outreach, whether that's scheduling a meeting, asking for a referral, or presenting a solution. Be clear about your value proposition. Follow up within 24 to 48 hours after making contact to keep the connection fresh. Engage in regular communication, offering value and nurturing the relationship. Utilize a CRM system to organize contacts and interactions. Be sure to respect boundaries, and always appreciate any assistance offered. With time and effort, this approach can help grow your business sustainably.

With Linked in I always attach a message and say why I am requesting a link. Depending on the nature I often refer to our website if relevant.

Open ended conversation starter questions often creat fertile ground to find common ways to work together. Choose some that follow along the lines of how the conversation unfolds. I include I. the call one that really creates room for further chats: “why do you do what you do!” Most people are never asked this. Be prepared to offer your “why” as well. Have fun with it but be real and honest. There are no hacks for this!

Yes always mention an action and anything relevant to my request like reading about them in a business journal. I firmly believe the personal touch pays dividends

Whether its through my podcast (often I invite my network as guests) articles, books or one on one, I always give. Because when you give, you cement yourself as a subject matter expert. It's also good Karma.

There's one question that many people don't ask. And that is 'How would you prefer us to stay in touch?' Simply saying you'll stay in touch is vague. Will that mean you'll send a lazy email? Or will you call to speak to them when you say you will? This step is often overlooked and can harm a relationship if you don't meet the other person's expectations of how to stay in touch. Don't spoil it by assuming the 'how'.

Following up is HUGE. People are busy and if you don’t follow up you will miss out on so many opportunities. Following, connecting, and messaging on LinkedIn are HUGE ways to convert face to face conversations.

Agree it is essential to be respectful and not be seen as a nuisance. I use a pdf brochure so as this is regularly updated I take the opportunity to send to connections as a reminder.

I send a proposal by email ahead of the date I promised. I follow up to be sure they received it. I almost always get a reply to that. Then I add value to the proposal by highlighting some of its attributes over the next week. I may call by phone to see if they have any questions and complete the call with a request to sign and let’s get started. I have a very good closing rate as a result of my friendly yet proactive follow up.

I always look how I can help my contacts with referrals and the need to stay in touch. It is useful to send testimonials where a service has been provided.

The key to turning a relationship into successful referral partnership is regular, open and honest communication. By staying in touch with them and keeping them in the loop they will stay excited about referring others to you. Be should be one of the first to know about your new services, products, launches, sales and business changes. Create special referral opportunities and rewards and provide them with tools to make referring new people to you a breeze. And when you receive a referral, reach out to your referral sources and give them updates during the sales process, so they know you’re taking care of those they send your way, even if they don’t end up converting.

You may meet your ideal client at an event or online yet the timing may not be aligned - yet. The art of building an effective working relationship is to be open and honest from the beginning in saying you'd love to work with them but only when the time is right. In the meantime it's about getting to know them and their business. Is there a challenge they have now that you can help fix? It may be a piece of advice (for free) or a referral to someone else you trust. Getting involved and showing you're invested goes a long way to building the right foundations for a potential customer to only consider you when the time is right.