Business Monday: More Referrals Through TRUST – Bob Salvas

by Bob Salvas, Momentum Networking, contributing writer

A few years back, a few people started a successful local networking organization consisting of several chapters that generated business referrals for their members.  The organization is still around today and is called TRUST NETWORKING.  Trust.  Now there is a word that belongs with networking.  If you have been networking for a bit, you already know that getting people to trust you is the only way to get more referrals.

But how do you build that trust?  You can start by practicing four simple habits that were probably originally taught to you by your parents.  I first read about these four habits from Dan Sullivan, founder of THE STRATEGIC COACH program.  Here are the four habits with my commentary:

1. Show up on time. People who always show up late are not respecting you and they are also planting the question in your mind that if they got a referral to your best client, would they be on time for that meeting?  Late Packers’ Coach Vice Lombardi is famously quoted as saying that: “If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.” 
2. Do what you say you are going to do. One of the keys to business success is setting clear expectations and then meeting or exceeding them.  If you don’t do that, not only will you build distrust among your referral sources, but there is also less than a 10% chance that the client will ever give you more business!  And if a client is not willing to give you additional business, then they will NEVER give you a referral
3. Finish what you start. Some of the best starters are entrepreneurs; they are also some of the worst finishers (surely, they have heard of FOLLOW UP???). The entrepreneur loves the new idea or the new shiny object solution to a problem.  But don’t let the distractions take you off course.  It takes discipline and hard work, but it is important to ALWAYS see things all the way through.
4. Say please and thank you. Sure, you might thank the customer who gives you a big deal.  But did you thank the person who gave you a small deal.  Did you thank the person who referred you to that customer?  Did you thank the customer that chose the competition?  You can thank people for their time, their referrals, their business, their efforts or just for your opportunity to be heard.  Showing an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE is one of the most overlooked keys to success in life and in business and it can be the easiest one to execute on.   And gratitude also helps build trust as the website intelligentchange.com explains: “When we express gratitude, we become more vulnerable and authentic. The connection with the other person strengthens, by promoting trust and mutual respect.”

Referrals can come from many different people: your known referral sources; your current customers; your past customers; your friends and family; and of course, your NETWORK.  But no matter who they come from; you should always be mindful of these simple habits.  If you do them consistently over time, people will start to see you as someone who is dependable and someone who they can (dare I say?) TRUST!

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” – Stephen Covey

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Bob Salvas is a marketing and business advisor, a professional development consultant for the RI Builders Association, and the coordinator of MOMENTUM NETWORKING. You can contact Bob via email: [email protected]

For more information about TRUST NETWORKING: https://www.trustnetworkinggroup.com/