5 Things You Must Do To Prepare for a Referral Meeting

Athletes use a pre-game routine to reach peak performance during the game.

Musicians use a pre-concert routine to be at their very best when the baton drops.

What about you?  What is your pre-appointment routine – especially as it relates to getting more and better introductions to Right-Fit clients?

Pre-Appointment Checklist to Get Introductions

1. Prepare your meeting agenda.

You already know that running an appointment from an agenda makes for a more efficient meeting. That means you’ll have ample time to conduct your value discussion and discuss one or more possible introductions.

2. Add Value Discussion to the agenda.

The starting point of just about any request for introductions is the Value Discussion. You want to make sure that your client is experiencing the value of the meeting, your process, and/or the overall working relationship. This step alone sometimes creates unsolicited introductions.

3. Think about specific people you know they know.

Coming prepared for your request will boost your confidence and your results. The best way to ask for introductions is to come to the appointment with a request for an introduction to one or more specific people you know are in your client’s life. It’s the path of least resistance for both you and your clients.

4. Think about relevant categories of people.

If you can’t identify specific people per the item above or you want to add to that suggestion, the next logical place to look is categories of people. These can be life events, trigger events, money in motion, or just the reason they came to you in the first place.

5. Do what most people don’t do.

The best way to add confidence to your approach, that will lead to your clients responding positively, is through practice. The best practice is with a friend or colleague. Next best would be talking it out with yourself – maybe as you’re driving to an appointment.

If a baseball pitcher is working on a new pitch, do you think he’s going to try it in a game for the very first time?  Heck no!  Or if a musician has a concert coming up, is she going to read the music for the first time during the performance? Highly unlikely.

The most underutilized way to build skill and confidence around speaking to clients about introductions is through practice.

Related: The Secret Sauce To Winning High Net Worth Prospects in the First Meeting with Erin Botsford