Your product doesn’t matter, your customer does.

Sometimes other people communicate our message better than we do. They add a twist, a new insight, different phrasing, and a unique perspective. That’s what happened last year when I spoke about asking for referrals at the Sales Masterminds Australasia event in Sydney, Australia.

The room was packed with nearly 100 people who were curious about different approaches to prospecting. I suspect they were also curious what this American would say. One of the attendees was Brigid Archibald, commercial sales director at Salesforce. I was amazed and delighted when she wrote a blog post about my presentation. She brilliantly connects referral selling with the customer-centric sales reality. She writes: “Customers are connected and informed. They know all they need to know about the product. Selling is about customer experience. It’s about the relationship. There is no stronger way to begin that relationship than via referral.”

Brigid says it better than I. Here’s her perspective:

6 Steps to Successful Referral Sales—Stop Cold Calling!

By Brigid Archibald

 

Referral selling expert Joanne Black wants you to stop cold calling—and I’m pretty sure your customers would be with her. Here’s her guide to referral sales. 

Think of the overwhelming benefits of a sales referral over a cold call. You are instantly in front of the person who matters, rather than battling your way through their people. There is an immediate sense of trust, particularly if the referral came from a person the prospect respects. And you likely already know something about each other, meaning the ‘first-date awkwardness’ is removed from the meeting.

Read the rest of “6 steps to successful referral sales—stop cold calling!on the Salesforce Australia and NZ Blog.