What is the best practice on how to give a referral via email when you see a sales lead on LeadVine.com? In viewing conversations between members I often see a quick message, such as “Contact xyz at 123 456-7891″. This is not an effective way to refer new business.

If you want to earn $1,000’s worth of referral fees then it is in your best interest to give a good referral. LeadVine gives you the information you need to to determine if you can find a sales lead in which you can give a referral, but you need to do a little bit of work to ensure the referral is a success and to get your finder’s fee. I came across a blog entry from David J.P. Fisher of Rock Star Consulting that explains a great way to give a referral via email.

Before giving a referral you need to first speak to or have an email conversation with the person who posted the sales lead and ask them if they think they can help your contact. Take 5 - 10 minutes to find more information about their service, product, etc.

David writes:

“In the world of sales and small business, there is nothing more valuable than a referral. A lot of energy is spent positioning ourselves with our clients and colleagues so that we can take advantage of word of mouth advertising. In fact, business networking is predicated on the concept of building relationships with others so they will refer business to us.

That being said, the logistical challenges of referrals often becomes a roadblock. What is the best way for someone to actually refer us? For example, many of us have heard this sentence from a client: “I told my friend about you - I think they could really use your services. I gave them your phone number” We sit by the phone and wait, but unless the need is super-urgent, the call never comes.

The easier we can make giving referrals, the more effective we can make it (and more likely to happen). Modern technology has the answer: email. There are two reasons for this. First of all, it creates a written record of the referral, so that the contact information is readily accessible. The second reason, probably even more important, is the the “carbon copy” function of email allows the person doing the recommending to notify both the person they are referring and the person they are referring to at the same time.

When you send an referral email, it can be short and sweet. It should contain the following information:

* Why you are making the referral.
* How you know the referred.
* That you are carbon copying the referred on the email.
* The next action step.

Here is a sample email script you can use:

“Hi John,

I wanted to follow up on our conversation the other day. You said you were looking to build your business and I think working with a business and sales coach like David might be a big help. I met David through a networking group and I’ve had the chance to use his services - he really helped me out. You can contact at him by phone at _______. I’ve also cc’d him on this email so you can contact him at the above email address.

Good Luck!

Lisa”

In addition to Dave’s email example above, if you have not used the persons service or product then you can write the following message

“Hi John,

I wanted to follow up on our conversation the other day. You said you were looking to build your business and I think working with a business and sales coach like David might be a big help. I met David through a online networking group. I have not used his service but I have spoken with him and I think he may be able to help you increase sales.  You can contact at him by phone at _______. I’ve also cc’d him on this email so you can contact him at the above email address.

Good Luck!

Lisa”

With a simple email you can increase your chances of referring a hot sales lead and earning easy money.

“And there is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can’t. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that’s it, I’m done.”  - Ben Affleck’s character in Boiler Room.

Boiler Room is one of my favorite movies and I really enjoyed Ben Affleck’s character. In one of Ben’s memorable speeches, Ben tells the stock broker trainees that there is always a sales call. This quote made me realize that whenever you make a sales call there is always a sale made. If you don’t make the sale then then the potential customer sold you on why they should not buy from you.

Note: LeadVine is a non-partisan site.

This post is Part 2 of 2 of sales tips everyone can learn from our Presidential Candidates.

Presidential candidates have the largest sales and marketing challenges. Presidential candidates have to sell themselves and their policies to millions of American voters. What sales tips and marketing tips can small businesses and sales and marketing professionals learn from Presidential candidate, John McCain?

1. Do something honorable, special, and noteworthy -John McCain is an American war hero. Even without knowing his political stance and policies, as a voter it is hard to ignore is honor, valor, and courage, traits that a good president should have. When John McCain was first running as an Arizona Senator many residents were skeptical because he was not from Arizona and had not lived there for that long.  McCain stated that his father was in the military and they moved from base to base a lot and that Arizona was the second longest place he lived after Vietnam where he served as a POW. The voters in the room all stood up and gave him a standing ovation.

Very few people share John McCain’s hardship and honor but when dealing with potential customers highlight parts of your background that will give them a glimpse of who you are, what you stand for, and try to make a connection with your customers. Maybe you served in the armed forces, played a sport in a local college, were in eagle scout, or were heavily involved in a philanthropic foundation. Try to find something in your past that your potential customers can find noteworthy.

2. Have a wealth of experience - John McCain has over 25 years of experience as a Arizona Senator. Senator McCain has a wealth of experience that he can draw upon as a potential President. While voters are questioning Senator Obama’s experience, no one is questioning McCain’s experience and readiness to serve as President.

Customers look for consultants and sales professionals that have the experience and knowledge to solve the issues they are facing. Customers can easily see through slick presentations and false promises.

3. Be a maverick - John McCain has been viewed as a Maverick. People know that he won’t always follow the company line and that he will do what he believes is best for his constituents.  John McCain is straight forward, direct, and more non-partisan than a lot of his contemporaries.

In business, mavericks are often rewarded. Several high profile business professionals are considered mavericks - Donald Trump, Richard Branson, Larry Ellison, and Steve Jobs.

4. Choose a partner who will ignite your base - John McCain took the focus off of Obama for 2-3 weeks with the selection of Sarah Palin. The conservative base was re-energized by Palin’s values and it balanced the idea of John as a Maverick. Palin also transferred the media focus off of Barack Obama and onto McCain - Palin.

5. If at first you don’t succeed, try again - In 2000 John McCain ran for the Republican nomination, but lost to George W. Bush. Failure did not stop McCain, as he ran again in 2008 and had success. John McCain won his parties nomination in March while it took the Democrats till June to determine their candidate.

6. Adapt - John McCain and President Bush have a bitter and akward history. McCain voted against Bush on several occassions. McCain knew he needed President Bush’s support to run for the 2008 Presidentcy, so McCain adapted. McCain campaigned for Bush in 2004, heavily supported the war, and as Barack Obama pointed out, agreed with Bush 90% of the time. Even though McCain had a bitter history with Bush, he knew what allies he needed to make to win the 2008 Republican nomination.

Note: LeadVine is a non-partisan site.

Presidential candidates have the largest sales and marketing challenges. Presidential candidates have to sell themselves and their policies to millions of American voters. What sales tips and marketing tips can small businesses and sales and marketing professionals learn from Presidential candidate, Barack Obama?

1. You only have one chance to make a first impression - In 2000 as a young Illinois state Senator,  Barack Obama could not even get a ticket to attend the Democratic national convention. When he was asked to give the keynote address in the 2004, Barack made the most out of his opportunity.  Barack inspired Democrats, made people cry, gave attendants hope, and started his political ascent.

2. Be unique and different - Barack has a unique name and is the first African American Presidential candidate.  In his childhood, Barack went by the Americanized name of “Barry“, but in College Barack decided to accept his given name.  Using his given name has given Barack an advantage in his campaign. What’s more memorable the first time you hear it - “Barack” or “John”?

3. Practice your presentation skills - Barack is a gifted orator and inpires thousands of people. Even for the most gifted politician, being a great presenter takes a lot of practice. You can start by joining your local Toastmasters group.  Toastmasters is a nonprofit organization with nearly 235,000 members in 11,700 clubs in 92 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.

4. Take advantage of Web 2.0 - Barack’s campaign is Web 2.0 savvy. Barack is on Twitter, has his on online community, has a blog, is on Facebook,  and has several YouTube videos. He even used technology to text his Vice Presidential selection. Taking advantage of social media helps him attract the college, young, and techy demographic. It also is another way his supporters can stay involved. His website has helped him collect a fundraising record of $605 million.

5. Start off your sales campaign strong and keep the momentum - Before the primaries began, Hillary Clinton was the heavy favorite to win the the Democratic nomination. Barack Obama knew it was important to win Iowa, the first Democratic primary, because this would give him momentum, media coverage, and would prove to voters in other states that his campaign had a chance to win the nomination.  Just like Barack, it’s important to start your sales campaign off strong to help build momentum for the rest of the year and to get you through the slow periods. When you meet your sales and revenue goals do not let up. Barack Obama has stated that he is not keeping his lead for granted. He has been aggressively campaigning, even in the rain, and has bought several TV spots.

6. Don’t forget about the smaller customers - Barack Obama has raised a record $605 million dollars with an average contribution of $86. Traditionally, politicians have catered to the rich and wealthy for contributions, but Barack has shattered records by attracting 3.1 million donors. In business it is important to focus on the larger customers but don’t forget about the smaller customers, they might help you reach record sales as well.

7. Have a clear and consistent message - Barack Obama’s message has consistently been about “Change” and “Hope”.  His book in 2006 was titled “Audacity of Hope”. These two words have been consistently used through out his campaign. While McCain has changed themes on a weekly basis, Obama has never drifted from his message.

8. Pick a good partner and team - Barack Obama has stated that picking the Vice-President is the most important decision he will have to make before he becomes President.  He picked Senator Joe Biden, a smart pick because it gives Barack a seasoned experienced politician and foreign policy expert. Picking Senator Biden reflected a critical strategic choice by Senator Obama. He went with a running mate who could reassure voters about gaps in his résumé, rather than to pick someone who could deliver a state or reinforce Senator’s Obama’s message of change. In addition Barack picked a great campaign team. While there were rumors of tension within Hillary’s team and current rumors of tension in the McCain-Palin ticket, Senator Obama has run a smooth and drama free campaign.

9. Timing is everything - Barack Obama chose a perfect time to run for president. America is disenchanted with the current administration, unhappy about the war, and struggling due to the economy. Barack is running a campaign with the themes of hope and change, just what many American are looking for at this time.

10. Be calm, collective, and cool under pressure - Barack Obama appears to be calm, collective, and cool under pressure. Especially during this period of economic uncertainty, his calmness is reassuring to his supporters. In business and sales, giving an impression of being cool and collective can help you close the sale.

After a year of working on LeadVine we are finally live! Please check out the site and let us know what you think. If you have thoughts on how to make us better, email us at allan@leadvine.com.

Referral Fee:  $50  

Company or Individual’s name:  Sherra Scott / Quality Practice Management Solutions (QPMS)

Sales lead / Description of the type of business or information you are searching for: QPMS services small and home based businesses as well as entrepreneurs and real estate professionals.  Our ideal client is one who need administrative, bookkeeping or desktop publishing assistance, but does not want or need a full or part time employee.

You know to refer me when:   The business owner or entrepreneur is overwhelmed with back office duties or special projects that he or she does not enjoy, does not have time for or simply does not have the skill set to complete. 

Title of the decision maker I would like to be referred to:  Business Owner

Location you service:  Worldwide 

Payment Details:  Referral is paid upon receipt of first client payment for a retainer package of 10 hours per month or more or any services over $200.

Contact Information:   Sherra Scott - sherra@qualityva.com - (803) 438-8508 or (702) 921-4246 fax  http://www.qualityva.com/

Referral Fee: 10% on sales, minimum $50 referral fee on minimum $500 order

Company or Individual’s name: Brownie Shotz, LLC 

Sales lead / Description of the type of business or information you are searching for: Brownie Shotz are a bite sized, chocolate enrobed brownie perfect for coffee shops, caterers, restaurants or any food service venue that sells desserts. We currently sell in bulk by the case of 144. These may be repackaged in a retail box for sale in florist shops or for gift baskets, etc. 

You know to refer me when: Someone is looking to sell chocolate

Title of the decision maker I would like to be referred to: Procurement officer or buyers

Location you service: Currently, Northwest US and Northern California. Soon nationwide.

Payment Details: Payable upon signed contract and payment secured. 

Contact Information:

Jim Sanders

Brownie Shotz, LLC

jim@BrownieShotz.com

(971) 275-3743

http://www.brownieshotz.com/

Referral Fee: Minimum $50. Up to 10% referral fee of total of first signed contract.

Company or Individual’s name: ThinkBigSites.com

Sales lead / Description of the type of business or information you are searching for: Only organizations that are serious about moving their website onto Page 1 of the Organic Google Rankings.  ThinkBIG is harnessing the power of Web 2.0 social networking, blog marketing & strategic inbound linking to build brand identity which creates a buzz about our clients that the search engines just cannot ignore…period.

You know to refer me when: A website owner wants to be on Page 1 of Google within 90 days.Title of the decision maker I would like to be referred to: Owner, CEO, Web Developer, VP of Marketing, CIO 

Location you service: Worldwide
 

Payment Details: Payable upon signed contract and payment secured.
 

Contact Information: Brett Davis - bdavis@thinkbigsites.com

Referral Fee: $50

Company or Individual’s name: Asometric

Sales lead / Description of the type of business or information you are searching for: Any business with who uses their own domain name for email and wishes to block spam & viruses from their inbound email.

You know to refer me when: A company is having problems with spam and wishes to alleviate this problem.

Title of the decision maker I would like to be referred to: Owner, CEO, IT Manager

Location you service: Worldwide

Payment Details: Once the company pays for the annual service payment will be completed by money transfer.

Contact Information: Wayne Dunne - wayne@asometric.com

Referral Fee:  Minimum of $50 and up to 10% of the total fee for the first signed contract.

Company or Individual’s name: Lotus Effects Spa and Resort Development Globally

Sales lead / Description of the type of business or information you are searching for: Contact with spa resort / hotel / destination / spa community developers implementing spas. Tourism / Travel boards that provide spa or wellness related information.
 

You know to refer me when: An owner/developer/agent wants a spa advisor or expert to manage their spa facility independently, or they need top assistance in operations, treatments, training, development and all spa aspects. When someone wants to start a spa or spa related wellness concept, and they are not in the industry or need assistance.
 

Title of the decision maker I would like to be referred to: CEO, Consultant, Agent, Marketing or Development Director, COO, CFO
 

Location you service: Travel and consulting is worldwide. This is both virtual and on site work.
 

Payment Details: Minimum $50. Up to 10% referral fee of total of first signed contract. Payable upon signed contract and payment secured.
 

Contact Information: Liz Galloway, Director of Development and Education
(801) 637-5235
contact@thelotuseffects.com