What Your Referrals Really Want

Well good day guys! Steve Salvia here from Blackwing.com.au. and today I want to talk to you about what your strategic alliance partners really truly want.

See, the thing is that we we’ve got a certain thing in our mind about what we want from a referral alliance partnership… but we don’t really stop long enough or often enough to think about what they could potentially want.

You know, we need to think about what is motivating them. What’s driving them. You know, what are they specifically looking for in an alliance partner like you. I think the way that we’re approaching this is holding us back a lot, and it’s something that we really need to look into. So stick around, take two minutes to have a good think about your alliance partners and let’s do this together.

See I had a question about this in our Facebook page. Our Blackwing Posse Facebook Group just the other day and there was a financial planner in there asking me about it and saying basically “How can I engage more referral partners? How can I get more referrals from my strategic alliance partners? They’ve got a relationship with them. They promised the world they promised that they’re going to send all these referrals but you know what it just never happens. I just don’t follow through.” And I’m sure you probably are feeling a little bit of that situation yourself. Got these strategic alliances but nothing ever comes of it.

So the reality is what we need to think about is we’ve got to stop – I believe we’ve got to stop thinking about… so the thing is WE want referrals. Right? Our thing is to get new clients, new referrals from our alliance partners. But the reality is I think we need to stop thinking about what we want for a moment and start thinking about actually what THEY want. And I think it’s thinking about what we want is what’s stopping us and holding us back from getting referrals.

The thing is you know, what do referral alliance partners want from a relationship with a with an alliance partner like you?

Well what do they want?

They want improved communications.

They want more clients themselves.

They want referrals from their end as well.

They want their clients to be 100 percent looked after and treated really really special.

They want to be put up on a pedestal and make sure that when you’re talking about them you’re sort of letting their clients know what a good job they’re doing and that their advice is solid and on track.

What do they want they?

They want more money. At the end of the day, they’re business owners and they’re commercial business owners just like you are. They want more money as well. They want to grow their business. Their accounting firm or their the general insurance brokerage or their mortgage brokerage – whatever happens to be. They want to grow their business as well.

They want to collaborate. They want to get into a relationship where theirs collaboration as well. Not just the exchange of referrals.

So I think one of the big issues that we’ve got is that often times we go into these strategic alliance partner relationships, kind of ‘cap in hand’, begging for referrals as the starting point of a relationship and I just think that’s a totally wrong way to go about it.

What I want you to do instead. I want you to stop and ask them exactly what it is they want they want. So they tell you what they want out of the relationship rather than you saying, “Hey, I want referrals”. You might also be thinking is that you know that they want money or they want to split or they want these sort of things. Often times that’s not the currency that your strategic alliance partner is dealing with, okay?. They’re not dealing in that currency. We’re dealing in money and commission splits but that’s not the currency that could potentially not be the currency that your alliance partner wants.

So what I want you do is stop. Have a think about this and ask the question to them so they can tell you what they want and then what I want you to do, I want you to do what we call Lead With A Giving Hand.

Figure out exactly what it is they want from you from a relationship from you. What could sort of bring you guys together and build a strong strategic alliance partnership. Find out what that thing is and give it to them on a silver platter. Okay? But we’re never going to know what that thing is until you actually stop and ask.

So guys there’s hell of a lot in getting this part of it right. And you know what? It’s absolutely critical to have a think about these things and get this stuff right in your referral alliance arrangements.

Guys we’ve got what we call our Ultimate Referral System tool kit. It’s got a whole heap of tools and tactics and strategies and things that you can give and add value to your strategic alliance partners and really build those strong relationships that all of us are looking for.

People say that referral relationships and strategic alliance partnerships are dead. I don’t believe that at all. I think that’s absolute garbage. I think it’s just the method in which we’re approaching them.

So guys if you’d like a copy of the guide, just type in the word underneath this – or wherever you’re watching this video. Type in the word “Guide Please” that will do – Guide Please will be fine or yeah that will do, Guide Please. And I’ll shoot one out to you as soon as we possibly can. Okay?

So guys I hope this helps. Go out there and build really good strong referrals. Ask the referral question. “What is it that they actually want from you?”, and give them that thing on a silver platter.

Anyway I hope this helps take good care.

Steve salvia out!