I have used the below philosophy several times in the past and found it to be very effective at obtaining referrals to the people you would really like to talk with. Richard Weylman states the steps very succinctly and thought you would get value from this. If you have never tried this before, now would be a good time to try it.
Step When you meet with a client or prospect, present a list of 15 of these people in their club/association/organization and ask who they know.
Script: Here are 15 people, in your (club, industry) I would like to meet. Who do you know and which ones know you?
Step After they review the list and comment, then ask Who have I left off this list? Be quiet and let them think and articulate.
Step Then, ask for their help to meet the people they know. Be sure to suggest connection ideas.
Script: Be my advisor for a moment – how would you go about meeting these people? Should I coordinate a golf outing or perhaps a breakfast, or better yet…what would you do?
Step Listen carefully as they review the list for social connections and to learn who likes what, gently probe to discover more interests they may have. Note these for future invitations and bridging opportunities.
Step Close the discussion by outlining the next steps (i.e. the date, the location, the invite).
Script: OK, let’s see, you believe golf is the best for these two people. When are you available – and let’s make it a foursome.
OR
You believe lunch after the association meeting would work – great! Should we just make it an outing for all of the people you know? What date works best for you? I would be privileged to have you help me set this up and attend!
A warm introduction is the second easiest person to sell – discipline yourself to capture warm introductions!
So what are you waiting for – go out and try this today, tomorrow, and every day for the next few weeks and see what results you achieve. Only one way to find out for yourself how powerful this is…. Just do it!
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