Referrals to the right person

When someone routes you to another person inside the account, the call changes shape. You have a route into the account, and your next job is to turn it into context before moving on. The preferred outcome is for the initial contact to introduce you to the next target.¹ A name points you in the right direction. An introduction gives you an existing connection when you reach the right person.² Ask for it while the conversation is open, then make the handoff easy for everyone involved.

Run the handoff in order

First decide whether you have received a referral or only a vague suggestion. Then move from identifying the right person to getting an introduction and a prompt response.

Use the rest of the conversation to learn whether the person has sent you to the right area. A referral is a reply that directs you to a different, correct person.³

Ask who handles the issue and who works with it directly. Find out who should be involved in a conversation. If you are speaking with the wrong person, use that conversation to identify the proper contact and ask the initial contact to make an introduction.⁴

Keep the request plain when the contact is the wrong person.⁵ Say, "I want to get a referral." You are listening for a specific person and a reason that person should take the conversation. A department name or a vague instruction to search the website leaves the routing work with you.

Once you know who should be involved, ask the person you already have for access to that person. Secure the introduction while the context is still fresh.

Ask for an introduction at the right point in the process.⁶ Use this wording: "At the right point, would you be willing to introduce us to those people?" Keep the request focused on routing when that is the purpose of the exchange. A warm introduction request fits a routing goal, while a full pitch does not belong in that moment.⁷

Do not bury the ask in a long explanation. Pause and let the contact decide. If they agree, confirm the name, the channel, and who will send the first message. If they hesitate, ask what would make the introduction appropriate.

A referral gives the new contact a reason to recognize you. Carry the original contact's name and context into the next message so the referred person understands why you are reaching out.

An internal referral can make the person controlling access more comfortable allowing a sales representative to speak with a decision-maker.⁸ Use that access respectfully. Open by naming the connection, explain why the initial contact pointed you over, and ask a question that belongs to the referred person's area.

The first question should check the route. Ask what the referred person owns and how the issue reaches their team. Find out who else needs to be part of the discussion. Move forward when the referred person confirms that the topic sits with them. Redirect again if they point you elsewhere.

Responding quickly tells the referrer that you can handle the access they created. It also keeps the introduction from becoming an unattended thread.

Respond right away to an email introduction.⁹ Taking a day or two to respond communicates that you are too busy to handle introductions.¹⁰ Acknowledge the person who connected you, address the referred contact, and make the next action clear in the same reply.

Keep the initial response short enough for both people to follow. Use it to accept the handoff and establish the next conversation. Save the full explanation for the person who now owns the topic.

When the name is all you get

A name without an introduction still gives you a route, but you need to work the account with more care. Stay with the original contact long enough to learn how the referred person fits into the account.

Ask, "Who is the best person for me to speak with about this?" Then ask whether the contact would be comfortable connecting you directly. People already known at the target company can be asked for introductions to the right people.¹¹

When you need another route, look for individuals who regularly interact with senior leaders and can help you reach people with commercial authority.¹² This gives you a useful filter for choosing whom to approach inside the account. The person who answers your first outreach may lack ownership while still having access to someone who does.

Keep the original contact informed when the referral is only verbal. If the introduction does not happen, return to the agreed route and make the request specific. Preserve the context that made the referral possible while finding the person who can move the conversation forward.

Questions to use at each point

The questions should change as the handoff advances. Each one has a different job, so avoid using the same broad request throughout the exchange.

• When the reply first arrives: "Who handles this?"
• When the right contact is identified: "Would you be willing to introduce me?"
• When the introduction is sent: "What prompted you to connect us?"
• When the referred contact responds: "What part of this sits with you?"
• When another person is mentioned: "Would you be willing to connect us with them?"

The referral question "Would you be willing to introduce me?" is supported by the practice of asking the buyer to introduce the salesperson to relevant users at the right point in the process.⁶ The other questions keep the routing work moving without forcing a pitch before you know who owns the issue.

What not to do

These mistakes reduce the usefulness of the handoff and can make the original contact less willing to help again.

• Do not wait a day or two after an introduction arrives. That signals that you are too busy to handle introductions.¹⁰
• Do not make the referral about your own convenience. Keep attention on the people involved in the handoff.¹³
• Do not turn a routing request into a full pitch. Use the warm introduction to reach the right person first.⁷
• Do not accept a vague name when the initial contact can help identify the proper contact and make the introduction.⁴