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The 8-Step Process for Building Strong Partnerships
boomer.com
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1. Define Your Target Client Profile “Who is your ideal client? What industries, service lines, or types of clients do you want to target?” 2. Identify Suitable Referral Channels
7. Show Appreciation and Follow Up “When you do receive a referral, it’s important to follow up with your partner.” Once you establish your referral relationship, be a good partner in return. A partnership is about give and take, so don’t only take referrals. Send potential clients their way as well. If you do that, you’ll position yourself as a sought-after partner and see your firm grow through quality referrals.
A great referral goes beyond just sending over a name and email address, so decide how the potential client will link up with you. “You may want your referral partner to send the lead to a specific person to schedule an in-person meeting, collect certain information ahead of time, or even attend the first meeting to make introductions.” Whatever your ideal hand-off looks like, establish a consistent and easy way for your referral partner to provide accurate and relevant information to you promptly.
To sustain growth, building strong referral partnerships is essential. These partnerships allow you to reach potential clients that your firm might not have been able to connect with otherwise. However, maintaining a strong referral partnership can be challenging. Here is an 8-step process for finding and nurturing a great referral partner. “1. Define Your Target Client Profile” Cultivating referrals starts not with your referral partner but with your clients. Who is your ideal client? What industries, service lines, or types of clients do you want to target? If you don’t know, it will be hard to find a referral partner. Or the referral partners you select will struggle to send you valuable and appropriate leads.