Referrals aren’t favors.
Salespeople often downplay the importance of referral networks or just don’t know how to ask for a referral. Don’t get distracted; don’t get embarrassed. Relationships and referrals are what business is all about!
When I interviewed Wes, senior vice president of sales for a well-known marketing automation company, I expected to hear all about the advantages of using his technology. Boy, was I wrong! Instead, he talked about the power of relationships for sales. “It’s not what you know,” he told me. “It’s who you know.”
When Wes was considering a new vendor, he spoke to a fellow VP at another company—a friend with whom he regularly meets to bounce around ideas. The two of them trust each other and value the relationship, so Wes didn’t need to shop the market. He chose the vendor his friend recommended.
“Relationships like this are how deals get done,” said Wes. “When a trusted
