“Spotlight On High Performance Leadership” is an e-mail newsletter for Regional Managers.   The newsletter is focused on sharing information in an effort to maximize performance.  Our desire is to strive to achieve a level of effectiveness to help lead your region to its highest level of performance.  Always aim for the highest!

“We build signs that are unique and use material that few sign companies in the United States can form.”  ~Kozell Boren

How To Generate More Referrals

By Tom Johnson

 To start, when I arrive in the territory I plan on working for a day, 2 days or a week, I want to find out more about the area.  Here’s how I do it.

• Stop at the first Mini Mart I see.
• Tell clerk who I am with and what my product is.
• Explain our Showcase Marketing Program
• Looking for new businesses that have opened in the past 2 or 3 years.
• Explain how Signtronix will pick up a part of the cost with the right marketing partner.
• Explain and show the $200.00 Referral Cash Award coupons
• Probe for information that leads to referrals.

Next, I go to the area of the referrals given to me.  I make a 24 call sheet, a 10 call sheet, etc.  I have also written down the names of some of our existing customers.  They are the first calls I make.

• I take my call sheet in with me (on a clip board).  Introduce myself, make my courtesy call and then tell them why I stopped in.
• I am looking for more marketing partners in town. Explain and show the $200.00 Referral Cash Award coupons.
• Show them the names of the businesses placed on the call sheet.
• Ask them which of the businesses they would talk to if they were in my shoes.
• Ask them to write the referrals on a $200.00 coupon.
• If necessary, would they mind a phone call from a few of these people if they want to know how the Signtronix sign has been working for them?
• I ask them for their business card so I can show it to the people they referred.  Or, the referral coupon also works.
• I do not drive several miles out of my work area to call on a referral.  It will still be there when I get ready to call on them.  Running around the country chasing referrals and passing up dozens of other calls doesn’t make a lot of sense.  Work them in with the flow of your day…or week.

I ask for referrals on EVERY call I make, whether the owner is in or not.  A $200.00 Referral Award can look mighty good to the employees of a business.

• I will spend 10 minutes or more asking people for referrals.  I am pretty persistent they cough up some results for me (in a nice way).
• I ALSO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES THE TOWN GROW?  Why is there so much activity?  What’s happening?  Is there a new manufacturing plant that just opened?  Probe, find out why!
• What part of town is growing?  East, West, North or South?  What highway is the most traveled coming into town?
• Ask business owners how many other same type businesses are in town?

Many times, I stop in and chat with the person in the local Chamber of Commerce.  “Wow, what a great looking town you have here.  There are several business owners in town that have our sign products.”

• Tell them about our new Marketing Program.  Ask them if they have a list of new businesses that have started up in the last 2 or 3 years?
• Ask about change of ownership, remodeling, relocation of business.
• If you make a friend at the Chamber, it can be a gold mine for you!

I introduce the Referral Awards Coupon to Cashiers in the Mini Mart, the gas station attendant, fast food restaurants, motel clerks, waitresses, delivery truck drivers, the mail man, bartenders and bar maids, etc.  I become the “Johnny Appleseed of the sign business!”

“Leadership is about motivating people to walk the extra mile, to complete the mission, to have purpose and to clearly see the bright future ahead.” ~Tom Johnson

Tags: high performance, referrals, spotlight, Tom Johnson

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