The Conversion Code, 2nd Edition

Chapter 36How to Get the People You Close to Send You High-Quality Referral Leads

It takes real work to attract and convert leads, so you want to make sure that all of your effort generates more leads in the form of referrals.

Referrals are the highest quality lead of all. They are the easiest to convert. They cost the least. They close the quickest. They spend the most. They send more referrals.

As I am sure you can guess by this point in the book, I do not leave getting these high-quality referral leads up to chance. I have developed a simple system for asking for referrals from current (or past) clients at the exact right moment.

A net promoter score (NPS) is a customer loyalty metric calculated by asking a simple question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to refer us to a friend or colleague? The research has shown that 9s and 10s are promoters of your brand; 7s and 8s are passive. Anything 6 or less is a detractor.

NPS also usually asks one additional question: Why?

Here's my advice on what to do based on the score someone gives you:

• If someone gives you a 9 or 10, ask for a referral.
• If someone gives you a 7 or 8, ask them what you could have done better.
• If someone gives you a 6 or less, ask them for forgiveness.

I make it a habit to send out NPS surveys two to four times a year. When I do, immediately afterward, I segment the responses by 9s and 10s and give that list of our happiest clients back to the salesperson who originally closed them. The person who ...