You will be able to treat a referred contact so they feel respected and the referrer looks good.
Wei Ling has moved Kumar into a separate chat. He agreed to the introduction, his friend vouched for her, and he's opened a new clinic, which is exactly the kind of buyer she helps. It would be easy to send him a product overview and a link to book a demo. He's practically a hot lead.
That's the trap. Kumar isn't a lead yet. He's a person who agreed to talk because his friend asked him to. How Wei Ling treats him in the next few messages decides two things: whether he becomes a client, and whether Dr Lim, who introduced them, ever introduces anyone again.
The first private message to a referred contact should do what any good first message does, as you learned in lesson 4.2, The first direct message is about them. Ask about their situation. Don't pitch.
The referral gives you a head start. You already know something about them from the introduction, so use it. Wei Ling writes: "Hi Kumar, congratulations again on opening the clinic. How are the first few weeks going? I remember how hectic Dr Lim's clinic was in its first month. How are you handling bookings at the moment?"
Arjun, to Priya: "Hi Priya, thanks for agreeing to the introduction. Congratulations on the new flat. Is the baby due soon? I usually start by asking couples what made them start thinking about this. Was there anything in particular?"
Both messages are warm, both show they paid attention to the introduction, and both end with an easy question. Neither contains a product name, a price or a brochure. Those can come later, once you know whether there's a problem you can help with.
The referrer's name is useful. It reminds the contact why they're talking to you and that someone they trust thought it worthwhile. Use it lightly, as context.
What you mustn't do is use it to apply pressure. "Dr Lim said you'd definitely want to look at this" or "Your sister-in-law signed up, so you'll probably want the same plan" turns a friend's kindness into a sales weapon. The contact now feels that saying no means disappointing their friend, and they'll resent both of you for it. Some will agree to a meeting just to be polite and then cancel. Others will stop replying.
Arjun's rule is to mention the referrer once, in the first message, and only to explain how they met. After that, the conversation is between him and Priya.
If the referrer told you something private about their friend, such as a health issue, a money worry or a family situation, don't mention it unless the friend raises it first. They may not know their friend shared it.
Sometimes the referred contact doesn't have a problem you can help with, or not yet. Kumar's clinic might already have a booking system he's happy with. Priya and her husband might have sorted out their insurance through work and simply want a second opinion at some point.
When that happens, say so, honestly. "It sounds like your current system is working well, so I wouldn't change anything. If it ever stops working for you, I'm happy to help. Would you mind if I checked in in six months or so?" Offer to stay in touch, and if they agree, note the date in your CRM, as you did in lesson 4.3, Suggesting the meeting without the hard sell.
This feels like walking away from a sale, and in the short term it is. But a referred contact who hears "you don't need me right now" is likely to tell their friend you were honest. That's worth more than a reluctant sale.
Here's the part salespeople forget. Whatever you do with the referred contact, the referrer will hear about it. Friends talk. If you push, the friend will tell the referrer you were pushy, and the referrer will feel embarrassed for introducing you. They won't do it again.
If you're helpful, patient and honest, even when the friend doesn't buy, the friend will tell the referrer that too. "Your adviser was really nice. We're not ready yet, but he gave us some useful things to think about." The referrer feels good about making the introduction, and they're more likely to make another.
So treat every referred contact as if the referrer is reading over your shoulder. In a sense, they are.
Think about the last referral you received, or the next one you expect. Look at what you know from the introduction: their situation, the reason the client thought of them, anything you can congratulate them on or ask about.
In the activity below, you'll write the first message you will send a referred contact after an introduction, picking up something from the introduction and ending with a question about their situation.
Write the first message you will send a referred contact after an introduction.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).