Follow up a referred contact so they feel respected and the person who referred them looks good.
Wei Ling sells booking solutions to clinics. Her client Dr Lim, who runs a clinic, has just introduced her to Kumar, who has opened a new clinic of his own. She has moved Kumar into a separate private chat, and he is exactly the kind of buyer she helps.
At this point it is tempting to treat Kumar as a hot lead and send him a product overview and a link to book a demo. That move is a trap. Kumar is a referred contact: a person introduced to you by a client, who agreed to talk because a friend asked them to. He is not yet a lead. Dr Lim is the referrer, the client who made the introduction and vouched for Wei Ling. How Wei Ling handles the first few messages decides two things: whether Kumar becomes a client, and whether Dr Lim ever introduces anyone again.
The first private message to a referred contact follows the same rule as any good first message, from lesson 4.2, "The first direct message is about them": ask about their situation and do not pitch. A referral gives you a head start, because the introduction has already told you something about the person, and you should use it.
Before you write, look at what you know: the contact's situation, the reason the client thought of them, and anything you can congratulate them on or ask about. Open warmly with something specific from the introduction, such as a congratulation. Ask about their situation and end with an easy question. Leave out product names, prices and brochures. Those come later, once you know whether there is a problem you can help with.
Wei Ling's first message congratulates Kumar again on opening the clinic and asks how the first few weeks are going. She mentions how hectic Dr Lim's clinic was in its first month, then asks how Kumar is handling bookings at the moment. The message is warm, shows she paid attention to the introduction, and finishes with a question he can answer in a line.
Arjun, an adviser who works with couples on insurance, was introduced to Priya, who has a new flat and is expecting a baby. He thanks her for agreeing to the introduction, congratulates her on the new flat and asks if the baby is due soon. He explains that he usually starts by asking couples what made them start thinking about this, and asks whether there was anything in particular.
The referrer's name is useful. It reminds the contact why they are talking to you and that someone they trust thought it was worthwhile. Use it lightly, as context: to explain how you met and why you are talking.
Using the referrer as pressure turns a friend's kindness into a sales weapon. Lines such as "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" tell the contact that saying no means disappointing their friend. They end up resenting both you and the referrer. Some agree to a meeting just to be polite and then cancel, and others stop replying.
Arjun keeps to one rule: mention the referrer once, in the first message, and only to explain how they met. After that, the conversation is only between Arjun and Priya.
Private details need the same care. If the referrer told you something private about the contact, such as a health issue, a money worry or a family situation, do not mention it unless the contact raises it first. The contact may not know the referrer shared it.
Sometimes the referred contact has no problem you can help with, or not yet. Kumar's clinic may already have a booking system he is happy with. Priya and her husband may already have sorted out their insurance through work and simply want a second opinion at some point.
When that happens, say so honestly. Tell them, offer to stay in touch, and ask permission to check in later. Wei Ling might tell Kumar that his current system sounds like it works well so she would not change anything, offer to help if it ever stops working, and ask whether it is all right to check in in six months or so. If the contact agrees, record the date in your CRM, as in lesson 4.3, "Suggesting the meeting without the hard sell".
Saying this means walking away from a sale in the short term. A contact who hears it is likely to tell their friend you were honest, and that is worth more than a reluctant sale.
Whatever you do with a referred contact, the referrer will hear about it, because friends talk. Salespeople commonly forget that the outcome always gets back to the referrer. If you are pushy, the contact tells the referrer, the referrer feels embarrassed for making the introduction, and they will not refer again. If you are helpful, patient and honest, even when the contact does not buy, the contact tells the referrer that too. Kumar might tell Dr Lim something like: she was really nice, I'm not ready yet, but she gave me useful things to think about. Dr Lim then feels good about the introduction and is more likely to make another.
A useful rule of thumb is to treat every referred contact as if the referrer is reading over your shoulder, because 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, and 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 once the introduction is made.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).