Business Round Table
The worst referral in the world!
by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Cheryl Baumgartner 
Medical...
If you are doing business, somewhere along the line you will deal with the concept of referrals. I'm not talking about getting people into your downline, that is not a referral that is recruiting. I'm talking about when someone passes you a name or contact information as a potential client or customer. If you're like me you have gotten some bad ones.
Wait a minute, what makes a bad referral and is it really a bad referral. Most would say that it's a bad referral if that person does not do business with you. That's not necessarily bad. In fact no referral is really bad when you understand that it can lead to other contacts. I got what I thought was the worst referral in the world last year.
I was doing identity theft awareness seminars for low income individuals. Not one sale has come out of the half dozen seminars I have held. I've pretty much been going in and doing these seminars knowing that I would not be compensated in any way bit I kept going. Well what happened was that it lead to me meeting the head of Human Resources for a major staffing company. No nothing out of the staffing company either but my contact in Human resources introduced me to the CEO and President of a small sports franchise who not only is doing business with me he is offering my product as a full fringe benefit to many of his players and staff.
In addition he has many contacts throughout the community that I now have access to. So the question is, was that a bad referral? No the referral was not bad in the long run. No referral is really bad, it's what you do with that contact that counts. Sometimes this means going through them to get to what you want in the end.
May 15th 2008 12:21
Medical...If you are doing business, somewhere along the line you will deal with the concept of referrals. I'm not talking about getting people into your downline, that is not a referral that is recruiting. I'm talking about when someone passes you a name or contact information as a potential client or customer. If you're like me you have gotten some bad ones.
Wait a minute, what makes a bad referral and is it really a bad referral. Most would say that it's a bad referral if that person does not do business with you. That's not necessarily bad. In fact no referral is really bad when you understand that it can lead to other contacts. I got what I thought was the worst referral in the world last year.
I was doing identity theft awareness seminars for low income individuals. Not one sale has come out of the half dozen seminars I have held. I've pretty much been going in and doing these seminars knowing that I would not be compensated in any way bit I kept going. Well what happened was that it lead to me meeting the head of Human Resources for a major staffing company. No nothing out of the staffing company either but my contact in Human resources introduced me to the CEO and President of a small sports franchise who not only is doing business with me he is offering my product as a full fringe benefit to many of his players and staff.
In addition he has many contacts throughout the community that I now have access to. So the question is, was that a bad referral? No the referral was not bad in the long run. No referral is really bad, it's what you do with that contact that counts. Sometimes this means going through them to get to what you want in the end.
May 15th 2008 12:21
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Comments
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceI always look beyond the immediate return to what's behind door number two, three, four etc. May 15th 2008 12:50 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceActually this has turned out to be much more of a blessing than I thought. We have a phrase we use called "Chasing the elephant" This is when associates go after 1000_ employee companies. They don't realize that it takes years to get into a company like that instead they should go after small to moderate companies. This franchise is 175 employees but the owner has opened his contact list to me, over 600 other companies and businesses he has an in with. What does that mean? I have no need to chase the elephant. I'm going to be kept busy just from this contact list alone! May 16th 2008 08:36 |
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Indrit Shkodra
 Well a good referral makes you earn some money though, better saying gives you help on having some money. May 16th 2008 09:46 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThat's true Indrit a "good" referral does make you money. The point is that no referral is bad If you work it right. May 16th 2008 09:56 |
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Gerry P.
 Consultant"Referral" may have lost its meaning or gotten a negative connotation because very little, if any, is being gained by most of its users. I don't use it. Instead I establish good relationships with people I meet. The interactions that follow lead to introductions to new friends and my discovery of what product or service they want or need. That is the start of a selling cycle. May 17th 2008 07:08 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceAs a member of BNI we use the word referral, but we define referral. Referral is when you have talked to the person and figured out that they have a need for what your contact is offering. You facilitate the introduction or exchange of information as opposed to a lead which is nothing more than a name because you think there may be a need. Neither is a referral a guaranteed sale, it's still up to the person who receives it to close the deal. May 17th 2008 08:30 |
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Rose Vidal
Paralegal, Marketing & PromotionCheryl, you know it's the sow what you reap law. It works even if you don't believe it. YOu gave and you received later. God is good! Rose Mar 6th 2010 20:27 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceYes Rose, it is that very thing. My grandmother instilled in me the idea of what goes around comes around Mar 8th 2010 08:47 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThanks for the comment and welcome to the group Harold. Apr 1st 2010 22:36 |
I agree with you wholeheartedly, Cheryl...
There really is only one way to make sure that you get quality referrals, and that's to hand pick them yourself-- Even then, there are no guarantees.
May 15th 2008 12:37