My best leads and assignments come from people who already know me and my work. Sound familiar? That's because people want to do business with people they know or who are referred to them by people whom they know and trust.
Why is that?
There are probably numerous reasons, but these three come to mind:
1. Separating the wheat from the chafe -
The world is full of lots of people selling lots of things - some good, some not so good, and some really bad. Figuring out which one you're dealing with often takes a lot of work. Trusted introductions reduce the time and effort required. If you make it too hard for customers to assess the quality of your product or service, many of them will simply pass you by in favor of someone else.
2. Quality assurance -
Trusted introductions also tend to raise the average quality of the work received. No one wants to look bad to their current clients, colleagues, or friends. As a result, professionals who rely on trusted introductions will more likely go the extra mile to ensure that you, the prospect or customer, come away with a positive experience from the encounter regardless of whether you choose to purchase their product or service.
3. Life is too short to put up with stuff you don't want to, if you don't have to, for very longTM -
Gatekeepers and spam filters are designed to winnow the hordes of those seeking your attention to those you choose. And that's before consideration of all the people lining up to sell you something through social media! Trust is so important. When I finally develop that relationship of trust with someone, I am loath to make a change to someone I don't yet know, let alone trust. Your clients and customers are the same way.
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