This Is One Thing You Can Do Immediately To Increase Sales In Palm Harbor Florida

PRO Networking • October 22, 2020

Great article from Forbes… Why the love for referrals?

Because there are two types of referrals, and both of them have significant advantages.

First, you can get a referral from a customer to one of their contacts in the same field. That means your new prospect is highly qualified. They’re in the same industry, they probably have the same problems, and there’s a good chance that your product or service will be a good fit for them.

Second, you can get a referral from a customer to one of their friends. Even if they’re in a different industry or situation, that referral comes with a lot of trust. That trust means it is invaluable. Most marketers and salespeople know—at least implicitly—that referrals are highly effective. They may not know that referrals drive some of the highest conversion rates among all marketing channels, but they know that getting them is important. Unfortunately, most don’t know the right way to go about getting those valuable referrals.

Where Most Salespeople Go Wrong

Very few salespeople know how to ask for referrals. In my experience, they go about it in one of two ways.

First, they ask late. They wait until the customer relationship has been established for a while, and then they send out an email or bring it up on a call.But there’s a big problem with this: if you wait too long, the customer is no longer excited about the product.Even if they use it all the time, it’s not new anymore. That’s good for your business—you’ve become a regular part of their workflow—but not good for referrals.You need to get to people while they’re excited about finding your company.

The second mistake that salespeople make is that they take “no” for an answer. Here’s how that conversation usually goes:

“Do you know anyone else who might be able to use our services? Anyone you work with, or anyone else in your industry, maybe?”

“Hm . . . I’ll have to think about that and get back to you.”

“Okay, sounds good! Looking forward to it.”

And that’s the last you’ll hear of it.

When you combine these two mistakes, you decimate your chances of getting a referral. So how do you actually get more referrals?

There are four important steps:

1. Ask For Referrals Right Away

Let’s address the first problem: asking after the customer has been using the product or service for a while. There’s a simple solution. Ask right after you make the sale. This is going to feel weird at first. But trust me—it works. Right after the sale is when your customer is most excited about your product. They just decided that whatever you’re selling is worth their money. They’re completely convinced that what you do is valuable. And that’s the perfect time to ask for a referral.

It might sound something like this:

“Are you excited to start using our product?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“Perfect! Who else do you know that would benefit from using it?”

This is more direct than you’re probably used to. But in my years of sales, I’ve found it to be the best way to approach the topic. Of course, whenever you ask for a referral, there’s a good chance that your customer won’t give you anything useful. Here’s what to do about that:

2. Ask Twice

“Perfect! Who else do you know that would benefit from using it?”

“No one.”

It’s a salesperson’s worst nightmare. It’s awkward and you don’t get a referral. There are two things you need to do in this situation.

First, get over it. People are going to say “no” or “let me think about it” a lot. That’s just what happens. And that’s fine. They’ve already made the purchase, so you’ve succeeded. The referral is just the icing on the cake.

Second, ask again. You’ll feel weird about this, too. But in my experience, two out of every five people you ask twice will give you a referral. That adds up. It’s absolutely worth doing.

You might be wondering how you do this without sounding pushy. Here’s an example of what I’d say if a customer said they’d get back to me about a referral:

“I appreciate you giving it some thought! I’m sure you’ll have lots of recommendations for us in the future. But let’s just take one minute today to think of a friend that’s in a similar situation and could benefit from our product.”

It’s that simple.

Sometimes people will tell you “no” again. They might even be a little irritated. That’s okay. It happens. But a surprising number of people will give you a referral on the spot. When they do, thank them and tell them that you want to make things easy. That’s our next step.

3. Include An Email Referral Template

Making a referral as easy as possible is just good business. Your customers are doing you a favor, so it’s important to help where you can. One of the best ways you can do this is with an email referral template.

It might look something like this:

Hey Laura!

I wanted to connect you with Steli—his company, Close, built a sales CRM that uses email automation and predictive dialing to seriously increase sales teams’ productivity. I thought you might be interested in hearing more about it! I’ll let you two take it from here.

Best—Jeff

Send the email template to your customer, let them know that they can use it if they’d like (or write their own), and make sure to thank them for helping you out with a referral. Some people will use your template. Others will write their own. It doesn’t really matter to you—as long as they put you in touch with a warm lead. At this point, you might think you’re done. But there’s one step left:

4. Close The Loop

Getting one referral from a customer is nice. But getting multiple referrals is where you really start to get value from the process. How do you get multiple referrals from a single customer? By making sure your customers know that their referrals are appreciated. And not just by you—but also by the people they refer to you. So when you make a sale to a referred lead, make sure to ask them to send an email to their referrer saying “thanks.”

It can be as simple as this:

“Hey, I remember that Jeff referred you to us. Would you mind sending him a quick email to say thanks? So he knows you appreciate it?”

You could provide a template for this step if you like, but most people will probably fire off a quick email without giving it too much thought.

It doesn’t seem like an important step. But it can make a big difference. When someone knows that referring their friends to you does good things not just for your company, but also for their friends, they’ll keep doing it.

Make Referrals Part Of Your Standard Practice

With these four steps, you can significantly increase the number of sales referrals you get. And as we saw before, those referrals are insanely valuable. But you need to make referrals part of your company DNA. Make sure every salesperson is gunning for referrals after every sale. Keep following up with people to ask for referrals even if they say they can’t think of anyone at the moment. Show your thanks for people who refer new customers to you.

You might even consider instituting a referral program that offers rewards or discounts for referring friends (though I recommend waiting until someone asks for a referral discount). Once you prioritize getting referrals and teach your salespeople how to make it happen, you’ll see big results. Build strong habits, and it will revolutionize your company.

If you want to up your referral game, join us this Friday at 8 am. RSVP @ PROS RSVP

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PROs Business Education Moments: Insights That Drive Growth

By PRO Networking • February 20, 2026

PROs Business Education Moments: Insights That Drive Growth This week at PROs, we were reminded once again that business success is rarely about one big move. It is usually about awareness, adaptability, and consistent improvement. Our speakers delivered practical insights that apply not just to business, but to leadership, communication, and long-term growth. Here is what we learned. Business EDU with Jane Obergfell Mary Kay Skin Care & Cosmetics Skin Care for men, women, and teens 727-430-0287 jandyo13@yahoo.com www.marykay.com/janeobergfell Jane led a powerful Business Education moment centered on something many of us overlook every day: non verbal communication . She reminded us that approximately 70 percent of communication is non verbal . Long before words are spoken, people are already forming impressions. We all recognize this instinctively: We can tell when someone is in love without hearing a word We can spot an angry driver instantly The way someone sits, stands, or reacts communicates volumes Non verbal cues provide emotional context , and as business owners, we need to pay attention. The Key Question Jane challenged us with an important reflection: What are your customers telling you without telling you? From there, she walked through how we can maintain control and respond intentionally in our interactions with: Customers Family Friends Children Tools for Staying in Control Jane emphasized several practical areas to monitor: Tone Dealing with facts Making time Calmness Self evaluation Grace Each of these helps us respond rather than react, which is critical in both business and life. Word Play That Stuck With the Room Jane closed with a simple but memorable exercise: Fear kills dreams Dreams kill fears Sometimes the biggest mindset shifts come from the simplest reframes. Tax Updates with Christine Jacobs Jacobs Tax Pros Inc Tax & Accounting 727-210-2552 christinejacobs2121@gmail.com Christine brought the group up to speed on important tax law changes that business owners need on their radar right now. Her message was clear from the start: Do not assume last year’s strategy still works. Major Themes Business Owners Should Watch Tax law changes tend to impact business owners first This year will not look like last year Income outside of a standard W2 continues to evolve Overtime reporting requirements are changing Tip taxation rules are shifting Social Security considerations are being updated Payroll and Withholding Warning Christine stressed that if you have employees affected by these changes, you must review payroll withholdings carefully . This is an area that could easily create problems if ignored. She also noted: Overtime must be properly logged on W2s Vehicle deductions are changing and documentation matters more than ever Business owners should review their vehicle strategies Increased IRS Enforcement One of the biggest takeaways was the growing role of automation. IRS enforcement is increasing AI is being used to identify discrepancies Income documents are being matched automatically Notices are being generated faster In short, the margin for sloppy bookkeeping is shrinking. Top 3 Mistakes She Sees Mixing business and personal accounts Not tracking mileage Paying contractors without proper 1099s and signed W9s What to Do Now Keep your books current Make estimated payments Review your business structure Do not ignore IRS letters Stay organized with clean records Christine’s message was practical and timely for every business owner in the room. Mortgage Industry Update with Didier Malagies DDA Mortgage Mortgage Broker 727-421-6757 didier@ddamortgage.com https://www.ddamortgage.com Didier gave us a fast-moving look at what is happening inside the mortgage world, and his core message applies far beyond lending. Things are changing quickly. Always Be Asking Didier shared that by continuously asking questions and staying informed, he is now closing some mortgages using one year of data instead of two for certain borrowers. That kind of edge only comes from staying curious and engaged. AI Is Reshaping the Process One of the biggest shifts he highlighted is the integration of AI into underwriting. He has implemented AI underwriting for second mortgages Some files can now close in as little as three hours Processors, underwriters, and title workflows are all speeding up Certain traditional roles are being reduced or reshaped The takeaway was not fear. It was awareness. Lead Generation Is Changing Too Didier noted that his inbound opportunities are increasingly coming from: AI tools His website Social media Digital presence is no longer optional. It is foundational. What Is Driving the Market Government actions Industry events Interest rate movement Technology adoption He also reminded us that refinancing activity is likely to increase as rates adjust , which could create new opportunities. The Big Takeaway Didier closed with a message that fits every industry in the room: Do not fight what is happening. Evolve with it. Final Thought From non-verbal communication to tax compliance to AI-driven mortgages, this week’s PROs meeting reinforced a consistent theme: Awareness plus action creates advantage. When we stay observant like Jane encouraged, organized like Christine advised, and adaptable like Didier demonstrated, we position ourselves and our businesses to keep moving forward no matter how the landscape shifts. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the next PROs meeting .