Calling Your Referral Prospect

Many readers have been asking me for scripts that cover the first phone call to a new referral prospect. Obviously, this first call will vary greatly for a number of reasons: The nature of your business, the circumstances of the referral, and whether or not your client introduced you in some way — just to name a few.

VERSION #1 – CLIENT OR PROSPECT INTRODUCED YOU

Opening:

Hello (prospect's name), this is (your name) with (your company name). I know you're busy. The reason I'm calling is that your name recently came up in a conversation I was having with (referrer's name – in this example, “George”).

Introduction:

Did George tell you that I would be calling?

Great. By the way, George is a real admirer of your golf game. Do you play often?

Bob, I'm curious. What did George have to say to you about the work I do?

Do you currently have a close working relationship with a financial professional?

>Yes (working with a financial pro)

That's great. Then you know the importance of the right kind of professional advice. I'm curious, have you and your advisor created a specific financial plan from which you make most of your financial decisions?

>>Yes (have a plan)

Of course, if you're completely happy with your plan and your current advisor, we might not have anything further to discuss. On the other hand, there might be some ways I can help you that your current advisor is just not aware of. Based on the good things George said about me, would you be open to scheduling a no-obligation meeting to get a fresh look at your situation?

>>No (have not done a plan)

I think one of the reasons George was so interested in introducing you to me is because of the process we use in setting proper financial goals and then creating a plan to make sure you're making progress toward those goals.

May I ask you a few quick questions? - Have you set very specific financial goals? - How has your progress been toward those goals? - Are you confident you'll reach your goals? - Do you save regularly or do you typically invest in lump sums? In what way? - What is your greatest concern these days about your financial goals?

Based on this conversation, I really think I'll be of some help to you. I'd like to suggest that we schedule a no-obligation meeting to review your situation in greater detail and to discuss the services we offer. Whether we end up working together or not, I'm confident that you'll find this meeting to be a valuable use of your time. Do you have your calendar handy?

>No (not working with an advisor)

I think one of the reasons George was so interested in introducing you to me is because of the process we use in setting proper financial goals and then creating a plan to make sure you're making progress toward those goals.

May I ask you a few quick questions? - Have you set very specific financial goals? - How has your progress been toward those goals? (Are you confident you'll reach your goals?) - Do you save regularly or do you usually invest in lump sums? - Are you participating in an IRA or retirement plan at work? - What is your greatest concern these days about your financial goals?

Based on this conversation, I really think I'll be able to help you. I'd like to suggest that we schedule a no- obligation meeting to review your situation in greater detail and to discuss the services we offer. Whether we end up working together or not, I'm confident you'll find this meeting to be a valuable use of your time. Do you have your calendar handy?

Here's another version of this script you can use when you haven't been introduced by your referrer.

VERSION #2 – CLIENT OR PROSPECT DIDN'T INTRODUCE YOU

Opening:

Hello (prospect's name), this is (your name) with (your company name). I know you're busy. The reason I'm calling is that your name recently came up in a conversation I was having with (referrer's name – “George”).

Introduction:

Did George tell you that I would be calling?

(No.) Well, I guess he got busy. I'm certainly sorry to disturb you. I guess we have a couple of choices.

We can wait for George to call you and “pave the way” for this call. Or, if you have a couple of minutes, I can go ahead and tell you why I'm calling. Which do you prefer?

>No (Let's wait for George)

That's fine. I completely understand. I hope to speak to you again soon. I'll let George know we spoke briefly, and that you would like to hear from him first.

>Yes (Tell me why you're calling)

At AAA Financial, we help individuals such as yourself plan very carefully for their financial future. I'm curious. Do you currently have a close relationship with a financial advisor?

(From here, refer to script #1 above)

TEACHING POINT

Your first phone call to your new referral prospect will be influenced by many things. The important thing is that you don't “wing it.” You need to have a thought-out approach. You don't have to “script it” if you don't want, but you'd better not fumble and bumble. Be clear about who you are and why you're calling. An important phrase I used above is, “I know you're busy. The reason I'm calling is … ” I highly recommend that you use it as the opening of every first call to a prospect.