In business, they say that referrals are the highest form of professional compliment. This is true. In life, we’re not often likely to recommend a person, product, or service unless it’s of high-enough quality that there’s little chance it will reflect poorly upon us as the person making the recommendation. At the same time, we expect that the referrals and recommendations that come to us from our closest friends and associates are also of high quality as well. And as the importance of business referrals has grown over the last decade or so – due mainly to the “land rush” in the corporate and business sectors to find and recruit top talent – we thought it time to talk a little about the act of giving and receiving referrals and the motivations behind them.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why you chose the doctor you see for your annual check-up? Or the dentist you go to for your bi-annual cleanings? Or even the Kansas City staffing firm you use for your hiring needs? Chances are each of these service providers was at one time a professional referral from a trusted friend, relative, neighbor, or business associate.
So, why do people place such a high value on referrals? There are two main reasons. The first is the mere fact that searching out and identifying a quality service provider through traditional methods (poring over thick phone books or reading endless online reviews) can be a labor-intensive activity. We’re busy people. We don’t have a lot of free time. It’s far easier to ask for a referral. The second reason is that we’re hard-wired to seek help from people we consider “trusted individuals” in our lives. And that’s an important note! If we have a neighbor we trust, one who has children in the home, we’re more likely to have confidence in their ability to recommend a high-quality pediatric dentist. And if we have a business associate whom we trust, one who operates a business staffed by quality employees, we’re highly likely to take their recommendation for a professional staffing agency. In other words, trust = referral opportunity.
Obviously, the business of soliciting or giving referrals has changed with the ways that we routinely communicate with our peers. Social media and the Web have made it easier than ever to share an experience and refer the best of the best to everyone within our social networks. This is also an important note! Given the fact that these types of referrals allow high-quality service providers to get the recognition they deserve, they are able to grow their business and continue to provide excellent service for their clients.
Example: At Staffing Kansas City, we place a high value on our recruiting and screening process. We believe that we have top employment candidates to fit nearly any employment staffing need. We routinely give referrals. It has also been our experience that the more referrals we give, the more we get. That’s a win-win situation for all parties!
Going forward, we’d like to continue to encourage all of our clients and business partners to give referrals when appropriate, and acknowledge the referrals they have received. Industry experts agree: referrals are avenues to great personal and financial gains.
