In any new business venture, when you are building relationships with people, one great way to help new clients feel really good about you is to offer references. The best way to develop a book of references is to request them when the situation warrants one.
Formal letters are great. Start with what you have, even if it’s just one. Your long-term plan is to have a multitude of great letters of reference and endorsement over time. Keep a master letter file. Scan them, and keep them in your computer.
We don’t go about every day asking for accomplishment report cards from everyone we deal with, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask for the occasional in-person referral. However, letters are much preferred.
One way to get a nice letter is to give one. Get in the habit yourself of writing nice letters to clients and business associates. In working for companies, I would write a letter of acceptance spelling out the details of a job offer I accepted. Then that letter would become proof of my work record years later.
In business brokerage, I would simply ask a client for a letter with a request to “Tell me what you think.” This often resulted in a letter of endorsement.
Get started today building your reference file.
All the best, Frank Kovich
