To build a fulfilling and lucrative career in sales, it’s important to always remember the long-term benefits that come with building and nurturing relationships with your clients. To close a client is a great accomplishment, but every close should be leveraged to create a longstanding relationship where satisfied clients gladly and routinely refer you to others. But how do you go about building the type of relationships that ensure you’re never at a loss for business?

Fortunately for you, we’ve created an e-book that details the process.

What is an advocate?

It simple terms, an advocate is a volunteer marketer. They sing your praises and provide the most valuable marketing imaginable—referrals. When you work with someone who has been referred to you, the work of establishing their trust is largely complete. Referrals come “preloaded” with faith in your abilities because they respect and have confidence in the person who pointed them in your direction.

Selecting the right advocates

Like any other potential client, referred prospects need to be qualified. Just because a client refers a friend doesn’t mean that they’re a good fit for your business.

Dan Allison is the founder of Feedback Marketing Group. His expertise lies not just in knowing how to ask for a referral but who. His team conducts in-depth interviews with a client’s carefully selected customers. Ultimately, they recognize that the most valuable client referrals come from customers who:

• Find immense value in their own experience with the business, so much so that they’re willing to confidently refer someone important;
• Have a full understanding of the business’s offerings and can effectively communicate its value proposition to make a lasting impact;
• Know the ideal type of person who would benefit most from what your business offers;
• Understand that a personal introduction is essential for a referral to take hold;
• Feel comfortable and motivated to provide referrals.

You can listen to Dan’s Stay Paid podcast interview for more insights and details.

Listen to Dan Allison’s Stay Paid podcast interview to discover that it’s not just about knowing how to ask for a referral–it’s also about know who to ask.

Getting started: a free resource

Now that you know what clients make for the best advocates, you can expand your reach to find other referral sources who aren’t your clients (at least not yet) and educate them about the types of people you can best help. Download our free e-book “From Anonymous to Advocate,” to get expert tips about the many places and ways you can expand your sphere and attract referrals.