Strategy #12 - Referral Leads from Strategic Alliances (12 minutes)

After identifying your potential partners, the next step is to introduce yourself to them. Start by engaging with them on social media platforms:

• LinkedIn: Connect with individuals and business profiles.

• Facebook: The individual profile of the person of interest, as well as the business page. Also, look
for Facebook groups that each strategic alliance may be part of or represent, for example, ‘Buyers Agents Advocates Australia’ (as at the time of writing this book, this group has over 3,500 active members).

• Instagram: Connect with individuals and business profiles.

• TikTok: Connect with individuals and business profiles.

• YouTube: Subscribe to the business and individual channels.

• Google My Business Profile: Leave reviews and respond to existing feedback.

This online presence helps you stand out, showing you’re proactive and interested in building a professional relationship.

Simply connecting or becoming friends on social platforms isn't enough. By interacting with all your social media platforms, your name becomes familiar to them.

Think about this for a second: if you had a sales agent commenting, liking, sharing your content, and even interacting with people who comment on your posts, how would you feel?

This is the emotion you want them to have about you, so when you do make the call, you are already partway into the trust.

Now comes the crucial part: making direct contact.

While emails can be ignored, a phone call is much harder to overlook. Yes, I have had clients try the email before the call, and this comes down to the confidence of the individual. Calling is always going to be more productive; you can use the same script in an email, just remember that it is easier to delete an email. Here’s a simple script to get started:

[Script] “Hi, my name is [Your Name] from [Your Business]. I speak with investors regularly each week, and from time to time, they ask me questions about [Strategic Alliances Service]. I’m not an expert in this area, so I was wondering if this is something that your company specialises in, and if there is anyone I could speak with?

Now sit back and watch them sell their services to you, you are at this point simply asking them if it’s ok for you to refer business to them, not you calling and asking them if they can refer business to you.

If walking into their office is an option, do it! It’s even better if you can meet them face-to-face, and the script remains the same.

Face-to-face interactions can leave a more lasting impression. For instance, you would want to meet a potential landlord in person, rather than through a phone call or email interaction.

I also recommend that you do some burner calls first. A burner call is practised on an alliance that’s out of the area. If your agency is in Sydney, consider contacting someone based in Perth. I know that not all of your clients live in your home area.

My personal accountant is in a completely different state.

Often, you’ll encounter gatekeepers—receptionists or assistants tasked with filtering calls and qualifying them.

Here’s a proven tactic to get through (the above script can also be used; the below is just a shorter version):

[Script] “Hi, I’m [Your Name] from [Your Business]. I regularly receive queries from investors about [Your Service], and I’m looking for an expert in your office who can assist. Does your company specialise in this area?”

This approach positions you as someone offering value rather than asking for it, making it more likely you’ll be passed on to the decision-maker.

When the boss walks into the office after being out, they will say to the front desk, “Don’t put any calls through to me for a while”.

However, when a person wants to refer business to the company, this changes their priority to now want to take the call.

Once you’ve connected with them, the relationship doesn’t stop there. Follow up with an email summarising your conversation and providing information about your services.

Again, this is another touchpoint with them; it can take a few touchpoints with a person before trust is fully established.

Then, schedule regular one-on-one meetings to build trust and deepen the connection. Aim for at least monthly check-ins.

These meetings help both parties better understand each other’s businesses, fostering a relationship where referrals flow naturally.

Some discussions you can have along the way should be based on the wins you’re having for clients. Start selling your points of difference and statistics, just like you would to a potential landlord, as you want to establish yourself as the agent of choice for their clients.

Anyone who is referring clients to a business wants to know that they’re being looked after.

A great deal of my clients are telling me that a strategic alliance is chasing them down, and they're saying the agency they referred their client to for their property has left them dissatisfied.

They have now asked me to recommend a better company.