im in sales the referral thing was a joke. Forget about referrals.... focus on getting new players folks!
Then I would question what you are selling and how you are selling it. I am a sales professional. I tell the truth at all times including when it is going to cost me a sale. Customers recognize this, they are not stupid, I do not treat them like fools, I treat them with respect. Half of my business is referrals. My customers are never paid for their referrals. What they do get is the knowledge that they have brought their friends and family to a place that will treat them well. I do not specifically ask for referrals but I do have one statement I tell customers over and over. "If you choose to refer your family and friends to us, you will never have to apologize for that". My customers do not just tell their friends and family where to go, they bring them in. They enjoy seeing their friends and family purchasing a new motorcycle and share in their joy.
Yes, the truth does cost you a sale sometimes, but it is always the right thing to do, I'll give you an example.
I had a 20 something guy come in to buy a bike. He was a new rider and had not even gotten his license yet. He insisted he had to buy a CBR1000RR. I showed him a CBR300R. He would have nothing of it. I showed him a CBR500R, Nope. I told him repeatedly I was trying to sell him his first bike, not his last bike. I explained I was trying to sell him a $4400.00 machine, not a $15,000.00 machine that I would obviously make more money on. He was angry at the world. He just knew he was going to be a great rider and told me "I will probably go racing on this bike, and I will win all the time". I talked and talked and talked, trying to settle him down, to gain his respect and trust. Nope. We filled out a finance application for a CBR1000RR. His credit sucked, another example of poor self control. I told him he would need a co-signer, it had to be a relative. He left and brought his mother in the next day. A fine looking woman in her 40's walked in with him and I introduced myself. She spoke well, dressed well and was driving a very nice car. He showed impatience with our conversation. I learned Dad was not around so she was going to help him get a bike. She asked me to show her the bike her son wanted and he said "F'kn A Mom, you're just here to cosign, you don't need to see the ***** bike". She said she wanted to see it anyway. I smiled and took her to it. "Oh, it's one of those bikes". He swore at her again and kept pushing her to just do the paperwork. She looked right at me and said, "I'm not so sure this is such a good idea. what do you think?". I said "If you help your son buy this bike he will be dead in a week". He went ballistic, I remained calm and respectful, his mom had tears in her eyes and said she wasn't going to do it. He says in foul language, "You've just cost yourself a sale". I told him, "Yeah, but I'm never going to have to get
that phone call from your Mom, don't come back in my store unless you want to purchase a CBR300R".
2 weeks go by, I get a call from MOM who tells me she wants to come in and talk to me. UHOH. We set an appointment and she comes in. She reaches in her purse and pulls out her license, showing me her brand new endorsement she just got after taking a licensing course and says, "I want to but a bike". BIG SMILE.
