You’re missing out on a huge opportunity if your sales plan template only focuses on finding new business leads. Word-of-mouth, introductions, and current customers can be your most solid lead for growth.
Use LinkedIn to see if anyone you know can introduce you to one of your prospects. Or reach out to your most loyal customers and ask if they know anyone that would benefit from your product or service (you can even offer a referral bonus or discounted rate).
Now, when leveraging current client relationships in your sales plan, you’ll need to make sure you do it in the right way. When asking for an intro, remember:
- A good introduction is two-sided: As the person in the middle, you’re asking your client to vouch for you. If you already have a good relationship this should be a no-brainer. You provided value to them and they should want to help you in turn. Ask them how well they know your target. Would they feel comfortable introducing you to them? By phone? Over email? A good introduction shouldn’t come out of the blue. Ask them to make sure it’s OK to intro and then cc you in on an email with both parties.
- Stay in touch, even when they can’t buy from you: Ask how you can help or support them, even if they stop being a customer. It’s a small gesture that can pay off in the long-run. Things don’t stay the same for long.