Yes, People Want to Help You
Copyblogger points out that People Really Want to Help You. In his post, Brian Clark summarizes research by psychology researcher Felix Warneken. Warneken found that behaving altuistically (helping someone when there’s nothing to gain) is innate in
humans, and can be seen in babies sometimes younger than 18 months old.
Yes, people do want to help you especially if you tell them what you need.
Counselors and healing professionals often feel it is wrong or inappropriate to ask others (especially clients) for referrals or help with getting the word out about their practice. What they don’t realize is that most people are very happy to help. For
example, simply saying something to a client like, "I have room for
more clients right now, if you know anyone who could benefit from my
services, I would appreciate you sending them my way" can make a big
difference in the number of referrals you receive. Many clients will feel good about being able to do something for you and will gladly spread the word. Often, they do know of someone that they wouldn’t have thought about otherwise.
It is also important to remember that the more you give to others, the more inclined they will be to help you. When you approach marketing from this persective, you will not only enjoy the process of marketing more, you will see the results reflected in the number of referrals you receive.
Finally, remember to give for the sheer pleasure you receive from giving. In Brian’s words:
It’s up to you to give, give, give. You’re not being altruistic, because you do
have something to gain. But you should give like you’ll never get
anything back, and simply accept it when on occasions you don’t. You’re
going to have to work hard to cut through the cynicism and get back to
human nature.
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I have found this to be true — again & again — in my practice as well as in “life”.
A good reminder to ask clients for what we need . . . and their willingness to also give back ! Thanks for the great blogs Juliet !!
Comment by Bev Redekop — May 24, 2006 @ 10:05 am
I also ready an article about marketing and referrals. This article had a somewhat different slant. It said that referrals usually come from people who are excited about your business. If you ask someone to refer you, they do the obligatory gesture and you may get some business. However, those businesses which are WOW! businesses get the referrals, many times, without asking. People will naturally want to tell their friends and neighbors about your business when they have had a great experience. They naturally want to share this with friends. So, as it may help to ask for referrals, it is much more important to deliver exceptional service each and every time to your customers/clients. You will start to see referrals without much asking.
Along the same lines, if you are asking for referrals but not getting many, you many need to step back and HONESTLY assess your business. Ask your current customers for feedback on how you can improve or what you can do better. The answers you get will be invaluable.
Comment by Carol Ruddick — June 4, 2006 @ 9:17 am
Carol,
Thanks for sharing this. These are good points. Nothing like great customer service for spreading word of mouth.
However, I have seen people get many referrals after asking for them–sometimes, it’s how and when you ask. For example, asking after clients have just expressed their appreciation for how you have helped them will often increase the chances that they will tell someone else because they are currently focused on the benefits they have gotten and are likely still experiencing the emotions associated with this.
I think it’s important to do both–provide excellent service and ask for referrals.
Comment by Juliet Austin — June 15, 2006 @ 2:38 pm