Referral Etiquette: A Must-Have Skill in the Restoration Business

A Tale of Two Referrals

Years ago, when I was both the sales rep and the technician in my own restoration business, every referral felt like striking gold. Someone had put their trust in me, and that lit a fire under me to not only do a great job but to also keep the referrer in the loop.

Recently, I referred a service provider to a client multiple times over a few months, and guess what? I never received a single "thank you" from him. Contrast that with another referral partner who consistently keeps me updated and always expresses gratitude. It's night and day, folks.

The Three Pillars of Referral Etiquette

The best way I can distill this is into three pillars:

1. Immediate Acknowledgment: Back in my early days, the moment I got a referral, I was on it. A quick "thank you" can go a long way.
2. Communication is King: I'd always keep my referrer updated about how their client was doing. I viewed it as a sacred trust, and I wasn't about to violate that.
3. Validate Their Trust: I'd also make it a point to follow up with the referred client. Were they satisfied? It was my way of ensuring that the faith put in me was well-placed.

Sales Reps, Listen Up

For those of you in the sales trenches of restoration, let me hammer this home: referrals are not just leads. Referrals are personal endorsements, not just names on a list. When someone sends a client your way, they're basically co-signing your skills and vouching for your reputation. It's like a mutual friend telling a new acquaintance, 'Trust him . . . he's good people.' You're not just receiving a client —  you're inheriting a responsibility to uphold the good name of the person who referred you.

1. Build Trust: As your’re building your relationship and moving towards that first referral, you’re building trust.  Once they refer you, now you have an even better opportunity - you now have the chance to build trust at a much deeper lever.
2. A Simple 'Thank You' Goes Far: Trust me, I didn't have a big marketing budget. But a simple, heartfelt 'thank you' costs nothing and builds a strong, lasting relationship.
3. It's a Long Game: Throughout my career, my team and I heard over and over that we got referrals because we kept things simple. We thanked people, we communicated, and we delivered.

So, folks, if you want to build a robust referral network in the restoration business, great communication and lots of “thank yous” are your non-negotiables as a sales rep. Take it from someone who's been there, done that, and lived to coach about it.