Building and keeping an effective referral network: how to follow through and maintain control of the contact-making--relationship-building process.

• Author: Boress, Allan S.

Most CPAs tend to be all-consumed with getting the work out. Consequently, they often fall down in controlling the referral contact process needed to build an effective network. Effective personal contact, however, will be the primary factor in determining who gets the limited number of quality referrals that are handed out.

Effectively and powerfully managing contact making

In more than 20 years of providing sales consulting services to our profession, we have worked with many of the top business producers. Here is what you can learn from them regarding mastering the contact-making process:

To keep your contacts' attention, follow through immediately after meeting with them. Most professionals meet someone and that's it. Sure, the impression you make may be highly positive. But it is definitely as temporary as your memory of what you ate last Tuesday evening for dinner. Never expect anyone to remember you or what you do.

Rather, separate yourself from the vast majority of your competitors by following up immediately when you meet someone you want to help you. Send them your brochure, your business card, and a personal note.

Plan on some form of communication at least monthly, whether it is a personal meeting, phone call, sending an article, or such. "Out of sight, out of mind, out of luck" is my marketing rule. Do more than merely send your contacts your newsletter once in a while. Invite them to seminars, social events, and similar contact opportunities. Maintain personal contact with them.

No, you won't be perceived as a nuisance if the contact is casual and varied. Leave voice mail messages. Send an article that will interest them. Call them up just to see how they are doing and if they heard the latest news story affecting their business.

Often the person who gets the quality referral is the one who had the most contact with the referral source or client, not necessarily the most competent to do the work!

End your meetings with commitments to action. I run into so many professionals who have met with referral sources and others who could have helped them, but they neglected to complete their meetings with decisions on how to proceed with the other person.

You always need to know, and they do as well, exactly what happens next. Will there be an introduction? Are you going back to your offices to search client databases for people to introduce to each other? Are you going to refer your attorney referral source to this banker? How? When...