Ackert Blog

How to Collaborate with Referral Sources

Written by David Ackert | Oct 24, 2013 3:35:06 AM

It’s an overwhelming marketplace, full of entities and individuals who could potentially use your services. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of them need you now, which leaves you with the question: How can you identify the relevant prospects?

A CPA firm approached me with this conundrum a few years ago. I advised them to purchase a mail list of their target market and send a survey to the C-suite therein. The responses they received yielded a short list of prospective companies with immediate business needs.

The CPA firm then reached out to their strategic partners: law firms, banks, and consulting firms who also specialized in the same niche market. Armed with the data from their survey, they collectively put together several multi-disciplinary programs, panels, and marketing initiatives that were highly focused and beneficial to all parties.

The takeaway here is this: as you identify referral sources, think beyond the obvious question of “will they refer clients to me?” Professional service firms can work together to approach their respective industries from a variety of angles, and a smart strategic collaboration can help you become just a little less overwhelmed.