By Tom Ninness
So you finally have that one-on-one appointment with a highly connected professional who may be a prospective referral partner. With only 30 to 45 minutes to conduct a meeting or an “interview” with him, you need to ask the right questions to see whether there is an opportunity for you to work together successfully.
Questions to ask yourself
I use specific interview questions to help me make a decision about working with this potential partner. However, I also ask myself these important questions.
- Would I feel comfortable doing business with this person?
- Would I feel comfortable trusting this person with my clients?
- Does this person run a business that is aligned with my values?
- By taking this person on as a referral partner, will he create stress for me and my staff?
- Do we have an “essence match” or will we be having constant battles because our philosophies are different?
- Does this person understand the importance of creating long-term relationships with his clients?
- Does this person understand what a loyal partnership is all about?
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I’ve learned some valuable lessons in the past by taking on referral partners whose values did not align with mine. |
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These questions guide me through the interview process and assist with the final determination about doing business with the prospective partner. If even one of the answers to the questions is no, I would pass on working with this person. I’ve learned some valuable lessons in the past by taking on referral partners whose values did not align with mine.
Get to know him first
Don’t just jump in asking questions about the referral partner’s business. Get to know him first by asking questions that make him talk about himself. His answers to casual questions may be important clues of how he conducts his business. If I’ve done some “recon,” then my questions may vary a bit, but these will give you an idea:
- Tell me your five-minute story.
- What do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies?
- Are you associated with any groups such as Rotary, Kiwanis or the local chamber of commerce?
- What charities and nonprofits are you involved with?
- Before you got in your current profession, what did you do?
Questions related to his business model
Probing questions about how the prospective referral partner conducts his business will determine how you proceed in the interview process. These are some of the questions I use:
- Where do most of your business leads come from?
- How do you generate leads and referrals?
- How do you stay in contact with your past clients?
- Do you have professional business relationships that refer their clients to you?
- What is the biggest challenge you are currently experiencing in your business or industry?
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Take pride in your business and only work with people you like and trust. |
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The decision
If you have decided through the interview process that you like the person, then you need to determine if you can trust him enough to share your business model or “unique selling proposition.” If you think you can, you are on your way to working with a new referral partner. If you think you can’t, then nicely close the interview by thanking him for his time and move on.
Remember that you don’t need to accept every opportunity that comes your way. I was invited to meet with a gentleman who belongs to an organization that I am very involved in. The initial conversation went well, as our children were going to the same school and it was easy to connect. However, when it came to his answers to my questions about his business model, creating loyal clients for life and working with professional referral sources, I knew that we would not work well together. I told him that we should remain friends, but that working together was not in our best interest. Being honest upfront has kept our friendship strong. Be picky about the people you work with. Take pride in your business and only work with those people you like and trust.
Tom Ninness is vice president and regional production manager for Cherry Creek Mortgage in Denver. He is also the president of Summit Champions Inc. and creator of the “The 90 Day Journey to Your Sales Success.” For more information, go to www.90dayjourney.com, www.summitchampions.com or contact Ninness at information@summitchampions.com or 720-221-4396.
April 2008
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