Happy May! Excuse me, but have you seen April? It was here just a second ago…
Last week I talked about the power of referrals as it pertains to LinkedIn. This week lets examine old-school word-of-mouth referrals. Why are referrals so powerful?
Pretty simple. It’s one thing when you say “You should hire me”. It’s another thing entirely when someone else says “You should hire this person”.
So how do you get quality referrals? First off, don’t seek them out. It never looks good. Over the years I’ve had many voice talents (mostly new ones) ask me if I can “keep them in mind”. That always makes me feel oogy. I think to myself, do I know you? Do you have a body of work and a reputation that demonstrates you can get the job done? Do I trust you to represent me if I recommend you?
Though most would not admit it, that third question is important. You’ve worked long and hard to get where you are in the industry. You’ve cultivated a good reputation and strong relationships with many clients and frankly, you don’t want anything (or anyone) to screw that up. Just being asked to recommend someone you don’t know puts in you the always-uncomfortable “jerk or fool” situation.
TIP OF THE WEEK: Asking for a referral is taking. Focus on giving! The voiceover industry is relationship-based, and in my opinion, very karmic. In my experience, giving & getting referrals is an organic process. Meet new colleagues. Get to know them. Surround yourself with people who help you to be the best version of yourself. Before you know it, a project will come your way. That’s how the magic happens!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
All you have to do, if you want a process to stop at any moment, is to say ‘enough’.
Philip Banks
STUFF!: If you haven’t heard the news, FaffCon 7 will be in Tuscon, Arizona! Click here to learn more.
From Tom Dheere’s apartment, this is Tom Dheere: GKN News…