Stop asking for referrals before the coffee arrives

I see it at every Tempe mixer I go to. Someone shakes hands, sits down, and within 90 seconds they're asking who I know that can use their service. Last Tuesday at the Mesa Chamber event, a guy pitched me before he even ordered his drink. I told him I'd think about it, but honestly I was already gone. The people I've actually referred business to in the last year are the ones who asked about my workload or my team first. Have any of you had better luck waiting until the second conversation before even mentioning what you do?

2 comments

2 Comments

loganl2220d agoTop Commenter

Last week at a Phoenix networking thing, I watched a guy do this exact move with a full plate of wings in front of us. It took everything in me not to laugh at how fast he pivoted from small talk to his sales pitch. You're spot on, the best referrals I have came from people who actually asked about my projects, not my budget.

cameron53819d ago

Buddy got a pitch mid-handshake at a golf tourney. Never called the guy back.