Make Referrals The Right Way – Part 5

peoplecutoutsLesson Five: Cross-reference your database. “Who do you know who…?” is often a question you are asked by colleagues and friends when they are seeking the right person for a business partnership, career position or task. When you are ready to make a referral, you need an efficient system that will help you find and connect people through a quick search. Because your database contains all of your important contacts, you want to design it so it stands ready to help you when you need it the most.

Database software helps you to design a robust database so it works best for you. When my technology consultant set up the database for my business, she began with an important question: “What do you want to be able to do with this information?” She opened up my eyes to what was possible. Together, we designed a custom system that meets my specific needs.

When you set up (or revamp) your contacts database, add a variety of fields that will create different lists. For instance, you can retrieve target groups of individuals, like men, women, chief executive officers, vice presidents of sales and marketing, women business owners, etc. simply through the identifying codes you use. You can also run lists of people by occupation, like human resources, sales, marketing, training, finance, etc., or by geographic location. When a client was looking for a facilitator in the Washington, D.C. area, I was able to retrieve my facilitator colleagues in that area and make several recommendations. “Point and click” makes it easy to make a referral.

As you review your database and its various demographic groups, consider how you can make referrals and bring people together. Who can you connect today?