How to Develop Strong Referral Partners

It’s been said that Rome wasn’t built in a day. And while I can’t argue with that, I would like to modify this old adage. My take on it? Rome wasn’t built in a day, AND it certainly wasn’t built by one man alone.

As a business owner of a highly respected print company in Scottsdale, AZ, I know that in order for a business to thrive you have to have a great team of people supporting your efforts. While this includes hiring the right employees for the job, it also includes developing strong referral partners.

Related: How to Hire the Right Talent

Referral organizations like BNI are a great way to develop those strong business relationships. I’ve personally been a member of BNI for 5 years and I highly believe in their idea of “Givers Gain®,” meaning that if you give business to others, you’ll get business in return.

But how do you form those business relationships in the first place?

Here at Printing Solutions, a Scottsdale print company, we have our own philosophy for creating strong referral partners. It can be summed up in the following way:  Trust + Integrity = Relationship.

• Trust: We value trust and, when developing strong referral partners, we first look for companies that we trust. Knowing that a person is trustworthy and has earned it time and time again gives you the ability to refer clients to them and vice versa.

• Integrity: Integrity is built by doing as you say, making a commitment and promise and delivering results. A successful business is built on integrity and it affects every aspect of a business.

• Relationship: To develop strong referral partners, both companies must have trust and integrity. Only then can both businesses feel comfortable and confident in one other.

The last step to developing strong referral partners is to use their products and services yourself. After all, how can you refer a company to a friend or family member if you’re not willing to use them? If you know how a company operates and the kind of service they deliver, then you’ll be more likely to actually refer them to others in the future.

Related: 5 Ways to Stay Top of Mind With Referral Partners

Remember, it takes more than an individual to build an empire; it takes an army!