The Center for Sales Strategy - Sales Strategy Blog

Would YOU Hire Someone Without References?

Written by The Center for Sales Strategy | January 18, 2013

Of course you wouldn't. Whether you're a manager, salesperson or consumer, you wouldn't hire someone to do a job or to work for you without ample evidence they have been successful for other people.

Do you expect your prospects to do just that?

As you build your dossier of satisfied clients — people who understand the value of your empathy, expertise, and problem-solving skills; why not document those successes by developing your own personal success log?   

This can be done very simply. 

Take any blank sheet of paper (or open a blank document or Evernote on your mobile device) and list these headings at the top:

  • CLIENT
  • DATE
  • PRODUCT/SERVICE
  • RESULT

Each week, keep track of the successes you've helped to develop for your clients, and jot down a few lines under each column on the page. Over time, the page will become pages.  It will be handy to share it with prospects or to refer to when writing letters of introduction, or valid business reasons to get appointments. You might even ask some of those satisfied clients to write a recommendation for you on LinkedIn!

So the next time you approach a client, you will have a variety of references to share!