Asking for referrals at the door
The best moment to ask for a referral is immediately after a sale, while the decision still feels good. In door-to-door the highest-value referral is a neighbour, because you are already on the street and a name turns a cold door into a warm one. Ask for one specific person rather than for names in general.
Ask at the top of the feeling
Right after somebody buys is the point at which they are most positive about the decision, and it decays from there. A referral request a week later is asking a colder person for the same favour.
Neighbours are worth more here than anywhere else
In most sales a referral is a name to contact later. In door-to-door it is a door forty feet away that you can knock in the next ten minutes, with a neighbour's name as the reason you are there. That is the strongest opener available in the job.
One specific ask
"Anybody else who might be interested?" is a question with an easy empty answer. Asking about a specific neighbour gives them something concrete to respond to, and concrete questions get concrete answers.
Common questions
- When should I ask for a referral?
- Immediately after the sale, while the decision still feels good. It is the highest point of goodwill you will get.
- Should I mention who referred me?
- If they agreed to it. Using a neighbour's name without permission is the kind of thing that gets back to them and costs you both doors.
- What is the best referral question?
- A specific one. Asking about a particular neighbour beats asking for names in general, which has an easy empty answer.
More on scripts and objections
Openers, pitches and the objections every rep hears — with the answers that hold up on a doorstep.
- A door-to-door script that does not sound like one
- Openers that survive the first three seconds
- Handling "not interested"
- Handling "I’m busy right now"
- Handling "we already have someone"
- Handling "too expensive" at the door
- Handling "I need to talk to my spouse"
- Handling "send me some information"
- Building rapport in under a minute
- Closing on the doorstep