Consulting firm referral strategy

Hi Anonymous,

1. More than 1 referral doesn't hurt, but has no tangible benefit either. So one per firm is enough.
2. Indeed yes, you need to provide a reason. That's why the idea is establishing a relationship first before softly shifting the idea into the direction of a referral.
3. See point 2. In addition: what works well for most folks is participating at some firm events, get in touch and have some engaging conversations, secure contact details, and follow up afterwards for a meaningful and engaging discussion.

Hope this helps - if so, please be so kind and give it a thumbs-up with the green upvote button!

Robert

1. 1 per firm
2. yes
3. I would use LinkedIn, starting from ex alumni of your university now in MBB

Hi,

1) Only one person can refer you and get a bonus. There is absolutely 0 sense to have more than one. Pls don't confuse the people who will be referring you and spending their time

2) Technically you can provide some fake reasons for him. Especially if you have some touch points (same university). However cold calling is always the worst and the least efficient

3) Pls never do that. You never know how the person will react (he can simply report you to hr

Best

Hi there!

1. you need only 1 referral per the company
2. yes, it is so
3. I would recommend you to make more personalized messages and use a lot of different channels for communication, like Linkedin, different events where you can find your potential contacts

Good luck,
GB

Hi,

I would like to explain you the mechanics how referrals usually work:

My mentee sends me the documents (CV and cover letter) for a specific company.

I have a very wide network of friends, former colleagues and ex-mentees on high positions in consulting (partners, principals and managers) across the world. I chat with them individually praising your competences and skills. Afterwards, I ask them to follow your documents on their behalf directly to their HR ladies while putting a word for you.

In that way you may get your “partner referral” which normally brings you in the pole position for the interview. You may compare it to “skipping the line for business class” at the airport.

Best,

André

Hi,

(1) Defitinte just 1 per company, otherwise you create unnecessary trouble for all people involved
(2) That's why a good referral is never just about 1 email or 1 call. You need to invest time in building relationship and get the person to know you more so that he/she can actually speak well for you. Otherwise even if he/she fill the form, their answer might not be convincing.
(3) No. In more cases I would think the person wouldn't feel comfortable doing so. There might be some consultants who prefer referring without knowing you because they just want to take a chance on the $. But I can tell you the success rate with such referral would be pretty low. People who refer for the sake of money without quality check are most likely to be junior and transactional in the company. Senior people and people who would stay in the company know when they refer someone they are taking a risk with their own credibility.

Best,

Emily

Hello,

Here are my answers:

1) One referral per company is absolutely enough. It codul be ambarassing for people inside to refer the same person (when you refer someone you should know him quite well..)

2) Yes, it is. If they believe that you are a good candidate it's a win-win situation, you get the job and they get the referral bonus

3) An email could be enough to start. Then, if you are ale to establish a connection, you could ask for a quick phone call to thank him.

Best,
Luca

Hi Anonymous,

please find below the replies to your questions:

1. You just need one referral for each firm, the higher in the ranking the better
2. I helped a lot of candidates who managed to get referrals with the right cold email, I would not worry about that
3. You should not send messages asking for a referral directly – it is highly unlikely it could work and you could annoy people

Best,

Francesco

First, remember that this is a small world and life is long. In general, carry yourself high and hold yourself to the rules....people talk and find out if you've been sneaky about things. All of your questions start from the wrong premise, in my opinion (which is, get in at all costs). Do it the right way or not at all.

However, to answer your questions:

1) One only (pick the person you know the best and/or the most senior).

2) I can't imagine someone referring you without knowing you - they have a reputation to uphold as well. However, If you spoke with them on a call or during a coffee chat, they would have enough to go off of.

3) No. Your name is tied to that request! Also, in general, don't ask for recommendations when first speaking to someone who has given you their time. If someone doesn't want to recommend you, they won't. If they did, this could likely turn them off. Let it come from them.

(editiert)