Hi there,
Q: I am seeking networking assistance for referrals in Middle East consulting firms
I reported some tips below about referrals, hope they can be useful.
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To find a referral, I would recommend three steps:
- Identify the best people to contact to receive a referral
- Write them a customized email
- Have a call and indirectly ask for a referral
As general tips:
- Don’t use LinkedIn for your communication – emails work better. You should target 30% conversion for your messages; if you are not achieving that, there is space for improvement.
- When sending emails, your goal should be to organize a call, not to ask questions – you can then use the call for the questions.
- You need to close the call with an indirect request for a referral – don’t leave that to chance. There are specific ways to phrase it.
You should prepare three main things before the call:
- Your own pitch. 3-4 lines should be enough
- 3-4 questions on the personal experiences of the person. Avoid to ask questions about the company only
- A closing question for the referral. It should be an indirect request to avoid being too pushy
Before the call, you should have your CV and Cover ready – in this way, you can send them right away it if the person wants to refer you.
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If you are interested to know more about the best way to find the right people, exact email to write, questions to ask and indirect closing to land the referral, please feel free to contact me. I do a 30 min session at 50% discount to understand the right steps to get MBB referrals, directly from home – no events participation required.
This includes all the scripts needed, from the email to send to the call with the consultant.
Following the same process, I managed to get 6 invitations out of 6 applications – including all MBB - and I regularly see my mentees getting referrals, including in the Middle East.
Best,
Francesco