I am fortunate that in my work as a copywriter and marketing communications practitioner, I get to collaborate with and provide outsourced writing services to many people. They are agency owners who run advertising, marketing, and public relations firms; branding experts; marketing strategists and implementers of marketing campaigns; art directors and graphic designers; videographers and photographers.
With all those connections, I am frequently asked for recommendations for various creatives (other advertising copywriters, PR writers, all sorts of designers), PR practitioners, and marketing pros. Now, I really love to connect people (and I know a lot of them)—and it’s even better when that initial call goes well and the parties decide to work together.
The conundrum becomes this: With so many connections, how do I make the best referral? For me, it comes down to two points:
- Know your clients or colleagues and their businesses well enough to understand their needs
- Know both the person you are referring and the person requesting the referral well enough that it will be a good match
As for that second point, this means taking the time to get to know the person you are referring, and his/her skills and abilities. Does that person or company have a specialty, occupy a niche in a vertical, or work with a certain type of client?
On the flip side of this collegial coin, it’s also about knowing the person who is looking for a vendor/partner. What are the parties’ personalities and work styles? Do you know? A business owner who needs lots of quiet listening, personal attention, or direct guidance is different from someone who is a high D on the DISC assessment (all you dominants know what I’m talking about). One is the “please tell me everything I have to do and help me get there.” The other is “just bottom-line it for me, I’ll take it from there, and talk to you next month.”
Even if a marketing professional has the skill set needed by a business owner, the two of them must be able to work together in the end or what’s the point of making the referral? If the client is impatient, don’t refer a slow talker to them; they’ll lose their minds trying to get through a phone call. However, an S or C on the DISC assessment would likely prefer a slower, more nurturing vendor relationship and slow talker might be the right choice.
If someone needs a particular expertise, be sure to refer only people who know how to do that. I consider myself a generalist and write for many different industries, whether it’s content marketing, advertising or public relations, but don’t refer me for a corporate communications project or to write for an academic or technical audience. None of us will be happy!
There may be times when the writer, designer, or marketing consultant will be in a customer-facing role. Is that individual going to be the best representative for your colleague, or generate goodwill for the agency vis-à-vis its client?
There are many factors that go into making a successful referral. Beyond having the skills and expertise needed for the project, both client and colleague need to vibe well together. What are the criteria you use when you’re asked for names? Shoot me an email to share your thoughts.
Better yet, let me know if I can make a good referral to you from among my varied network of professionals in so many different fields!