Matt Vaadi presents the VRA method: start with a clear value proposition, build rapport by tracking personal details in your CRM, then ask for specific referrals. The key is making enough deposits of value and connection before you ask for anything.
So I'm going to establish value. I'm not just going to come in with the old nonsense of, you know, hey, nice fish. I'm going to establish value first, then I'm going to work on the rapport. You should work on developing rapport with anybody and everybody in this office. If you're going over personally, go wide, you know, talking to the front desk person, getting to know them, asking questions, writing that into a CRM so you don't ask the same question 6 times. So when you come back and they told you their cat had surgery the week before, You can actually, you know, speak to that. If you're— if we're going back to doing this virtually, don't just send stuff over on a blank boilerplate template. Send it over with some questions, with some personal rapport in there. You can develop rapport online. You can develop over the phone too. Believe it or not, those still work. You can pick it up and actually pick up the phone and call them before you send an email. Say, hey, I'm getting ready to send you over the latest onboarding and termination guide for remote employees. Would you like me to brand this to your firm so that you can send it to your clients? It's got our logo on it today, but I figure that's not real valuable to you. And, and just start to establish that, that rapport. Who's their favorite sports team? How many kids do they have? You know, figure those things out, but also understand that like that's, that's not what moves the needle at the end of the day. Make sure you input that information into your CRM. Make sure you've got notes that you can refer back to because there's nothing worse than somebody asking you the same questions over and over again. So Rapport is important, but it's not the sole purpose of these conversations or interactions. So I'm establishing value. I'm establishing rapport. Now, the next big thing, and the biggest piece that people miss out on, is once you've made enough deposits, it's okay to ask. You'll never get any referrals if you don't ask. Don't just ask general questions, ask specific questions.
