Be you Whether signing up a large supplier, hiring an employee, or considering an investment, referral calls are critical. Before I learned how to do them properly, they were inherently factual, “Hey, did Jim work with you from 2011 to 2013? What was the job title? ” For a very long time, I thought that all referral calls were good. Oh, how wrong I was. Over the years, I’ve learned that there are six amazing questions you can ask to get the answers you’re looking for.
In this example, I’m assuming I’m hiring someone, but the same logic applies to all other references you need to call.
What are referral calls for?
At first I assumed there was a reference call to determine if a job candidate was twisting the truth or outright lying. Well, that’s not the case. I mean, that’s it, too, but the reference calls aren’t b. The main objective is to gain a deeper understanding of the person you are looking to do business with. Determine what motivates them, find out if and how they fit with your organization, and – perhaps most importantly – know what to talk about with them in the next conversations.
There are two parts to referencing calls: Who are you calling and what are you asking? This article covers both. These days, I don’t consider investing, hiring, or taking on a job (or serious, multi-month consulting engagement) without making three reference calls.
