Referrals Equals Money

What I’ve learned from SitePoint is that though everyone wishes to earn a quick buck through referrals, everyone still wouldn’t mind accepting gifts instead of cold hard cash. As mentioned by Andrew, it’s not so much of paying the referral but cultivating the referrals for their help in your business.

When you approach a potential partner or affiliate, it’s not advisable to demand a commission if he/she hasn’t thought of it. Not only is it non-professional but the moment you ask for a commission directly, it’s as if you’re being really desperate for money.

It’s alright to suggest a commision system but if you were to say something like, “..so for every client project that is successful, I’d like a 10% commission of the share.” If you were running a business and after introducing clients to you, I said that, wouldn’t you feel insulted?

It’s not so much of the fact it makes you feel very lowly as a person but it’s the request being made towards you that questions your professionalism or capabilities. When someone directs something like that at me, I feel as though I’m not being respected as a professional but just as someone desperate for money. Being known for your capabilities is far better than earning any quick buck because you’re not building your name by money.

Recently someone informed me that referral commision or fees is now a standard market or business deal. It makes it even worst when they add other people in every other country is doing that as well. Well, I’m sure referrals are being appreciated but it’s not just by money.

Assumptions like this tell me that if I were to reward a referral with even a bottle of wine or alcohol beverage worth RM300-500, they’d probably be complaining behind my back about how unfair or mistreated they’ve been because their expectation was cold hard cash. I can’t imagine what would happen if all I said was a simple thank you and I’ll spend you mamak.

I feel that rewarding a referral by other means than cash is a more mature approach to a business relationship. There have been some people who made over 100,000 from a client and in return, they bought the referral a spanking plasma screen TV!

If you were being a referral just for the money, isn’t it better to propose to me that you’d like to be a project hunter or project manager and help bring in projects? Isn’t that more ethical and professional than going around saying you’ll introduce a client only if I give you 10% commission in straight bills?

I wish everyone learned to approach referral fees in a more professional and mature manner. After all, do you burn real money at a grave every time you pray for your 4D number to appear? Didn’t think so.

If you paid more respect to others, you’ll be respected more in return at the same time appreciated higher and even be more recognizable.