We proudly present Fable Fridays. This weekly installment will draw parallels between referral networking and some of society’s most cherished moral tales: Aesop’s Fables.
You could go to expensive seminars and buy up every book on referral marketing, but it doesn’t take a marketing genius to realize that Aesop got it right nearly 3,000 years ago.
The Fox and the Stork
At one time the Fox and the Stork were on visiting terms and seemed very good friends. So the Fox invited the Stork to dinner, and for a joke put nothing before her but some soup in a very shallow dish. This the Fox could easily lap up, but the Stork could only wet the end of her long bill in it, and left the meal as hungry as when she began.
“I am sorry,” said the Fox, “the soup is not to your liking.”
“Pray do not apologise,” said the Stork. “I hope you will return this visit, and come and dine with me soon.”
So a day was appointed when the Fox should visit the Stork; but when they were seated at table all that was for their dinner was contained in a very long-necked jar with a narrow mouth, in which the fox could not insert his snout, so all he could manage to do was to lick the outside of the jar.
“I will not apologize for dinner,” said the Stork…
One bad turn deserves another.
The Mortgage Broker Referral and the Real Estate Broker Referral
At one time a mortgage broker and the real estate broker met through the small business directory; it seemed like a good opportunity to exchange referrals. So the mortgage broker sent the real estate broker a referral. The real estate broker soon learned that the client needed help within a state for which she was not certified, she could not service the client.
“I am sorry,” said the mortgage broker, “the referral is beyond the scope of your expertise?”
So the day came for the real estate broker to send the mortgage broker a referral; but when the mortgage broker followed up with the client he soon learned that the client was also in a state for which he had no licensing to practice.
“I will not apologize for this referral,” said the real estate broker…
One bad referral begetteth another.
