Page 75 - James Caan - The Real Deal

7 · The Job That Changed My Life

opportunity. If they weren’t genuinely happy about the prospect of
joining Reid Trevena, then neither was I.
Perhaps the most lucrative technique I borrowed from the sales
team at Reid Trevena was the one that secured referrals for future
sales. As soon as the sales force had signed up a new customer,
they were told to ask if they knew anyone else who might also be
interested in saving for their future. If the customer believed he’d
just made a smart move, more often than not he would want his
friends to know about it and give the sales rep the names and
numbers of four or five people. Most of our sales team were
making £20k to £30k a year, but those who got the most referrals
could be making £60k a year.
Cold-calling is not only time-consuming but it’s also soul-
destroying, so having a name, a number and an introduction
allows you to make many more sales in the same timeframe. I
realised that if I used the same referrals techniques there was no
limit to what I could earn.
There was one guy, Adrian, who always came back to the office
with a fistful of referrals. After he’d rung the sales bell, he would
sit down and get straight on the phone. He had clearly perfected
the art of referrals, so I asked him if I could go on the road with
him on the pretence of being able to tell new recruits more about
the job. I was amazed at his skill. He would say things to his
clients like: ‘So are you married, have you got brothers, sisters?
Yes? What does your sister do? She’s a doctor. Wow, that must be
fascinating, tell me about your sister . . .’
Without fail, the client would drop their sister’s name into the
conversation because Adrian would ask something seemingly
innocuous like, ‘Are you close?’, and the client would say ‘Annabel
and I never got on as kids, but now . . .’ and Adrian made a mental
note of the name.
‘Where did you say your sister worked?’
‘The Royal London Hospital.’

65