Orla / Shutterstock.com compiled by Danielle Renda QA Distributor Asks: A client of mine wants to refer business my way, but they are requesting something in return like commission or discount pricing. While I’m willing to do so once, I don’t want to give him special pricing indefinitely. What strategies do you use? Give them 10-20% of the profits for that new business for 12-14 months. You’d be surprised how much more business they find for you. BRANDON KENNEDY CEO BrandCo Marketing Simi Valley, California PPAI 105922, D3 When I pay a referral fee, my rule is 10% of the price of the product paid after the order is paid, delivered and accepted, and it only applies to the first order placed by that company/person. My explanation is that after the referral, it’s on me to earn the continuing business. RAMA BEERFAS, MAS, CTSM Owner Lev Promotions Santee, California PPAI 218331, D1 I have a referral page onmy site. If someone gives a referral and they become a client, they get a gift. GREG MILLER Owner BRAND-Tastik Lakemoor, Illinois PPAI 576761, D2 Most of my “friends” pass referrals because they want to see me succeed, not because they’re looking to profit. I’m big on offering to take them out for dinner or something fun to show appreciation. At the end of the day, our business relationship should be positive and mutually beneficial. If it’s not, why bother? NENETTE LUSK GRAY Owner Lemonade Creative Marketing, LLC Baton Rouge, Louisiana PPAI 468267, D1 QA Distributor Asks: I billed a client for shipping and handling on an order. The client emailed me back requesting the invoices of the shipping cost to compare what I paid against what I charge. This has never happened to me and I want to reply with, “No, this information is confidential,” but I wanted to see what other distributors have done in similar situations. They are welcome to use their shipper number in the future. I had one wanting to see what my supplier invoices. She deducted money fromwhat she paid. I marked it off to firing a customer I didn’t need. Her father was the owner and I did business with him, but she stepped in at payment time. I didn’t show her anything. In over 30 years, that’s the one [customer who has done this.] Do not show people the inner workings of your business. I don’t markup shipping. KAREN MITCHELL BISHOP, MAS Owner Impressions Promotional Advertising & Tupperware Brands Henderson, Tennessee I have always charged [a certain amount] for handling, andmy reasoning withmy customers has always been that I pay a weekly service fee toUPS to have thempick up deliveries and that is a reasonable fee. I do not make a profit on shipping, but I do not want to losemoney either, so I just covermy expenses of the UPS fee over and above the shipping fee. This is just another observation: If a customer does not trust me regarding shipping fees, it raises a red flag and I put themonmy do-not-sell list because that means I haven’t done a good job of establishing a relationship. Just for the record, I haven’t had a customer My Client Deserves A Thank-You For Referrals, But Indefinitely? I recently had a client refer business my way, which I truly appreciate, but they’d like something in return. What is the most ethical and reasonable way to go about this? 12 | MAY 2022 | INNOVATE
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==