A salesperson’s success can often depend on who they know. That means that oftentimes, they'll need a new introduction to land a deal — and they might just be willing to pay for it. Referral programs have long helped connect customers with helpful products, but Chicago-based Juna is a new option for sales teams that helps formalize the process.
The service lets companies build profiles with details of the type of leads they need, along with the referral bonus they’re willing to pay. In turn, influencers can build profiles with details of who they know. Juna’s matchmaking algorithm pairs up appropriate counterparts with companies pursuing the most promising leads — and pays out for the successful ones.
Juna came out of SnapMobile, a Chicago-based mobile app development firm. As the company looked to build up its client list, it turned to a network of influencers who were connected to marketers, entrepreneurs and other industry insiders. But getting quality leads took time, so Juna was first developed for in-house use.
“We spent the last two years growing SnapMobile, and what we found was that the biggest challenge was finding new customers,” said Andy Mack, CEO and founder at SnapMobile. “Where do we spend the new money we have?”
Right now, the service is in use by just a few of SnapMobile’s own customers, but Mack hopes to expand its availability in coming months, along with increased functionality and more developer power behind it.
The real problem with referral systems done the old-fashioned way is that ideas change over time. Just like a game of telephone, many small misunderstandings can result in a salesperson chasing down a lead that really isn’t worth it.
“That information also goes out of sight, out of mind,” Mack said. “You might know two to three people that could ultimately be my customer. What we wanted to do was create a profile for each one of these businesses where they could very clearly articulate, 'Here's what our business does, here's who we've done it for and here's our ultimate referral need.'”
An early concern for Mack is that these connections may not always lead to high-quality referrals, but he said the system will get refined over time for better performance. Plans for a web version of Juna are already in motion, and integrations into sales platforms may also come down the line as the company looks to close the gap between customers and businesses with streamlined referrals.
Images via Juna.
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