How Important Are Referrals To You?

EVERY MONTH I TRY TO READ A BOOK AS PART OF MY PERSONAL GROWTH PROGRAM AND SOME BOOKS ARE EASIER TO READ THAN OTHERS. NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID…"I READ A BOOK RECENTLY THAT HAD SUCH A DRAMATIC EFFECT ON ME AND HOW I CONDUCT MY BUSINESS THAT I JUST HAD TO SHARE IT WITH YOU."

THE BOOK IS TITLED “THE REFERRAL OF A LIFETIME” BY TIM TEMPLETON. BUT, THIS WAS ONE BOOK THAT I COULDN’T PUT DOWN. I’VE ACTUALLY READ IT TWO TIMES AND IT HAS CHANGED THE WAY THAT I LOOK AT MY BUSINESS, AND BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS IN GENERAL. THE REFERRAL OF A LIFETIME USES AN ENTERTAINING FICTITIOUS STORY TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF PUTTING THE RELATIONSHIP FIRST - BUILDING AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH CUSTOMERS BASED ON GENUINE RESPECT AND CARING, RATHER THAN JUST MAKING THE SALE AND MOVING ON.

BY BEING A SENDER OF CARDS AS A SOC TEAM MEMBER AND/OR CUSTOMER - THE FOLLOWING 4 BASIC PRINCIPLES TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND BRING YOU MORE BUSINESS REFERRALS IS EASIER TO APPLY AND MAINTAIN (THAT IS OF COURSE IF YOU ARE USING IT PROPERLY).

THERE ARE FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES TO THE REFERRAL OF A LIFETIME

PRINCIPLE 1: THE 250 RULE. IT’S NOT ONLY WHO YOU KNOW THAT COUNTS, IT’S WHO YOUR CLIENTS KNOW THAT’S IMPORTANT.

WHEN I FIRST LOOKED AT THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF THE 250 RULE AND ITS IMPLICATIONS, I WAS RELIEVED TO KNOW THAT I DIDN’T HAVE TO KNOW MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO GROW MY SOC BUSINESS. I JUST NEEDED TO TAKE A DEEPER INTEREST IN THE PEOPLE I ALREADY KNEW!

AS AN EXAMPLE, WHEN I FIRST STARTED TO LOOK AT ALL THE NAMES IN MY CONTACT MANAGER, I FOUND THAT I HAD WELL OVER 250 NAMES; TO IDENTIFY 250 WAS EASY. I READ RECENTLY THAT ANYONE OVER 25 KNOWS AT LEAST 2,000 PEOPLE BY THEIR FIRST NAME SO THERE’S HOPE FOR ALL OF US TO IDENTIFY AT LEAST 250 PEOPLE! THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I STARTED GOING THROUGH MY CONTACTS WAS TO ELIMINATE ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT I COULDN’T PLACE (BY EITHER PUTTING A FACE OR VOICE WITH THEIR NAME). THAT WAS EYE OPENING AND ELIMINATED QUITE A FEW NAMES!

PRINCIPLE 2: BUILD A DATABASE AND ABC IT.

THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF BUILDING YOUR DATABASE AND TO ABC IT WAS FUN! FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE I ENROLLED IN SOC, I STARTED TO REALLY SEE THE POWER OF THE MANAGE GROUP BUTTON IN OUR SYSTEM.

AS AN EXAMPLE: I CATEGORIZED OUR DISTRIBUTORS INTO THREE GROUPS. I PLACED PEOPLE IN THE EAGLE GROUP, THE HAWK GROUP AND THE ROBIN GROUP. (I DEFINED EAGLES AS PEOPLE WHO WERE WORKING SOC AS A BUSINESS; HAWKS WERE DEFINED AS USING THE CARDS BUT NOT REALLY WORKING SOC AS A BUSINESS; ROBINS WEREN’T WORKING SOC AS A BUSINESS OR USING THE CARDS).

I ALSO ABC’D ALL OF MY RETAIL AND WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS. I PLACED THEM INTO GROUPS ACCORDING TO THEIR VOLUME. I ALSO FACTORED IN WHAT I CONSIDERED TO BE THEIR FUTURE POTENTIAL. OVER 40 PERCENT OF NEW DISTRIBUTORS SHOULD COME FROM REFERRALS FROM MY CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS AND CUSTOMERS SO I TOOK THIS PARTICULAR GROUPING VERY SERIOUSLY. CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW HIGH THAT PERCENTAGE WILL BE BY ADOPTING A FORMALIZED PROGRAM!

THE THIRD MAJOR GROUP CONSISTS OF MY CONTACTS AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT AREN’T USING SOC BUT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. I LABELED THESE CONTACTS UNDER THE HEADINGS OF GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE.

PRINCIPLE 3: EDUCATE YOUR CLIENTS ABOUT HOW YOU WORK AND YOUR VALUE TO THEM THROUGH REGULAR, TANGIBLE ACTIONS PERFORMED WITHOUT FAIL.

THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF EDUCATING WAS AND STILL IS THE CHALLENGING PART. THIS IS WHERE YOU MUST PROVE YOURSELF, IT IS THE PART WHERE ALL SALES/SERVICE PROFESSIONALS MUST LEARN TO WALK BEFORE YOU RUN.

WHEN YOU REACH THE POINT WHERE CLIENTS CALL YOU WHEN THEY’RE LOOKING FOR A NEW PRODUCT, SERVICE OR IDEA BEFORE CALLING ANYONE ELSE THEN YOU KNOW YOU’VE EARNED THEIR CONFIDENCE AND RESPECT. IT’S WHEN YOU HAVE THIS TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU CAN ASK AND EXPECT TO RECEIVE A REFERRAL!

THIS IS WHERE YOU HAVE TO EARN YOUR STRIPES ON AN ONGOING BASIS. THIS IS THE STEP WHERE YOU LET YOUR CLIENTS KNOW THAT YOU’RE HERE TO HELP THEM IN ANY WAY AND, “OH, BY THE WAY, DO YOU KNOW OF ANYONE THAT COULD USE MY SERVICE?” IT’S OKAY TO ASK, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’VE EARNED THE RIGHT! DID YOU REALIZE THAT 65% OF SALESPEOPLE DON’T ASK FOR AN ORDER...I WONDER HOW MANY NEVER ASK FOR REFERRALS?

PRINCIPLE 4: KEEP IN TOUCH, CONSISTENTLY, PERSONALLY AND SYSTEMATICALLY.

THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE WHICH IS THE METHOD OF COMMUNICATING OUR VALUE TO OUR CLIENTS IS THE EASIEST PRINCIPLE TO GRASP...WITH SEND OUT CARDS WE HAVE THIS EASIER. I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE IF YOU ARE IN THE SALES/SERVICE PROFESSION AND ARE NOT USING SEND OUT CARDS, YOU ARE "MISSING THE BOAT" BECAUSE WE MAKE THIS PART EASY FOR YOU.

THIS IS WHERE THINGS LIKE THIS BLOG, OUR DAILY/WEEKLY E-MAILS, ALL THE TEAM CALLS, AND MANY TYPES OF GREETING CARD CAMPAIGNS AVAILABLE THROUGH SOC ALL PLAY A VITAL ROLE. WE ALL KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING IN TOUCH WITH OUR CLIENTS. REMEMBER THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY CUSTOMERS DON'T TO BUSINESS WITH US AGAIN IS BECAUSE THEY FORGET ABOUT US!

IN CONCLUSION, I THINK IT’S FAIR TO SAY THAT WE WOULD ALL PREFER TO RECEIVE A REFERRAL RATHER THAN BEATING DOWN DOORS (COLD CALLING) FOR CUSTOMERS. I BELIEVE THIS BOOK GIVES US ALL A STRATEGY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND BY USING THE SOC SYSTEM IT BECOMES MUCH EASIER TO DO.

IF YOU HAVE READ THIS BLOG ENTRY TO THIS POINT AND ARE NOT PART OF OUR SOC TEAM, MAYBE YOU SHOULD CONSIDER CONTACTING ME FOR YOUR FREE, NO OBLIGATION GIFT ACCOUNT WALK THROUGH OF THE SOC SYSTEM AS IT HAS BEEN PROVEN IN BUILDING THOSE CLIENTS/PROSPECTS AND FRIENDS/FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS.

SEE YOU AT THE TOP!