5 Engaging Ways To Stay Connected to Past Clients

I once heard Joe Stumpf of "By Referral Only" fame say, “The system is the solution.”  

Building your business by referrals is both a philosophy and a mindset and it takes a system to make it all happen. By creating a system to keep in touch with and to stay connected to your past and current clients, your connections and your fans you can consistently reap referrals. 

Your past customers may have known, liked and trusted you at one time, but will they remember you? Will they refer you to their friends a month or year from now?

How are you staying visible? What are some engaging ways to stay in touch?. Newsletters are great, but what else can you do?

Consider all the ways you can stay connected with your contacts. Be creative. Then, create a systematic plan so you can consistently stay in front of your connections and fans. A plan might include Facebook time from 3:00 to 4:00 pm every day, blogging on Monday and Wednesday or shooting a short video every Friday morning. You might set a deadline for yourself to get a newsletter out by the 20th or to write an article for a neighborhood newspaper once a month.

If you're anything like me, if I don't plan it and put it in my smart phone to remind me, the chances of it happening are pretty slim. So, make some decisions, talk it over with your team, write your plan down, schedule it and make it a priority to get started this week.

Here are 5 engaging ways to stay connected:

Use permission-based emails that give value and education. Link to some interesting blogs and articles. Send Newsletters that contain news and humor. I like to use ConstantContact for my email campaigns. It's simple and easy to manage with an unsubscribe feature.

Blog for your audience. Entertain your connections with enticing content. Share valuable information that is closely related to what you sell. Educate people so that they continue to know, like and trust you enough to do more business with you and to refer you to their friends. I like Google's Blogger best. That's just my preference. When I finish with a blog, it seamlessly blasts it out on Google+. Then my husband, Todd, sends it out to our other social media sites. If you need help with content join Copyblogger.com. 

Video and YouTube are excellent ways to demonstrate what you do. Post your short videos on social media websites along with your blog. When I create a video, I just use my smart phone, which is set up on a stand in front of me. I make sure that the background is fairly neutral and that the light source is behind the camera and not me. It's fast and easy to upload it to YouTube. I don't personally care for videos shot from a laptop camera. It can have a fish-bowl look and nobody wants to look like a fish. 

Create a Facebook Group. Like-minded friends and customers can grow into a community with common interests. Post a weekly topic and encourage comments. Connect to your blog and company videos. Encourage discussions. This one only takes minutes to set up and you'll be amazed at how close you get to the people who join your group.

 Events can be fun and are a great way to stay connected. Invite your past clients, current connections and friends to at least one event a year. For example, you could invite them to  join you at a sporting event, charitable fundraiser or a seminar. Consider having a party to watch a great TV show or an event like the Oscars. Better yet, once a year have a family day at the Zoo, rent a bowling alley or have a business networking event.

Keep in touch and stay connected.

You are only as limited as your imagination.

Keeping Your Friends, Customers and Members

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management.  It is a strategy used to develop stronger relationships with customers in order to generate loyalty and sales. Today, we not only want to keep customers, but our friends, online and offline, and our members in our business networking groups.

Unfortunately, the most common CRM method that we see in small businesses is hit or miss, like throwing darts at a board with a blind fold on.

Guessing at what your customer’s wants and needs are will rarely produce results.

Keeping your customer relationships alive and thriving is the key to their loyalty.

Basic Tips for keeping your customers:

The customer is a priority.  Customers are smart enough today to know when your focus is more on sales then on them and their needs. When you lose focus on the customer, you lose loyalty and sales.

 

Understand your customer.  Gather information about who your customer is, where they go and what their needs are.  Do surveys, get point-of-sale feedback, run contests or set up a social media group. Just listen.

Find a system that fits your company.  Experts will agree that over 70% of CRM systems fail. Why? Lack of commitment to the customer and lack of understanding about what methods best supports their business. What works for you? Infusionsoft, Salesforce, SendOutCards, Constant Contact or a combination?

Start small and manageable.  Develop a plan.  You might begin with an email campaign, social media or a newsletter first. Then when those first steps demonstrate results, your company can look at the next element of your strategy.

Get everyone on board.  From salesman to manager, get everyone connected to your CRM strategy. Don’t let disregard for the company’s vision fracture your strategy.  Empower your staff and sales team with knowledge, inspiration and tools.

Now you see me, now you don't...

Lack of visibility will cost you business.   

We often speak about the importance of the Know, Like and Trust factors in referral marketing. But the formula is not complete without Visibility.

"Where did he go?"

There is a common misconception that just by belonging to a business networking group you should get referrals.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way.

The members of your networking group still need to get to know you, like you and trust you. They can’t do that if you don’t show up on a regular basis.

One doesn't generate trust without consistency. In fact, your referrals will begin to decline the minute you start missing meetings, even if you have a substitute fill in for you.

There will be times of sickness and other emergencies that cause you to miss a meeting. That’s understandable.

However, when attendance is poor, the trust factor begins to deteriorate. The missing member will seem unreliable and will lose credibility. Fellow members may wonder...

· “Where is she?”

· “Is this how he runs his business?” 

· “Will she show up for my client or send someone else?”

· “I manage to get to the meetings on time, why can’t he?”

· “We must not be very important to her.”

· “Is there something wrong? What’s going on?”

As for profitability, empty chairs can’t give or receive referrals and there is always one of your competitors in the wings ready to take your business.

3 Steps to Giving More Referrals

Giving and receiving are just two sides of the same coin. 

You can’t have one without the other.  

- Bob Burg, author of Endless Referrals

You may have joined a business networking group to get referrals, but in order to garner the respect of the members in your group, you will need to also give referrals.  It’s a hard truth, but without giving, your relationships within your group will eventually deteriorate and your well of referral sources will dry up.

When one understands that GIVING referrals is just as important as GETTING referrals, the next question is, “How do I give more referrals?” 

3 Basic Principles to Giving More Referrals:

1. Have a Referral Mindset.

Ask, “Who can I help or refer through-out the week?”  Think about it. Have your club members business cards close-by. Listen for opportunities to refer someone. Think about what needs you might have at home or in your business. Do you use pest control, need an attorney or want a new fence? Give your referral group member an opportunity to help you before you call someone else.

2. Know what to say.  Good phrases are:

"I know someone who can get that done.”

“Would you like me to recommend someone?”

“I have guy who does that.”

“Would it be okay if they called you?”

“I can get you in touch with the company I use, they do a good job for me.”

3. Understand that most people WANT a referral.

Research has proven that people would rather use someone referred to them than use a complete stranger or a company that they don’t know.

They will not only welcome the referral but oftentimes, they will come back to you again when they need another one.

Visit: www.GoldStarDirectors.com to find out how to start your own business networking referral group. 

Great Questions to Ask While Networking

Have you ever noticed that no one ever hangs up the phone when they are doing the talking? Think about it.

When getting to know someone new, the worst thing you can do is most of the talking.

But what do you say after you exchange names and shake hands? How do you get them talking? If you’re at a networking event, after you shake hands, the first question may be, “What do you do?” 

And then after that, how do you keep the conversation going? Here are some great questions to ask a business person that you've just met or to ask new acquaintances at a networking event. These questions will help you keep a conversation going and perhaps, even open up the possibility of a future referral relationship.

GREAT QUESTIONS TO ASK:

1. “What kind of trends are you seeing in your industry this year?
2.  “May I ask, how did you get into the _______ business?”
3. “Are you doing much on Facebook? What do you find is working?”
4. “Are you networking for a specific reason today?”
5. “What’s your favorite client to work with?”
6. “Have you seen a lot of changes take place in your industry over the past couple of years?”
7. “So, tell me some stories. What’s been happening in your business lately?”
8. “What do you like best about being a ___________.?”
9. “If I were to look for someone in your business, what are the key things I should look for?”
10. “How are you different from your competition?”

AND FINALLY,

The most important questions to ask are:

 “How can I know if someone is a good prospect for you?”

“And what would you like me to say to them when I find them?”

Is your 2014 ticking away?

2014 is ticking away, like a timer, counting down the year. 

Where does the time go? 

Did you think you were going to get a faster start this year? That your business would be doing better?

What should you do? I've found that one of the best ways to increase business is to get off your duff and get out of the office.

Many times, we get stuck in the paperwork of business and forget about the "people work" of  business. It takes work to create profitable relationships, business advocates and referral sources. There is a lot you can do to increase your business this year that doesn't include a computer, new software or another email campaign.

Consider building new relationships by attending a networking function for some good old belly-to-belly, eyeball to eyeball networking. Get out there and meet people that you've been "liking" on LinkedIn and Facebook. Attend your a local chamber event and reacquaint yourself with old allies. Solidify a new friendship that you started on Facebook with a handshake and a hot cup of coffee at Starbucks. Seek ways to add value to old relationships that have gotten stale with neglect.

The next time that you get an invitation to attend a business networking lunch, accept it and attend it. No matter what business you're in, it's still a "people" business. 

Step out there. Before you know it, Spring will have sprung and your smart phone will be full of new referrals, prospects and clients.

3 Reasons Why Recession Survivors Will Succeed.

Over the last few years, we have seen small businesses survive and beat the odds. We started our very first Gold Star Referral Club in 2007, the same year that the economy took a nosedive and the Great Recession began to cripple businesses across the U.S.

The rebound has been bumpy. YET, each year since 2007, Gold Star has added more business people and opened more clubs across America, thanks to hard-working, committed members and determined business owners like you.

Some survived and beat the odds, some didn't.

This is the year, in 2014, that I believe you will see small businesses leap forward and here's why:

1. As a recession survivor you are TOUGH! You made it! You tightened your belt, re-aligned your goals and worked your tail off. Starting a business is rough, but maintaining growth is sometimes a miracle. You may have maxed out credit cards, narrowed your home meals down to macaroni and cheese and borrowed from relatives, but you made it through the gauntlet. Nothing will stop you now. You were tested by fire and are stronger than ever.

2. You're smarter than ever! You've learn to hire and fire based on your company structure, budget and purpose. You company is lean and mean, ready to work and determined. You didn't go through the hard years to fail now. Smart thinking got you here and it will take you forward to bigger and better things as you remember the hard lessons learned.

3. Passion carried you through the challenges. Your "why" is bigger than ever!  Your passion for what you do and how it serves others will ignite into a higher flame when fanned with the new year's growing economy. Rekindle the reason why you're passionate. Passionate business people create extraordinary results. 

I look forward to hearing and reading about your amazing accomplishments in 2014. Join our Facebook group at:  Facebook.com/groups/GoldStarClubs Be part of an awesome community of seasoned business networkers and contribute to the discussions. You don't have to be a Gold Star member to join our Facebook group, only a fan.

When People Talk - You Listen

"When people talk, listen completely.  Most people never listen."

— Ernest Hemingway: American novelist, writer and journalist

Listening is the one skill that separates ordinary friends from extraordinary friends. Develop this skill and you’ll make more friends, in your personal life and in business.

You listen with your eyes. When your eyes are on the speaker and not wondering around the room, the speaker knows that you care about what he is saying.

You listen with your body. Turn your face and body toward the speaker. You may find yourself leaning forward as you become more interested in what the speaker is saying.

You listen with your mind. The first thing to listen to when meeting someone is their name. Focus on what they're saying.  The speaker can easily tell when his audience is focused on what he's saying. A focused audience will energize the speaker.

You listen with your heart. When you're truly listening, you become emotionally involved in what's being said. It is natural to nod your head or to react emotionally.  You absorb what’s being said and empathize with the person’s story and situation.

Listening to the speaker with full attention demonstrates respect. By giving respect, you gain respect. At Gold Star Referral Clubs, every member gets an opportunity to speak in front of their referral group at least once a year. 

We're always looking for new Directors to start new clubs. If you know of someone, send them to www.GoldStarDirectors.com 

Teflon or Velcro? A lesson in deflecting negative influences.

Remember the old playground rhythm...

"I'm rubber, you're glue, whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you." 

Recently, I was reading a newsletter from a good friend and missionary, Tony Cooke. He was relating the attributes of Teflon and Velcro to how we react to negative influences and people in our lives.

Things slide off of Teflon, while Velcro grabs and holds. Our peace of mind and emotional health is dependent of whether we're like Teflon or Velcro. What do we allow to slide off us and what sticks to us.

Some things need to slide off of us, like negative criticism, bad advice and poor influence.  Some things, like positive support, sound advice and good influence we need to grab onto like Velcro.

When business networking, you'll run into all sorts of people, negative and positive. Think about the examples of Teflon and Velcro the next time you're at an event.

When you're approached by a business person that lives under a cloud of negative energy, let their uncomfortable conversation and influence slide off you as quick as an egg off Teflon. When you find yourself in the company of someone positive and uplifting, act like Velcro and grab onto all the good vibes and fellowship that you can.

Why resolutions don't work.

You can only aim at one.

It's only January 2nd and already we see our New Year resolutions slipping into the ditch. Why?

As we look at the previous year in retrospect, it's easy to see that with a few changes, the new year can be better. With that in mind, we love to set New Year resolutions and goals. 

A resolution is defined as a firm resolve to do or not to do something.  It's a decision, with a goal in mind. Resolutions by themselves are not goals. A resolution is like a car without a steering wheel, destined to go off the road within minutes of starting. In order to succeed, every resolution needs a strong goal.

It's only January 2nd, all is not lost. I would like to propose that you can succeed with your New Year's resolution this year with this simple 2 step plan.

1.) Only make one resolution. Never underestimate the power of one. One focus, one goal, one target.  Gary Keller, author of The One Thing says:

To-do lists tend to be long; success lists are short. One pulls you in all directions; the other aims you in a specific direction. One is disorganized and the other is an organized directive. 

If you want to succeed at your New Year's resolution this year just make one and clearly define what the goal is behind the decision. In the game of billiards the players can only strike one ball at a time,  A good strategy is that the one ball will hit other balls causing them to go into pockets, but the secret is still to focus on the direction of the one ball. The goal is to win the game.

What is the one direction that will make a difference, in your life, your work or your family? Perhaps, that is the one resolution that you should set this year. The goal is the result of that decision.

2.) Strike with a plan. Once you have decided what your one resolution is, you can power-up and strike. Thoughtful implementation of a plan will give you control and direction toward your goal. 

Again, going back to the game of billiards, you will never win if you hit the cue ball willy-nilly without a plan. It takes well calculated execution to use one ball as a catalyst, placing the other balls at strategic points for a win. 

When you decide on the one resolution that will be your catalyst for great change in your life, you MUST calculate the direction, the risk and the sacrifices that must be made in order to succeed. Then take steps each day toward that goal. The simpler the plan, the better.

Strangely enough, I have found that the success of implementing a great strategy nearly brings as much joy and positive posture as actually achieving the goal.  Of course, we know that success is in the journey. So start today and I wish you much success.

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May I encourage you to consider Gold Star Referral Clubs as the catalyst that could make 2014 a success for you? Visit us at www.GoldStarClubs.com.