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.

3 Ways to Referral Success

3 WAYS TO REFERRAL SUCCESS

     

1.      Referral Groups

      A referral group sometimes referred to as a business networking club or chapter is precisely what it sounds like. It’s a group of business people that get together on a regular basis in order to form business relationships that produce sales.

       Check out Gold Star Referral Clubs, a great business networking organization and start your own group in your city.

      There are face to face groups and online groups. An online group might be found on Facebook, LinkedIn or Google +.

2.      Clients, Customers, Patients and Connections

      A client, customer, and patient referral marketing system is a process of communicating with the intent of generating referrals. You will often hear people speak of CRM, which is Customer Relationship Management.

      In this section of your referral marketing plan, you will learn how to position your business or practice in order to attract referrals from your clients, customers, patients and connections.

3.      Strategic Alliances

      Forming strategic alliances with other business owners, CEOs and decision-makers will open a whole other world of referral opportunities.

      It’s a well-chosen business connection, who is outside of any referral group that you belong to. They will many times have a logical service or product that somehow connects people to the product or service that you represent.

     

These three low-cost high-return methods can quickly lift your profits to higher levels. 

Order 3 Ways to Referral Success today to get all the details on how to create an endless stream of referrals.

The Law of Influence and Business Networking

The Law of Influence

Written by Beth Davis, adapted from The Go-Giver, co-authored by Bob Burg and John David Mann.

In the book, The Go-Giver, we’re introduced to the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success. These laws are part of the culture of Gold Star Referral Clubs and many other business networking groups. 

Todd & Beth Davis with Bob Burg

Today, let’s look at: “The Law of Influence.” 

Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first. Influence is what you use daily to move a person to a desired action. It could be as simple as getting your kids to eat breakfast or as complicated as moving a corporate executive to sign an agreement.

Mastering the skill of influencing others is how great leaders and highly profitable salespeople conduct their business. It is how a husband gets a wife, a restaurant gets fans and how politicians get elected.

Please don’t miss understand, when we say, “place other people’s interests first,” we’re not suggesting that you should be a martyr or in any way self-sacrificial. Not at all. We’re suggesting that the fastest way to engender the “know, like and trust” factors in any relationship is to shift your focus from an “I” focus to an “other” focus. 

Bob Burg, in his book Adversaries into Allies, says:

Most people don’t commit to things; they commit to people. And they typically commit to people who they believe care about them.

How can we apply this within your business networking group?

We shift our “I” focus to an “other” focus. A business networker with an “other” focus may be seen:

• Volunteering for leadership positions to help your group, even when it is not your top desire.
• Arriving early to help with the set-up and greeting, even when it means you have to get up earlier.
• Listening carefully while others speak, even when you’d rather be eating.
• Inviting guests and clients to attend the meeting, even when you don’t think you have the time.
• Being loyal to use a referral partner or group member, even when you know someone else who could do it.
• Communicating with tact and empathy, even when you don’t agree with someone.
• Going out of your way to give referrals, even though you haven’t gotten any recently.

Influence is not about manipulating people. It’s about caring. Whether it’s a co-worker, a client or a referral partner, they need to know you care.

BE A GO-GIVER!

4 Powerful Ways to Open a Presentation

How do you begin your presentations?

We have all been there before. It's 60 seconds before you begin and suddenly your mind goes blank. What should you say? How do you open? 

Let's be honest, we've all struggled with this at one time or another. Here are a few tips on how to open up your presentation or speech.

1. Tell a story. When opening with a story, give them a shocking statement right off the bat, such as: "I ran into the wall yesterday." or "I hate jumping out of airplanes." Then quickly tell a story that will lead into your topic.
2. Give a quote. A quote lets you borrow someone else's credibility. A funny quote is even better. It makes you an instant hit.
3. Ask an interesting or fun question, like: "How many of you put the toilet paper on backwards?" or "Are you a cat person or a dog person?" or "Raise your hand, have you ever played a game on your phone while in a meeting?"
4. Shock them with facts or statistics. "Over 50% of the people in this room cheat on their taxes." or "All states have dumb laws. In Iowa, it's against the law for a man with a mustache to kiss a woman in public."

Have some fun and lighten up. Tell a good story about something stupid you did and people will relate. Shock them or make them laugh. Step outside of your comfort zone and give some of these ideas a try.

These ideas will even work when giving a 60 second presentation like we do at Gold Star Referral Clubs. Grab their attention and don't let go.

Winning With Referrals

15 REASONS WHY REFERRALS ARE BEST

 15 reasons why referral marketing should be an essential part of your customer acquisition plan.

1.       Customers that are referred to you come with an assumption of trust. They trust you because someone else did.

2.       Referred clients are easier to bond with and to close.

3.       Referred customers are more tolerant and balanced in their expectations.

4.       A friend of a friend factor creates instant likeability.

5.       Referral sales generate a higher commission average with less negotiation on price.

6.       A referred client or patient finds it easy to refer you to friends with similar needs.

7.       Referred clients are less likely to comparison shop.

8.       Referred customers have more loyalty.

9.       Referred customers are likely to use your product more extensively due to faith in your company.

10.   Referred customers are found to be better informed.

11.   Referred customers are more likely to be a better match for your service or product.

12.   The relationship with a referred client is instantly deeper than a non-referred one.

13.   Referred customers, clients or patients are more likely to share their experience with others.

14.   Referred customers find satisfaction in the fact that someone cared enough about them to refer them to a good company.

15.   Referred customers enjoy being part of your success.

And last but not least, neither you nor the customers enjoy cold calls.

Attitude is the Mother of Luck

What separates the lucky winners from the guy who tried, but lost? Why does one person get referrals and another one doesn't?

This month, we're looking at the subject of winning. Which leads us to ask, "Are some people just luckier than others?" 

Sometimes a Gold Star Referral Club member will come to me and say that they can't figure out why other people are getting referrals and they aren't. Is it just luck? 

Researchers have spent years analyzing what separates lucky people from unlucky people and what they have discovered is that a positive attitude and an upbeat outlook on life can actually make you luckier. Who knew?

If you want to increase your luck...

• Be available for opportunities. Get out there and be pro-active.
• Listen to that little voice in your head. It may be God telling you to pay attention.
• Expect to win. Be alert and ready to be the winner, to accept the prize.
• Look on the bright side of life. Even if you don't always get what you want, you'll feel like a winner. Sometimes, that's more important than winning.

Attitude is the mother of luck. You don't have to be born lucky to win at life and business. Watch this video to what Gold Star can do to increase your referrals. 

Winning By Giving

You don't win a game all at once. It's play by play, built upon weeks and even years of practice. You have to give from your heart like there's no tomorrow. 

Winning in the game of business involves giving from your heart.  Giving to your craft and giving to others. The Go – Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann, tells it all in a parable that is not so much about business but about a way of life. 

“Most people just laugh when they hear that the secret to success is giving… Then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as they wish they were.”

Here are The Go-Giver Five Laws of Stratospheric Success

1. The Law of Value: “Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment” 

“You give, give, and give. Why? Because you love to. It’s not a strategy, it’s a way of life.”

“All the great fortunes in the world have been created by men and women who had a greater passion for what they were giving – their product, service or idea – than for what they were getting.”

2. The Law of Compensation: “Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve then.”

“You get to determine you’re your level of compensation – it’s under your control. If you want more success, find a way to serve more people. It’s that simple. It also means there are no limitation on what you can earn, because you can always find more people to serve.”

3. The Law of Influence: “Your Influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.”

“You need to develop your army of personal walking ambassadors… a network of people who know you, like you and trust you… People who are personally invested in seeing you succeed.”

“Stop keeping score. When you base your relationships – in business or anywhere else in your life – on who owes who what, that’s not being a friend. That’s being a creditor.”

“Forget about fifty-fifty. Fifty-fifty is a losing proposition. The only winning proposition is one hundred percent. Make your win about the other person, go after he wants. Forget win-win – focus on the other person’s win.”

“Because if you place the other person’s interest first, your interests will always be taken care of. Always. Some people call it enlightened self-interest.”

4. The Law of Authenticity: “The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself”

“As long as you’re trying to be someone else, or putting on some act or behavior someone else taught you, you have no possibility of truly reaching people... no matter what you think you’re selling, what you’re really offering is you.

“Reaching any goal you set takes ten percent specific knowledge or technical skills – ten percent, max. The other ninety-plus percent is people skill… You want people skills… then be a person…. It’s called authenticity”

5. The Law of Receptivity: “The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving”

“It’s not better to give than to receive. It’s insane to try to give and not receive… Trying not to receive is not only foolish, it’s arrogant… Receiving is the natural result of giving. In fact, every giving can happen only because it is also a receiving by someone else… If you don’t let yourself receive, you’re refusing the gifts of others – and you shut down the flow.

Develop a Go-Giver way of life and begin winning in business and life.

Order The Go-Giver: http://www.burg.com/books/