Giving the Admin's Report

One of my favorite times during the Gold Star Referral Club meeting is when Eddie stands up and gives the Admin Report. He is always prepared, fun and everyone loves him.

The Admin is the person who makes notes on attendance and gathers the slips after the meeting in order to enter them into the back office of the Gold Star site within 24 hours. Most Admins will also schedule the 10 minute speakers. 

Watch this quick 33 second video of Eddie. 

We're here for you when you have any questions about Gold Star!

Todd and Beth  

918-933-4864 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

_________________________________________

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. 

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!

You Are Standing in the Middle of a Referral

                                       Look around. What do you see?

Most people don’t realize that they are always standing in the middle of a referral. Look around you. Do you see carpeting that needs to be cleaned? A frustrated mother who needs a bigger house? A company that needs a new accountant, a window that needs to be replaced, or new friend who needs a banker?

The key to giving good referrals is to be aware of your surroundings. Listen for a need or a problem that someone may have. You become a resource for them. You can refer someone that you know, like and trust to help resolve the problem or situation.

Here is a good example of how easy it is to give referrals.

While walking the dog, my husband Todd stopped to visit with the neighbor and asked what lawn service he was using. Doug went on to say that he hired a company because he was having a lot of neck and back pain. He said that the doctor said it was arthritis and to “get used to the pain”.

Immediately, Todd pulled out his phone and gave Doug Dr. Jolley’s phone number. Luke Jolley is in one of our clubs in Tulsa and he is our personal Chiropractor. After hearing how much we love going Dr. Jolley, Doug promised to call him.

Knowing Todd, he will follow up with Doug in a few days to see if he made that appointment.

Here are some suggestions on how to give good referrals:

§  Always have the business cards of the members of your group readily available.

§  Program your phone with the telephone numbers of all your members.

§  Keep your club members cards and brochures visible at your place of business.

§  Be the “resource person” for all your friends, family, connections and business associates.

§  Invite your customers to call you for a recommendation before they go to the Yellow Pages.

§  Try to personally use your club member’s services and products as often as you can.

§  Don’t hesitate to tell success stories about another member’s business.

§  Invite a visitor to attend your referral group to personally meet a member.

§  Arrange to have lunch with a potential client and a club member.

§  Ask them, “Would it be okay if I had his office call you to explain what they do?”

§  Get the customer’s business card and get permission for the member to call. Say, “I’ll have him call you, would that be okay?”

§  Invite your customer to go through your business cards while they wait.

§  Send a thank you card to your customer and include names and numbers of some other businesses that may help them with the next step or with a future need.

§  Connect online with your clients and recommend connections to members in your referral group.