Being Open to Receive

In the book, The Go-Giver, we’re introduced to the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success.  The culture of Gold Star Referral Clubs can be seen in these laws. Today, let’s look the final of the five laws:

“The Law of Receptivity.”

“The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving.”

“Because human beings are born with appetite, nothing is more naturally geared toward being receptive than a baby, and if the secret of staying young, vibrant and vital throughout life is to hang onto those most precious characteristics we all have as children but which get drummed out of us—like having big dreams, being curious, and believing in yourself—then one of those characteristics is being open to receiving, being hungry to receive, being ravenous to receive!”

What comes to mind when you think about Giving and Receiving?

Most of us think more about “It’s better to give than receive.”  However, giving and receiving are but two sides of the same coin.

Being open and ready to receive is as important as giving.  

When the farmer plants an entire field, it is critical that he count on those seeds sprouting and growing. He knows that if he puts enough seed in good soil he’s going to have a good harvest.

If you plant an apple tree, you can expect it to bear fruit as a result of your labor and care.

In the same way, we can be open to receiving fruit from the labor and care that we put into our relationships.  We may not know exactly what the outcome will be or where it will come from; nor can we demand a return, but the law of give and receive promises that there will be a return.

When you are open to receive, you’re thankful and grateful for all things good that come into your life without keeping score.

Gold Star members are Go-Givers!

Beth Davis is a Certified Go-Giver Keynote Speaker.

Bring her to your next event.

Get Results Today

There is a serious ROI (return on investment) in referral marketing. You don’t have to conquer mountains of information and technology to get results. You can get results starting today.

In college, I learned that a complete marketing plan included demographics, geographics and psycho-graphics  Out of college, I learned that things were dramatically different. Not that I’m ungrateful for my education, but there’s simply no substitute for experience. In this book, I offer you a one-of-a-kind gift, my experience and the solid experience of others and the place we start is with clarity.

As business people, we have come to realize that the key to long term success is clearly defined goals.

“Lack of clarity is probably more responsible for frustration and underachievement than any other single factor.” said Brian Tracy, author, speaker and master of business growth strategies.

I’d like to tell you a short story about clear waters.

When I was fifteen, Dad and I would go fishing for small mouth bass in the east arm of Traverse Bay off of Lake Michigan. We would troll over the water intake where the weeds grew. My job was to stand on the front of the pontoon boat and to point out where the fish were. The water was that clear. When I spotted bass, Dad would position the boat so that we could either cast into them or just drop a line on top of them.

The crystal clear water made it easy to see what bait the fish were interested in and which ones they ignored, but the most frustrating part was to watch a large bass swim past and ignore the bait while the baby fish, barely bigger than the hook, nibbled at it.

Wouldn't it be great to have that kind of clarity when looking into your referral marketing strategy?  If you know exactly what creates a referral, you can plan on it, change your referral marketing strategy when you need to and set achievable goals. That would be like fishing for referrals in clear waters.

Successful people know that their habits determine their future. You can learn how to re-frame and reprogram yourself and your business into a referral mindset by ordering my classic book 3 Ways to Referral Success.

Standing On A Referral

Standing on a referral.

You may have heard me say in the past that you are always standing in the middle of a referral. 

But on Thursday, I found myself not in the middle but literally STANDING on a referral.

It was 7:15 am and I had just entered the First Watch Restaurant in Tulsa to go the T-Town Gold Star meeting. My heel caught on an edge of an uplifted section of flooring. Oh, I thought... that could be dangerous.

I asked Tanya, the manager's wife, "What's happening to your floor?"

"We can't figure it out and neither can anyone else. It keeps coming up." She said.

I smiled. "Let me get back to you. I think I know someone that can help you."

During our referral meeting, I was able to visit with the more-than-talented handyman in our Gold Star Club, Rob Ewens. I told him about the floor. 

Sure enough, as we stood at the cash register checking out at 8:30 am, there was Rob investigating the floor for the restaurant manager. Within minutes, he had figured out that the person who laid the floor had neglected to lay down a moisture barrier. 

I haven't heard yet whether Rob got hired to repair the floor. But I have to tell you, it felt good to refer him.

So, I told this story for a purpose. As you go about your day today. Look around. You may not only be in the middle of a referral, you may be walking through one, on top of one or looking at one. 

Check out Gold Star Referral Clubs to learn more about creating an endless stream of referrals.

Great Phishing Graphic from Legal Shield

Todd and I have been customers of Legal Shield for a long time. I especially enjoyed this graphic they created about how scammers get you by phishing.

"There is no single group of people who is more likely than another to be the target of a scam. Regardless of income, education or gender, Kroll's Investigators have helped members from all walks of life who have suddenly found themselves a victim."  - Legal Shield newsletter 11/15/2013

Get more valuable advice about how to become a better business person 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!