10 Irrefutable Laws of Referral Building

Listed below are some of the fundamental truths about referral building. 

These laws, without question, outline absolute truths about referral relationships.

1.  If they don't like you, they won't refer to you, even if your price or quality is better.

2.  Without a follow-up note or a meeting, most new referral sources will forget about you in less than 10 days.

3.  In order for your referral network to consistently refer to you, they need a crystal-clear understanding of what you do and the problems that you solve.

4.  Technology will never replace face-to-face relationships and personal chemistry.

5.   A lead is not a referral. A referral is when you connect someone you know, like and trust to someone you care about who has a need. A lead is barely more than a cold call.  

6.  A few quality referrals are better than a larger quantity of leads.

7.  Referral sources are based on relationship building, not networking.

8.  Many people that you may consider referral sources are actually just social contacts, networking buddies and good-time charlies, who have rarely, if ever, sent you a referral.

9.  Lack of visibility is the top reason why referral relationships falter. If they never hear from you or see you, even if they know, like and trust you, they will forget about you.   

10.  You should be able to close a well-endorsed quality referral 85% of the time.

Winning with Mastery

There is an old country axiom which states, "Success in life comes not from holding a good hand, but in playing a poor hand well."

You were born to succeed, not fail. By mastering your talents and skills you can not only win at what you do, but new doors of opportunity will open to you. 

I have seen individuals with mediocre abilities manage to attract amazing results by mastering what they do. From their business to their personal lives. 

Skill, like muscle grows through exercise. We can practice being the best we can be and extend our skills even more by hanging out with people who challenge us to be excellent so that we can become better each day. 

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it." - Thomas Jefferson. 

As the CEO & Founder of Gold Star Referral Clubs, I find that I have never learned enough about referral marketing. I want to stay on top of the game. I try to set the stage for success with the business people in Gold Star. I want them to excel at giving and receiving referrals in an environment that allows their hard work and talents to shine. I find that when we're challenged to be become better, we do.

Complacency is a thief that steals our business and tries to make us fail. Gold Star gives us a great system to help us all become better business people. It is a quality environment that brings us more business AND makes us sharpen our business skills.

"Quality is about love; it's a passionate obsession with perfection. It is the result of good intentions, uncompromising standards, sincere effort, intelligent design, attention to detail and skillful execution. Quality is the calling card of greatness." - Gary Ryan Blair, author of Everything Counts.

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/

Making Appointments After the Networking Event

“If and When were planted, and Nothing grew.”   - Proverb

You may have heard the saying, "The fortune is in the follow-up."  It's very true. You went to the networking or Chamber event to create connections for potential sales. Am I right?

Now the ball is in your court. It's time to follow-up and get the appointment.

Research shows that buyers are not the ones to contact salespeople. The salesperson still has to contact the potential customer.

A phone call is still twice as effective as an email. With email, it's too easy for the customer to postpone, delay or cancel. Be brave, stop thinking about it and just pick up the phone.

• When asking for an appointment: 
• Identify yourself and remind them where you met or let them know who referred you to them.
• Explain why you want to meet.
• Mention a benefit to them.
• Suggest a length of time, such as: "no more than a half an hour."
• Offer possible dates, times and places.
• Mention any others who will be present.
• Give your phone number, address, and email address.
• Express your appreciation for their time.
• Tell them when you will call to remind them.

• Helpful tips when making appointments:
• Don't postpone, delay or cancel the meeting if at all possible.
• If you do need to change a meeting, don't over apologize. Usually all you have to say is, "I'm sorry to have to cancel/reschedule..."
• Be assertive about making appointments.
• After setting up the appointment, follow-up with an email with time, date and place. Express appreciation for meeting with you.

Follow up is a successful salesperson's greatest strength. 

THOUGHT PROVOKING INTRODUCTIONS

 "Hi my name is Bill with ABC Company."

What do you say in the next 30 seconds that is honest and sincere and also thought provoking and interesting?

I don't know about you, but my attention span seems to be getting shorter and shorter. In fact, the longer you spend telling me all about your company, the quicker you lose me. 

Worse yet, many business people will only give their names or the company that they are with and SAY NOTHING after that ...  missing an opportunity to connect. Why not say a few extra words? Maybe something short of an elevator pitch, not even a tagline, but still thought provoking.

Here is where it gets interesting. Have some fun with it. Let's say that you sell:

Gourmet candy. You could say, "We create, market and deliver unique and creative candy gifts to businesses and individuals. Can I make a SWEET  delivery for you this week?"

Life Insurance: You could say, "I give away money."

Chiropractor: You could say, "I'm a chiropractor and I make your back happy."

Realtor: You could say, "Hi, Julie, with Keller Williams. Interview me now for your next home sale and I'll buy you lunch."

Computer Repair: You could say, " Just call me when your computer ticks you off."

Mortgage Lender: You could say something like: "Hi, I'm Mark with Top Roofing.  When it hails, I'll bring my nails."

Have fun adding something thought provoking to your introductions and see how easily conversations open up.