Referral Marketing: Positive Reinforcement!

There's something about having a dog that makes your life complete! My new puppy is everything I could ever want in a dog. She is incredibly loyal to me ... as she is sleeping at my feet right now under my desk. She is incredibly smart, brave, curious, fun-loving, enthusiastic, and full of spirit. She has learned so much is the last two months since we've had her.

This past weekend, we decided to test her to see if she could become a canoe dog. I have always wanted a dog to be able to go in the canoe with us. So, we first bought her a canine life jacket ... as any good responsible parent would do. She had absolutely no objection to her life jacket ... that was a great sign. Then, on dry land, we encouraged her to get in and out of the boat, being sure to give lots of positive reinforcement!! Her favorite treats should be called, "how to get your dog to do anything you want!" In no time, she was quite comfortable in the canoe.

So, off to try our luck in the pond. With life jacket on, she jumped right into the boat and sat down for the ride! We were in truly amazed! With constant positive reinforcement, she was totally focused on me ... not on the boat's movement. She did absolutely great! She will quickly become our little canoe companion.

Referral partners also need that ongoing positive reinforcement. Since a box of treats might not work as well in this situation, consider what kind of treats they need?! Do they need you to make them a priority? Do they need you to call them once a week to touch base? Do they need you to meet with them in person once a month? Maybe you need to thank them occasionally in some way with some chocolate treats, or lunchtime treats, or Starbucks treats?

Whatever the "tool" ... do what's needed to positively reinforce what a referral partner is doing for you. Recognize the behavior that you want them to repeat and before you know it, like my puppy, they'll be doing it without even giving it much thought!