Referral Marketing: People with Babies!

Have you ever noticed that people with babies attract each other? And ... on the flip side, people without babies also attract each other.

People with babies share a common bond and comfort level with each other ... they can appreciate the excitement of seeing their baby smile for the first time; discover their tongue for the first time; take their first step; say their first word; experience their first all nighter; and change the dirty diaper. Generally, they speak the same language. They share the same stories with different characters. They hang out in the same places, buy the same food, drive the same kinds of cars, and buy the same toys.

If they're not careful, people with babies might get totally disconnected from the rest of society ... those of us without babies.

There's a similar danger in networking for you if you never network with people who are different from you. This kind of isolation can disconnect you from the rest of the business world. You could be missing out on tremendous resources and opportunities by meeting different people, networking at different events, and expanding your connections. If you find yourself getting bored with your networking group or uninspired by the events you're attending ... it's a signal that it's time to change things up a bit!

Don't allow yourself to only speak the language of babies and talk about how often your little one needs his diaper changed!!

(This is the cutie I spent the afternoon with today!)

Referral Marketing: WALL-E

This weekend, I went to the movies to see WALL-E. In my opinion, it's one of the best movies of the year! If you haven't seen it ... run ... don't walk to the theater.

WALL-E gives us a glimpse into the distant future of the planet earth. Humans have trashed the planet ... literally. There becomes so much trash, that humans are shipped off to another planet far away in the galaxy to live in a confined, automated, monster ship. Everything is automated!! All humans have become obese because they do nothing but float around in reclined chairs waiting for everything to be handed to them. They travel in some kind of trance, always tuned in to audio or visual stimulus ... totally unaware of their surroundings. It's a very grim look of what our lives could become if we permit it to happen.

Do you allow yourself to operate on autopilot too often? Are you aware of your surroundings? How about when it comes to your network? Operating your network on autopilot is a recipe for disaster ... as far as I can see it. You can't allow yourself to neglect your network or to become totally unaware of the people who surround you. You could be standing next to your biggest client and never even know it!!

The most successful networkers never sit around waiting for things to come to them. They are out there, building relationships, connecting other people, finding referrals for others, and looking for opportunities. That's why we say it's ... Net-WORK ... it's not Net-SIT or Net-EAT!!

The moral of the WALL-E story ... we can control what happens to our planet! The moral of this blog entry ... we can also control the success of our networking efforts!

Referral Marketing: Living it LARGE!

Today, I had the pleasure of attending a great lunch with Weston Lyon and several of his key referral sources. Weston truly knows how to live it large! He is known locally as the "King of the Functional Fitness Jungle". He's completed five co-authored books this year! Anyone who meets Weston can easily see his passion. And, it's somewhat contagious. If you spend 30 minutes with Weston, you'll know why.

The really cool part about today was observing one of my students (Weston) apply some of the strategies he learned in Certified Networker and Referral Pipeline. He created a purposeful meal opportunity for his referral sources. The goal was to facilitate our meeting each other and to help us forge new relationships within his network. He positioned himself as the center of his network at that moment and everyone there knew it and thanked him for it!

Weston has made a higher level commitment to 30 people in his network this year. As I looked around the room of 10-12 people, I could see 6 or 7 of my graduates participating and experiencing a real life application to what they had been taught. Weston provided an excellent example of how to truly and authentically GIVE to your network.

He knows and lives the "Givers Gain" philosophy of doing business! I walked out of there today selling two books and scheduling one speaking engagement. Thanks, Weston! I owe you one!!

Referral Marketing: It's All About ME!

Imagine what the world would be like if it revolved entirely around YOU! From the perspective of a 4-5 year old ... the world really DOES revolve around them. You can see it in everything they do. They make decisions based on what will benefit them, first and foremost. They manipulate their parents whenever they can to get what they want ... now, sooner than later. Perhaps as a parent you've been the victim of the "mommy said this" and the "daddy said that" game of "how to position your parents against each other so that they give in" tactic. They work the system of their world completely to their advantage.

Most kids at this age don't quite appreciate that the world really doesn't revolve around them. They haven't yet learned the true value in giving to others first. They haven't learned to process their decisions to include the impact on others ... and nor should we expect them to at this age. Can you remember when you first learned this life lesson? I'm certain that my parents played a big role in teaching me at some point. I know the Girl Scouts in this photo will begin to learn it on some level in Girl Scouting.

Unfortunately, I see people all the time who are networking in their own world. You can tell that they believe (at least at that moment) that the world revolves around THEM! Sometimes you'll see them buzzing around like hummingbirds passing their cards to anyone who has an empty hand. As if everyone in the room really wants their card in the first place. Sometimes you'll hear them as they verbally throw up on people around you ... talking all about themselves over and over again ... never asking about the other person at all.

Some how, these folks missed a valuable life lesson. When involved in business networking, it's never all about you ... it's rather all about the other person and what value you can bring to the relationship. Ask yourself this question: How can I help them? NOT... How can they help me?