Referral Marketing: Owl Pellets

Finally, the weather has warmed enoughed for me to be outside working on my garden. I'm a happy camper. One of the things I've noticed all around my garden are the piles and piles of soil dotting my landscape. Moles ... moles ... and more moles. In my mind, I heard myself say, "Gee, I hope there's an owl or two around to take care of these moles!"

As it turns out ... there is ... or at least there WAS! I found evidence (an owl pellet) that an owl had been nearby. Now don't get too queazy on me! An owl pellet is a hardened ball of bones and fir that an owl tosses out to the ground after a good meal. In my younger days, I used to disect these pellets with school kids to teach them about the food chain, skeletons, and nature at it's best. Basically, the owl's body knows to discard all the parts of a mouse (or mole) that it can't use or digest.

In some crazy way, we need to do the same thing with our network and networking activities. Perhaps you network in places that are not a good use of your time. Toss it out of your schedule! Perhaps you're meeting with too many people who clearly are "takers" and only want to sell you something. Become more selective of who gets your "face" time and toss the other ones out. Maybe you're asking every client for referrals when it only makes sense to ask the RIGHT ones. Toss out your behaviors that are wasting your time and focus on those that produce real results!

We often get stuck in a rut of activity without every stopping to analyze the results. My guess is that you've already begun to think about your networking and referral activity differently. What do you honestly need to keep ... and what can you toss out like an owl pellet?

Referral Marketing: Excellence Breeds Excellence!

A few weeks ago, me and my dog Karlie passed out of the "starter class" of her dog training at Misty Pines. The starter class is quite extensive. It involves teaching your dog how to sit, stay, heel, leave it, come and even "watch me" ... to name a few commands. At Misty Pines, they instill the idea that a handler and her dog are a team. So, not only did Karlie need to pass an exam ... but, I did too!!

Last week, we started the "beginner's class" ... which in some places would be advanced. It was so cool going into an environment in which all the dogs and owners were at a higher level of performance. Karlie's level of performance instantly enhanced just by being surrounded by excellence. She could sense the level of expectation and she performed beautifully ... if I must say so myself. In this class, we are expanding on what we already know and WOW ... it's exciting to see the progress in such a short time. Our goal is to get Karlie certified as a therapy dog so that we can visit hospitals and nursing homes.

It's a fairly common concept that if you surround yourself with excellence, you will strive to reach that level yourself ... just like Karlie did when she entered the room of the beginner's class.

The same is true with networking and referral marketing. If you feel that your networking skills are lacking, practice networking with someone you admire who makes it look easy. If your referral marketing efforts are lacking, surround yourself with a group of people who are totally committed to the process. By doing these things, you will feel yourself striving to raise to this new level ... almost by osmosis!

Why not give it a try?

Referral Marketing: Saving Lives!

Did you know that great networkers can actually save lives ... literally!! Here's a true story.

I met a woman, Mary, a few months ago who was participating in one of my seminars. In speaking with her, she mentioned that her mom was suffering from a form of stomach cancer. My ears perked up since I know alot of doctors who deal with that specialty ... especially pathologists. I offered to her that if she ever needed a second opinion she should call me and I could connect her to someone really good.

On Christmas eve, I got an urgent call from Mary. Her mother was going down hill quickly and needed to see a doctor. Her regular physician was out of town for the holidays and her scheduled surgery wasn't until mid-January. The family feared she would not live that long and needed to see someone now. I called the #1 pathologist in Pittsburgh and she was able to give me the names of 3 doctors. In a matter of hours, Mary had an appointment for her mom just a few days after Christmas! This doctor saw her mom on Monday and operated on Wednesday!! The family was told that she most certainly would not have survived into the new year.

Her mom is home now, resting peacefully and already talking about getting back on the dance floor ... and she's 87 years old!

I hope this story warms your heart as it did mine. The true power in networking is being able to help someone simply because you have the ability to do so ... expecting nothing in return.

Referral Marketing: Radio PR

Welcome to 2009! I hope you're ready ... ready for whatever this year holds in store for you!

Two days ago, I was on the radio here in Pittsburgh talking about the importance of networking and promoting The 29% Solution ... WMNY 1360 Pittsburgh Renaissance Radio, The American Entreprenuerial Show with host Ron Morris. It was a lot of fun to be live on the radio and sitting in the studio together with Ron. I've done many radio interviews promoting the book, but this was the first one done in person. You can find the recording by clicking on the link above!

The really cool thing about this opportunity is that I used my own referral marketing techniques to make it happen. I began speaking to lots of people about wanting to appear on this particular show. I included it in my marketing messages at my BNI chapter meetings. I activated two people who were close to Ron or the show to personally take him an autographed copy of the book. I specifically worked with a referral partner, Deanna Tucci Schmitt, to provide her the tools she needed to promote me to Ron. All of these efforts resulted in a one hour live interview segment on the #1 entreprenuerial radio show in my home town. How cool is that?!

There's no mistake about it ... referral marketing WORKS!! If you engage the right people with the right tools and education, they can bring the opportunities to your doorstep. Are you working your referral marketing system with the right people?