Referral Marketing: Strengthen Your Relationships

Have you ever noticed that some over the counter drugs are listed as "extra stength"? If you really have a splitting headache, you might grab the extra stength version of Tylenol as opposed to regular strength. Why? Because the hope is that the extra strength variety will do more for you. The assumption is that if there is more strength in the product, you will see and feel results faster. Right?

That's exactly why you need to strengthen your relationships. The more strength in your relationships, the more they can and are willing to do for you. The more they do for you, the more results you'll see.

Referrals don't come from people ... they come from the strong relationships you have with people. So, how can you strengthen your relationships? Here's one example:

A friend of mine (who happens to be a client and referral source) discovered earlier this year that his wife has breast cancer. Once they were able to breathe again, they decided that they were going to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Mother's Day. They put out the word for others to support them. I organized a small team to join the walk and raise funds for the cause. Several other clients of mine gave donations to support my friend.

Supporting the efforts of your referral sources does not go un-noticed. When you offer your support out of kindness and authenticity, relationships gain strength and durability. Who can you support today?

Referral Marketing: No Pain, No Gain

Since January, I've lost 10 pounds. I decided to hire a personal trainer to hold me accountable to my fitness goals. I stopped drinking Diet Coke ... well okay, I've had one or two since January, but it's gone from my routine. I've started jogging on the treadmill ... something I could never imagine myself doing EVER. I just yesterday, I jogged for 3 miles from my hotel room.

When I stop to think about it, I've made quite a few changes this year. All the good ... but none without some pain. Working out regularly is painful at times. Giving up some things and making better food choices is painful too. But when I look down at the scale and take pants to the Tailor to be taken in ... I definitely see the gain.

Referral marketing is not a quick fix to your business. It takes effort over a period of time to reap the benefits of your investment. Relationships take time to develop and are seldom without some pain along the way. If you provide the leadership and patience, referral marketing will reward you with potentially the greatest gain you will ever experience from any other form of marketing.

The progress I've made with my fitness has taken me some time, energy, and a personal commitment on my part. No one can do this for me. I have to lead my own results one workout at a time. You need to do the same with referral marketing ... one relationship at a time!

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: Diet Coke

About 25 years ago, I was in college and training for a body building contest. Yikes, I just admitted alot there in one sentence!! Anyway, in order to cut out more calories, I started blending in Diet Coke with my regular Coke. Eventually, I made the switch entirely to Diet Coke for no calories.

I had been drinking Diet Coke since then as my main beverage, except for coffee and some iced tea. Many people over the years kept telling me how bad Diet Coke was for my body. The fact that you could clean really dirty things by using Diet Coke made me wonder if my intestines were sparkling clean or not!

I decided recently to give it up all together. I haven't had a Diet Coke in nearly 2months now. Yes, some days I still crave it, but I've moved on. I made the decision and I'm sticking to it. All it took was the determination to have a healthier body.

If you're not happy with the results you're getting (or not getting) from your networking group, why not DECIDE to make a change. No ... I'm not suggesting you leave the group! Instead, change your behavior ... lead your relationships ... and create the results you want. Yes, you can expect some cravings for the complacency you once had ... but in the long run, your referral marketing efforts will be enhanced by your determination and leadership.

Referral Marketing: Bat Boxes Work!

For several months now, I've been dealing with a little brown bat that is determined to live inside the patio umbrella on my deck. That's right ... INSIDE my umbrella!! Can you imagine my surprise the first time I opened the umbrella and falling onto the table top (just missing my hand) was a little brown bat! It was as shocked to see me as I was to see it ... to say the least.

Then we started to tie the umbrella closed at night so it couldn't get up inside. The persistent bat would tuck itself snug as a bug in the folds on the outside of the umbrella! Finally, I decided to post a bat box on the outside of the deck rails closest to the umbrella. My hope was to encourage it to live in a more suitable enclosure.

This weekend ... SUCCESS!! The little brown bat now lives in its very own box, keeping my back yard free of pesky mosquitos. It must have decided that a comfy bat box that wouldn't be disturbed was much more desirable than an unpredictable umbrella. We're all so much happier now.

Fortunately for the bat, I love nature and was patient enough to give the bat what I knew it really needed. Do you know what your referral partners need to be really happy? You're probably saying, DUH ... they need referrals to make them happy. It's more complex than that. Do they need a face to face introduction? Do they need to meet the COO instead of the CEO? Do they need two referrals per month to help them meet their goals? Do they need to meet with you once a month to keep you top of mind?

Lucky for you ... your referrals partners can talk ... unlike the little bat. So, ask them ... What do you need from me? Effective communication can make any relationship operate more smoothly.

Referral Marketing: Value of Your Brand

What's the value that you place on your brand? How important is it to you? At what cost would you place it at risk?

Establishing your reputation and your brand is a crucial component to your referability. Without it, people won't refer you. In fact, without it, people are likely to speak poorly about you and that's the kiss of death with word of mouth marketing.

Imagine that every time you refer someone, a piece of your brand goes with them. Will they take care of it? Will they protect it? Will they enhance it? For this reason, some people actually shy away from giving referrals because they aren't willing to risk any blemish to their brand. I believe that we can control who represents our brand by choosing referable referral partners. We can educate people how to enhance our brand by teaching them how to refer us appropriately. We can enhance our brand and reputation by ensuring that all those who represent us adhere to our standards of excellence.

As a Steeler fan, I can only imagine the turmoil that the Rooney family is facing with such a blow to their brand through the recent actions of Big Ben. How much of their brand and reputation are they willing to risk on one reckless player? Will they take control of who represents their brand? It will be interesting to observe from the grandstand.

What would you do if this were your brand?

Referral Marketing: The Grass is Greener

Outside my office window right now, I swear that I can see the grass growing. It's getting greener by the hour and with every rain drop. In Pittsburgh, tis the season for the grass getting greener. It's exactly what one might expect around here.

But what about the fields of your referral marketing plan? Is your grass getting greener? Or, is the grass always greener on the other side (at your competition's pastures)? What are you doing to nurture your referral marketing efforts? Are you giving enough to your referral partners? Are you focused on helping others? Are you feeding your network with your time, energy, referrals, contacts, and connections? Are you a ray of sunshine in the lives of others or are you a grey cloud that dampens their spirits?

Alot of people give up on their referral relationships too soon because they think the grass could be greener elsewhere. They fail to realize that THEY are their own gardener. They control what seeds are planted and how well they are cared for. They control the productivity of their own lawn and garden (their referral relationships ... in case you lost the analogy!).

The grass isn't always greener elsewhere. The odds are that you just haven't been paying enough attention to your own lawn or garden to make it as green and productive as you would like it to be.

What ONE thing could you change today to make your grass greener and ensure that your referral marketing plan is working?

Referral Marketing: Facebook Friend or Foe?

The number of people who use Facebook is staggering! The content on Facebook can be jaw-dropping. Teenagers can become reckless on Facebook. They seem to forget who might be "listening" in to their posts. Case in point ... when my oldest nephew was boasting about smoking to his friends during snow days when they were home from school. My brother didn't like that very much when I told him about it. I'm not sure which made him more angry ... not knowing about it or that his son was smoking.

Facebook is like a never ending reality tv show. That's why people like it so much. It has a way of bringing people back to a high school mentality. But when it comes to how Facebook can impact your referral marketing efforts, it can be your friend or foe ... just ask my nephew.

Your success with word of mouth marketing can rest on your reputation. I believe that a large number of people damage their reputations on Facebook every day. If one of your referral partners referred you one of their clients and that client chose to research you and found you on Facebook, what would they see? Would they see your photos of when you were tanked at your best friend's wedding? Would they read your posts that contain foul language? I surely hope not!! Would they see photos that portray someone they want to do business with?

Think about the deeper impact. How would this reflect on your referral partner who referred you in the first place?

If you're on Facebook (yes, I am too), always remember that anyone, anywhere, at anytime is checking you out. What will they see? And how will it impact your referability? Let's face it ... you're not in high school any longer.

Referral Marketing: Sticky Business

Tree sap! Yuck! Have you ever sat down on a park bench on a beautiful spring day only to find out later that you sat on a drop of tree sap! That's really sticky stuff. It sticks to just about everything that it comes into contact with ... clothing, hair, cars, windows, skin, etc.

The other day, my dog stepped in tree sap. As he proceeded to romp around the yard, he apparently picked up all sorts of pebbles along the way. Pretty soon, he was holding his foot up as if to say, "What the heck is wrong with my foot?" Peanut butter did the trick! Yep ... peanut butter. And, he enjoyed the treat afterwards of cleaning all the peanut butter from between his toes.

So back to the tree sap and its inherant stickiness.

How sticky is your word of mouth message? How sticky are YOU? How sticky is your brand?Do you make an impression when you meet someone so that they remember you long after the event? Can people remember what you do? Can other people repeat your message accurately?

The best word of mouth marketers are indeed sticky ... very sticky in fact. They work to create a sticky message so that other people can remember it, repeat it, and repeat it again. After all, isn't that what referral marketing is all about? How else do you expect people to be able to refer you if they can't remember your message?

Referral Marketing: Too Much of a Good Thing!

"All things in moderation" or "Too much of a good thing" or "The more the merrier"

How many times have you heard these before? All you have to do is listen to the news to experience the reality of "too much of a good thing". For some reason, our society has implanted in our brains that more is better. Well, I believe that in many, many cases ... more is NOT better. Here's what I mean:

1. In Pittsburgh, we had record snowfalls this winter. More snow than we've ever seen!! Fun? Yes, for some (me). A pain? Yes, for many. But what will happen when all that snow melts into our three rivers and it creates record flooding? More is not always better.

2. This weekend, a young man died on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. Most likely from drinking too much. A beer once in a while tastes great. Too much of a good thing is deadly.

3. Food. Food is a good thing. We need it to survive. But do we need SUPER SIZED food to survive? I don't think so. All things in moderation.

How about referrals? Can you have too many referrals? Can referrals be a bad thing?

From my perspective, yes you can have too many referrals! Imagine that! Too many referrals being a bad thing?! Consider that if you're getting too many of the wrong kind of referrals, you're going to be spinning your wheels alot and chasing down potential prospects who shouldn't be working with you. This is going to waste your time and give you headaches along the way. Not to mention those people will be taking up space that could be occupied by the RIGHT referred prospect!

Too many referrals can also be a bad thing if you're not equipped to handle them all. If business is coming into you faster than you can manage, on the surface it's great, but something is going to give. Perhaps your customer service starts to slack off, your follow-up system gets clogged, or your referral thank you system gets left behind.

Just like so many other things, too much of a good thing can hurt you and your reputation if you're not careful! More is not always better. I'd rather have just enough of the right kind of referrals than too many of the wrong kind.

Referral Marketing: A Yoga Connection

Recently, I've been exposed to quite a bit to yoga. My partner is beginning to practice it regularly (that's a great thing!) and I've met two yoga instructors in the past month. The signs are out there, so what are they saying.

I did a little research (and I mean, just a little) to determine the key benefits of yoga. Lo and behold, there's a direct connection to referral marketing! I didn't know that either until now.

By practicing yoga, the body slowly increases its overall flexibility. Flexibility is a good thing because it allows your muscles and tendons to be lubricated properly. Since all of your body parts are connected, they begin to work in harmony more easily and can create a situation where maintaining that flexibility becomes quite easy.

I've noticed that in referral marketing, you've got to remain flexible in order to be successful. This flexibility allows you to work in better harmony with your referral partners. And, since you and your referral partners are connected by reciprocity it becomes easier to create a situation were the flow of referrals becomes quite easy.

Another huge benefit of yoga is detoxification. It helps the body to rid itself of toxins and enhances blood flow. Overall, this aids in keeping us healthy. Sometimes we need to detoxify our networks too. We spend too much time with people who suck up our time and energy leaving us feeling drained and overwhelmed. Getting rid of "risky relationships" and becoming more protective of our time empowers us to be more selective of who gets our face time. Overall, this will aid in our own health and the health of our business.

There you have it ... yoga for the mind, body and your referral marketing plan!

Referral Marketing: Snow Storm Strategies

I got this idea from Beth Caldwell, author of "I Wish I'd Known That! Secrets to Success in Business". She wrote an article about what you can do for your business during a snow storm. So to jump on that band wagon ... here are five things you can do for your referral marketing efforts when the weather turns nasty!

1. Catch up on your Thank You cards to those who have referred you recently.

2. Read your local business paper and add two networking events in your calendar that you can attend.

3. Call your referral partners and see who can attend those events with you.

4. Schedule your referral partner meetings for the next three months.

5. Read a book on referral marketing such as: The 29% Solution or Get More Referrals Now!

And here's a BONUS one ...

6. Send your referral partner's information to ten prospects for them and schedule time in your calendar to follow up.

So ... even if the snow plows don't make it to your street for several days ... or the storms have knocked out your power ... stay focused on your referral marketing plan and how you can continue to help others!

Referral marketing: Reflection

It's hard to imagine that another year will soon be coming to a close. I can't explain it, but time seems to fly faster every year older that I get.

December is the perfect time of year for reflection. Reflection is good for all aspects of your life, but since this blog is focused on referral marketing, that's what I want to zero in on now. Find yourself a quiet place for a couple hours ... away from the hustle and bustle, away from the phone, away from the family, and away from the computer.

Ask yourself the following five questions regarding your referral marketing efforts this year:

1. If my referral partners could give me a score (like an Olympic judge) how would I be rated?

2. Did I meet the referral goals I set for myself this year? If not, what got in the way?

3. How would I rate myself on the "giving scale" ... poor, fair, good, great, excellent?

4. What did I do this year that was an improvement over last year?

5. Did I get out of my "cave" enough this year to meet new people?

This is just a short list to get you started in the referral reflection process. My hope is that you'll take this much further to assess your progress, shortcomings, and accomplishments.

Of course, the next step is preparing for 2010. We'll address that soon.

Referral Marketing: Sharing is Good for Business!

Can you remember when your mom told you to share your toys? I'm sure she didn't realize that she was teaching you a valuable business lesson. Indeed she was!

Sharing is good for business. Actually, sharing is GREAT for business! I believe that the most successful people in business are those that know how to share genuinely and authentically. They share themselves freely by mentoring others behind them. They share their time with meaningful causes. They share their resources with others in need. They share their connections with other colleagues. They share their knowledge with those who can benefit from it. They share their clients with others who can serve them as well. They share their reputation by referring their close relationships. They share their energy with those they care about most.

Sharing is a critical life skill that will help you succeed in referral marketing. If you are a true giver, sharing comes naturally. If you're a taker ... sharing is tough. Takers don't like to share because they suffer from the scarcity mentality.

Are you sharing all that you possibly can with those around you? Would you make your mom proud?

Referral Marketing: Mom Referrals

What makes your mom so special? Besides the fact that she's the ONE person on the planet who can say, "I brought you into this world and I can take you out!"

My mom means the world to me (and so does my dad!). She has always been there for me ... lending a shoulder, an ear, or two strong arms to pick me up. She's an anchor in my family. When it comes to my mother, I will only refer the best of the best to her when she needs something. Why? Because she's worth it ... she's my mom.

How does that translate into referral marketing? From my perspective, you've got to be good enough for me to refer you to my mother before I would consider referring you to other people. I consider this my own personal referral litmus test. Would I trust you with my mom?

From the other side of the coin ... it's in your best interest to earn the right to be referred to someone's mom. Mom referrals demonstrate a significant level of trust ... don't you think?

If you receive a mom referral, you can be assured that your relationship has reached a new height.

So ... are you worthy of being referred to someone's mom? To my mom??!

Referral Marketing: The Biggest Loser

Last night, I watched The Biggest Loser. I think this is one of the best reality tv shows because it really does some good for people. The episode last night was all about the big make-overs ... new clothes & new hair styles to go with the new bodies. All I can say is WOW! These people have put all of their energy and determination into redefining themselves ... and the progress is stunning. Last night, a young man broke the record for the most weight lost on the show.

Now some will say ... "yes, well the only reason they're successful on the show is because they have 24/7 access to personal trainers, state of the art equipment, etc.". Okay, I hear ya. However, I truly believe that ultimately motivation comes from within. No matter what trainer or equipment you have at your disposal, it takes YOU to make it happen.

The same is true for referral marketing success. Ultimately, it takes YOU to make it happen. Is it time for you to have a word of mouth make-over? Is your message working for you? Are you motivated to find a referral coach, like me, to hold you accountable when needed? Imagine how your results would change if you truly dedicated yourself to the process of referral marketing?

I believe your results would speak as loudly as the results on The Biggest Loser ... with only one major difference. You wouldn't be losing ... you would be GAINING!!

Referral Marketing: The Amazing Race!

The popular TV show, The Amazing Race, triggers the adventurous spirit in many of its viewers. I think that's part of the attraction to the show. Watching all the wonderful places that the participants get to visit as a part of the trek. Of course the other part that draws people in is the DRAMA! And ... from watching the show in the past ... people sure can become dramatic when they're under stress and in a competition against the clock.

Something I find fascinating about the show is that typically, the contestants are pairs of people who know each other very well. It makes sense, right? Why would you put yourself into this situation with a stranger and trust your potential future fortune on someone you can't trust?!
The fascinating part to me is that no matter how long the couple has known each other, the experience of The Amazing Race often teaches them things about each other that they never knew before. Spending this much "quality" time together brings out a person's true character. Many, many times, the experience brings the couple even closer together.

When it comes to referral marketing, no matter how long you have known your referral partner, you still need to spend time together ... learning more and more about that person, their business, and their character. You can't ever begin to think that you know all there is to know ... because anyone on The Amazing Race will be sure to prove you otherwise. If you begin to think you know it all ... you become complacent. Complacency is the kiss of death to referral marketing.

Referral Marketing: WOM to the Rescue!

Did you know that 80% of people STILL find their next job with the help of their network? Even with ALL the technology we have at our disposal ... WOM (word of mouth) still reins supreme!

So ... if you're reading this and you've recently lost your job because of the recession ... here are three things you need to do right now to empower your network to help you.

1) Establish your GOAL. What kind of position do you want? What company would you like to work for? In that company, who do you need to meet or interview with? The more specific you are, the easier it is for your network to help you!

2) Create a template email for your network. Remember ... if you make it easy for people to help you, they will. A template email that says exacly what you'd like them to say is perfect. When your network finds a prospect for you ... they don't have to think and can use your template to introduce you to that person quickly and efficiently.

3)Provide your network with materials. The people in your network who are going to help you need resources. Think about it ... what do they need to have at their disposal to increase their success of referring you to a prospective employer? Resumes? Business cards? Press releases about you? Articles you wrote?

The odds are that your network will find you your next position ... so why not do YOUR part in helping them to be successful! Give them the information and resources they need to make you look great and stand heads and shoulders above your competition ... just like in referral marketing.

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: Identify Your Weakness

Years ago, I worked for the Girl Scout organization. It was then that I learned a valuable lesson on the need to identify your weaknesses ... and how to use that to your advantage!

At one point, I worked for an Executive Director who was outstanding at building solid relationships in the community. She knew how to relate to people. She knew what to do and say to excite people about giving to the Girl Scout organization. Her counterpart in management, the Assistant Executive Director, was quite the opposite. She had a tougher exterior. She was all about managing the business. She related to people on the basis of job performance. I remember recognizing these differences and wondered how they managed to work together for so long and in such harmony. Simply put ... they capitalized on each others' strengths. They surrounded themselves with people who were strong in areas that they were weak.

Building a referral network that compliments your strengths is a smart way of doing business. Imagine surrounding yourself with people who are strong in areas that you are weak? The support and value that they bring to the table is incredible. The opportunities for collaboration could be endless. The value that they could bring to your clients can position you far ahead of your competition ... and who doesn't want to do THAT in today's economy!

I recommend a book called, "Discover Your Strengths" by Marcus Buckingham to help you being to recognize the areas in which others can help strengthen your network.