Do referrals come when you network? Or does your ability to network help you increase your referrals.

Both, obviously.

It amazes me, though, how most professionals see each as a separate marketing task. I heard it said that if you want to learn how to ask for more referrals, just become a better networker. That’s true to an extent.

At the heart of people who get a TON of referrals and referred-business–consistently-you’ll find this one common trait.

That trait is someone who networks well.

Whether it be in building their own close social circles, or being out in the community, chances are their business is thriving because of the networking they’ve invested in.

Here’s a great article by Michael Taylor that gives you further takeaway.

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“Professional Networking is the Key to Business Success”
by Michael Taylor

Networking itself is the term given to the building of contacts in a professional manner which will ultimately help you have the support group which you need for success. Networking can refer to cultivating friendships with professionals in many different fields, giving you the best chance for finding additional contacts or sources for business transactions.

It can also refer to the way in which you go out and find potential clients. Ultimately, it’s a way for you to reach out and start making a difference in the impression that you make on the way that you do business. A B2B directory can be a great first step in helping you to make that impression.

You will find that, after you have joined a B2B directory, that you’ll have a wealth of knowledge immediately made available to you. One of these directories has a wide array of professionals listed within, helping you to find someone who is going to give you the resources that you need when you need them the most.

If you are looking for a professional in a certain area of business, you can look in the directory to find someone who fulfills those conditions. This will help you develop your professional networking skills, giving you the best opportunity for making long lasting contacts who you can develop a business relationship with.

Professional networking is one area of business which cannot be given enough attention. People want to do business with individuals who they feel they can trust, which is why you will want to put plenty of time into the manner that you craft relationships with those individuals.

When you are able to join a B2B directory and offer your services to people all around the world, you’ll find that it becomes easier for you to get the assistance which you need in return.

The more people who you meet through professional networking, the more valuable you will become in a business setting. Considering that so much success of business is related to knowing the right people, when you have the necessary contacts, you will be able to make calls when they are needed the most.

That will help you to push business deals through and give you more of a likelihood of completing all of your goals on time and on budget. A B2B directory could ultimately give you all of these contacts in one simple place.

Professional networking will require you to more than simply join a B2B directory, however.

Once you are a member of the directory, you are going to need to take the time to build relationships with the members inside of the directory who you feel will give you the better chance of professional success. This can take time, so you will always want to be working on the way in which you cultivate your professional relationships. Time will need to be spent on the personal interactions that you have with these individuals so that, in the end, you are able to turn to them when you need something.

Figuring out how to use a B2B directory can benefit you greatly as you get the necessary edge with professional networking. Turn to Madison Whos Who for the tools you need toward promoting yourself in a lasting manner.

This includes getting referrals from strategic alliances (ex: CPAs, Attorneys, Investment Advisors, Realtors, Insurance Agents, Mtg. Brokers, etc.)

If your plan this year includes increasing your referral flow, don’t overlook the advice today.

[This article is a guest article, contributed by guest contributor Darek Daniel]

“The Words a Picture Cannot Say to Your Customers”

We’ve all heard of the saying that a picture is worth a 1,000 words, but business owners beware. Don’t take this saying literally when it comes to your advertising. Too many times business owners make the mistake of trying to be too clever or creative with their marketing pieces that their message becomes muddled or unclear to their target market.

Although you probably don’t want to use 1,000 words in your advertising, words are an important piece to your marketing and should complement your graphics and help get the message across. There’s nothing worse than spending the time and money on an advertising piece only to find in the end that no one gets it. Sure it may look great, but is it effective? Remember, there are several important messages your clients should get when they read your advertising piece.

1.  
   1. Who are you? You spent all that time on your advertising, but can your client immediately identify what your company name is? If your logo and company name aren’t immediately apparent in the design, than you have no branding value to your marketing piece and it’s time to rethink your creative.
   2. What do you do? I can’t tell you how many times this happens. Business owners get so involved in the aesthetics and the cool factor of the design that they forget the entire purpose of the piece. If you can’t tell from looking at your design exactly what your company does, why bother spending the money?!
   3. What do you want your clients to do? Ok, so you’ve sent them this great advertising piece. It has your company name on it, and it clearly states what your company does. Great. Now what? What should your clients do about it? Should they call you? Should they visit your website? Set the expectations for what you want to happen by including what’s called a call to action. This is marketing speak for tell your clients exactly what you want them to do. Literally use the words, “Call 555-5555 now for an appointment,” or “Visit our website today at www.prova.fm.” Remember to keep it simple!
   4. Why should your clients follow through? Now that you’ve told your clients what you want them to do, give them a reason to do it. Offer them an incentive to pick up the phone and call your business. Whether it’s 10 percent off or buy one get one free, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s an attractive enough offer to entice people to use your products or services.

Offering incentives also gives you another great benefit besides bringing in new customers. Incentives allow you to track your marketing efforts. Not following me? If you offer a 20 percent discount only to people who have received a certain advertising piece, then when they call asking about it, you will know where they found your number and ultimately you can track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Try to make sure each marketing effort you employ gets a different incentive. This will make it possible to track your efforts.

Creating great advertising pieces that draw your clients’ attention with attractive graphic design is just the beginning of a successful marketing campaign. By keeping these rules in mind when you create your pieces, you will ensure that your advertising efforts will not be in vain.

Darek Daniel is a marketing writer and branding professional for Firefly Writing, & offers weekly advertising help for small businesses at Prova.fm. For more information on how your small business can benefit from the design services mentioned in this article, you can visit http://www.prova.fm. For more resources on this topic, visit our blog at http://advertisinghelp.wordpress.com/.

You can absolutely jumpstart your referrals and referral marketing efforts now. In fact, it’s one of the questions I’m getting asked the most, right now.

There’s a 3-step referral marketing approach I want to suggest that you try using. When you do, it’s very powerful in opening up new doors and conversations about introductions and referrals with others.

Let’s start with the three steps.

You could begin with clients, customers, or perhaps a business colleague, for example.

My 3-Steps are as follows – A-L-D:

• Step 1: Ask For Feedback on Yourself.
• Step 2: Listen for Value Statements & Confirm Value-Found.
• Step 3: Discuss/Reframe So Others Can Benefit.

When formally creating your own referral system, notice how step 2 and 3 follow the preceeding step. Study this closely you’ll see it’s a natural progression of conversation.

I suggest you familiarize yourself with this referral marketing approach, especially now, when so many people seem to be looking to others for advice and direction.

Let’s start with Step # 1: Ask For Feedback on Yourself.

(Quick sidebar, click image to hear me explain something related:)

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It truly amazes me how many opportunities we have to ask others for feedback on our skillset in day to day business. But we fail to do it — at least consistently. One way of getting feedback on ourselves is simply to ask the other person (client, customer, colleague):

“John, On a scale of 1 to 10, what score would you give me these past few months? How do I rate? How do you rate my level of advice and service to you?”

Then shut up and listen!

What you will hear will give you crystal clear insight and feedback on yourself. It may also rattle your perception of your product or service-delivered also!

The best way of doing this is conversationally, of course — either in person, or by telephone. Don’t relegate the important grading of yourself and the services you provide to a mailer, or a survey, or an online form people complete (although they can be useful at times.)

You want genuine, honest feedback from people who can refer you currently… or who can be a future referral source to your business.

And you want them to speak this to you… using their MOUTH. No emails. No handwriting.

Sure, it takes cajones to ask that question; but it’s absolutely essential you do it before you ever think about asking the client, customer or collague to help introduce you to other people.

Go get feedback on yourself. And ask for it frequently!

Next time: Step 2: Listen for Value Statements & Confirm Value-Found.

I really like what Scott Weisbrod said recently over at the blog Experience Matters. He was talking about referrals from the perspective of relationships. That’s assumed, but regulary forgotten in my view.

Scott went on to say…

…that we need to go deep, really deep, with our clients. Great point Scott.

In other words, we need to be sharing our hopes, dreams, aspirations and desires with others; and ask them to do the same with us.

Not always easy, for sure.

But absolutely essential to further the trust-bond relationships that encourages referrals and introductions.

How are you doing sharing this with your closest clients and associates?

Tell me what it says to you:

What does it say about your current referrals? What about your referral marketing efforts? I have my own opinions, (obviously because I created this diagram). But I’d like to hear what this diagram says to you.

In fact, the person who posts the best answer (in my view) wins the following…

A copy of my book, “Maximum Referrals” (a $65 value)!

That’s right. Study the diagram. Reply below and tell me what it says to you. Put a little thought into your answer, also.

The most informative reply wins a copy of my book.

A feel free to keep this diagram very close to your business. Growing your referrals is the fastest way for you to earn more money, work less, and get the freedom you want in your life. Period.

Best of luck.

When I mention procrastination as related to becoming active — as in, having an active referral marketing program – I’m talking about intentions versus actions.

Procrastination is intentional mental diversion. You delay today’s action, today, for a promise of tomorrow. Call it future hope, but I doubt few people ever honor that “deal” they make with themselves. I suspect that within this action lurks very tedious issues that cause frustration, as subtle as they may be. And the bottom line with anyone who procrastinates anything is they don’t like all the tedious frustrations. So they delay making a decision.

Sound familiar?

Think about something you are delaying a decision on now. I’ll be you’re perceived negativity or unpleasantness means you’d rather just duck the issue than deal with it.

Psychologists say this often happens when goals are large or unclear.  With referral marketing activities — and ones you are not currently undertaking — I suspect you are not getting the referrals you want because of this.

Now I’m not about to riff on goal-setting activities…. that’s not my point here. But trying to figure out how to get from a state of passivenes without continuing to procrastinate? Well, that indeed can be some evil psychology.

My best advice is for you to lay out specific plans of action that “kick-in” when certain conditions are present. This enacts your behavior to move from passive to active, and sidestep any notion you may have to procrastinate.