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Here’s the hard part. But don’t worry. It’s only six steps.
Step #1
Give up on short-term results. Be willing to starve and stand on principle if necessary. If you can’t do that, it’s OK to close this report right now and delete it. This journey is not for everyone. The only way I can give you the hope of success is for you to overcome your desire to be paid first.
Embrace being different. Realize you are no longer in same business as your colleagues and competitors. Your new business creates far more value for your clients and referral partners. But face it. That old selfish job wasn’t much fun anyway.
Step #2
Realize your primary goal in business is to make it easier for people to trust and like you. Everything else is window dressing.
Be a gracious Go-Giver Recognize that it really is more fun to give than receive. When you know your connection well enough, offer to write a LinkedIn recommendation in their profile.
Educate yourself: Read and Study and share your best ideas with like minded friends. If you don’t have any like minded friends e-mail me: Brian@EstateSettlement.com
I would recommend reading three to five business books a month for the next 6 months. That should help “de-program” you from the twisted, hedonistic, toxic sales culture than we all have been trained under. The sooner you check yourself into re-hab, the sooner we can all work together.
Here are a few of my favorites:
- The Go-Giver
- The 29% Solution – Master Networking
- The E-myth Revisited
- Rainmaker
- From Good to Great
- The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- Purpose Driven Life
- How Experts Build Empires
- The Bible
Step #3
Expect to give 5 times more than you receive in the first 6 months There is only one way for you to break through the trust deficit that plagues the world today. You must give first! Give more, and be happier about it, than the person you are giving to.
Here are some simple examples of what I mean. Avoid long-winded telephone chats. Five calls lasting 10 minutes are far superior to a one-hour diatribe. Multiple calls suggest that you are a reliable partner who will be around. A long conversation suggests you are inconsiderate of other people’s time and that your own isn’t worth much. If you call and someone doesn’t answer, don’t hang up; leave a crisp voice message saying you were thinking about them.
Step #4
Treat yourself and your referral partner like the treasure you both are.
Tell them from the beginning that you want to be a game changer in their business. You don’t want to be one of a number of referral partners they rarely contact. Let them know you are willing to take a smaller portion of business initially. But your long-term interest is to be the star, go-to person for the most important accounts your referral partner has.
If this is impossible for your potential referral partner to conceive of, politely pass on the relationship. It doesn’t matter how powerful they appear. Just pass. Many are called; few are chosen.
Step #5
FOCUS: on your referral partners’ big ticket issues
Concentrate on these two things:
- Take away their pain
- Help make their dreams come true
Learn what’s troubling your referral partners. Sally will tell you she’s afraid her new product will be a flop. William’s brother is looking for work. Let them know that every information resource that you have is on the table for them. Test yourself each night. When you lie in bed thinking about business, it should be theirs, not yours.
Step #6
- Create a drip campaign, but keep it clean and simple. Once or twice a month write your referral partner an e-mail note. Your note should not be longer than 5 sentences (double space this note or use bullet to make it simple to read). Include up to 3 links to the subjects that you want them to study in greater detail. Make sure these subjects are tailored to their needs. Also, have these links go to your web site. It is kind of like having them visit your house. Consider your corporate logo and domain name brand as your curb appeal. Once your guests enter your site (house) serve them great quality information, be gracious and personal. Tell them how they can help you.
- Customize and personalize everything your client sees and does. Manage and automate everything else; use a scalable franchise-fulfillment model. (See the book E-myth Revisited for details)
- Be prepared to receive other people’s referrals. Have your white gloves handy.
Now Go Give!
Feel free to forward this throughout the World.
Your friend in on-line networking
Brian French
My passions:
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How you can help me? "Spread the good word"
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Want future special reports on this subject email me at:
Brian@EstateSettlement.com
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