Attracting Perfect Customers, Part 3

Power Thought of the Week

By Patricia Parham, Ph.D.
Contributing Writer

Recognize Less-than-Perfect Contacts
When you meet someone and experience discomfort, recognize a less-than-perfect contact. Don’t promise to be in touch; set a boundary that lets them know that now is not the right time for you to collaborate. You may appear to lose in the short-term, however, negative energy is wasted energy and it multiplies just like positive energy. Set a boundary and don’t “settle for less”. This is a power move. In the long-term, you’ll reap huge rewards. Say, “No” and have the courage to succeed beyond your wildest dreams.
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Attracting Perfect Customers, Part 3

Dress For Success - This May Surprise You

Mastering the Membership Maze with Glen Gould

What you wear says a great deal about you. From our earliest experiences in childhood we’ve been trained to dress for success. We’ve heard advice like:

Look your best. It’s better to have one nice suit and wear it than to have several cheap suits. Choose your colors carefully.

Accessorize. Dress slightly better than the audience. You can add your suggestions here.

Often when attending Chamber of Commerce or other business events we are compelled to dress it up a bit and with good reason. We never know whom me might meet at a networking, business, or social event. When opportunity arises, we surely want to look our best.

Depending upon which statistics you choose to believe, upwards of 93% of the impression you make on people is non-verbal. That means that people judge you based upon your appearance. Since what you wear accounts for nearly 95% of the appearance of your body, your attire plays a huge role in what people think about you. And people are customers.

So it stands to reason that I would suggest that you find a good image consultant and haberdasher and dress your best each and every day. That would be sage advice and a very short article. But then why would the subtitle be “This May Surprise You”?

Not long ago I attended a cross-chamber networking meeting. The usual suspects were in the audience of 60; real estate professionals, financial planners, mortgage brokers, specialty ad representatives, copier sales people, IT professionals, staffing professionals, business coaches and various service professionals. All dressed professionally. It was by all accounts a typical networking event.

Each person was well polished. They gave their elevator speech with equal aplomb. And then it happened. Arriving late was a man who was wearing Dickies and a soiled t-shirt. Covering his unkempt hair was a crushable bucket hat that he kept on during his stay. He had a surgical patch over one eye.

As he took his seat people stared. Some leaned over and whispered to their neighbor. One can only imagine what they were saying. Clearly this fellow didn’t understand this was a business meeting with serious professionals in attendance.

As he stood to give his elevator pitch he explained that he was a handyman.

He apologized for the patch, explaining that he had surgery earlier that morning. He said little more about his work than to suggest that if it was broken, he could probably fix it. Then he took his seat. And people began whispering to their neighbors again.

What may surprise you is that our handyman got the most referrals that day. He looked the part. He was so clearly a handyman that one couldn’t help but believe he must be good at his craft. People also felt comfortable with him because they could “see” him doing work for them.

The message is clear. Your target customer has an expectation of what their vendor of choice looks like. We expect mechanics to have dirty clothes and grease under their nails. We expect stock brokers to dress in Brooks Brothers suits. What do your customers expect you to look like? Is your appearance attracting the wrong customer? Worse yet, is it driving away the right customer?

Now you may be thinking that the handyman might have done even better if he’d just cleaned himself up a bit. That may be true however we’ve had handymen at this meeting before who dressed and spoke well and left without a referral. My money is with looking the part.

When attending Chamber of Commerce and other business meetings, dress based on what your ideal customer expects to see when choosing you as a vendor.

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Dress For Success - This May Surprise You

Good Customer Service Alone, Does Not Mean Referrals

Networking Success with Dr. Ivan Misner

Ivan's section is sponsored by qAlias.com

Many entrepreneurs are under the impression that if they just provide good customer service, people will refer business to them. Just like that. However, they only have part of the picture. Sure, customer service is important. But, good customer service is just a prerequisite...it’s a minimum expectation.

Think about it. Would you refer somebody to me if I provided lousy customer service? Of course not. You’d end up looking like a dope in the eyes of the prospect. Your own credibility would suffer.

Good customer service is part of what the prospect expects when you refer him to me. If you’re recommending me to him, I must be something pretty special, right? And if I want to keep that customer coming back, I’ll need to give him more than the minimum expectation of simply good customer service. I’ll need to provide great, outstanding, memorable customer service to really stand out.

On several occasions, my colleagues and I have discussed the point, which I made in my book, The World’s Best Known Marketing Secret, about how people were under the delusion that good customer service alone was enough to enable people to build their business through word of mouth. We shared stories about people we’d met over the years who had gone out of business by just sitting back, and waiting for good word of mouth to rescue them. This got us thinking and talking about all the other delusions people had about networking and referral marketing…including the misconception about customer service we are talking about here.

People don’t refer business to you because you meet their minimum expectations. They refer you because they expect you to do a good job which, in turn, enhances their relationship with the person they are referring. They may not even be doing business with you, so customer service may not be an issue with them personally—but of course they expect you to provide outstanding value to the prospect. They want the prospect to come back to them and say, “Thanks for sending me to Joe Trueblue. He had just what I needed, and the service was great. You sure know some outstanding people!”

Your referral source has a strong interest in making sure everyone comes out a winner. She knows that when the happy customer comes back to you again and again, you’re more likely to send business her way when the need arises. The great service you provide to the customer comes back to you in the form of a stronger relationship with your referral partner.

One of my colleagues is Bob Burg, author of Endless Referrals, and here is his take – on what it ‘takes’ – to consistently receive referrals:

We all know of companies and salespeople that couldn’t stay in business, despite having superior products. We’re also familiar with companies and salespeople that were remarkably successful with just an average product.

Of course, having an excellent product is important. However, technology today has made that commonplace and expected. In order to have qualified prospects “beating a path to your door,” you must be able to network and to market yourself and your product or service in such a way that it makes people want to do business with you and refer you to others. You need to provide them with such a great buying experience that they know they made the right decision. However, to get them there in the first place, it’s the networking and marketing that’s most important.

Being in a referral group like BNI is one of several important parts of an effective word-of-mouth marketing plan. One of the things these groups emphasize is that you need to be very specific in what you do and in how your product or service is uniquely valuable. If you use general terms, you’re at the lowest level of competitive effectiveness. And if you say, “customer service,” that’s not what people are buying.

Another of my colleagues, says that you don’t sell the process – you sell the result:

Talking about what you do does not motivate people as much as what happens to their client or friend as a result of what you do. I used to sell copiers, and I never met anybody who was buying good customer service. They were buying the ability to make photocopies quickly and reliably. They weren’t shopping for customer service, because that’s a prerequisite. It’s part of what creates that end result.

As I have pointed out for many years, unhappy customers are eleven times more likely to talk about your business than happy customers. Good customer service only reduces negative word of mouth; it doesn’t necessarily increase your business through positive word of mouth.

Now, it is important to keep this in mind: If you provide outstanding customer service, AND your referral partner has experienced that as a customer, it can definitely increase the number of referrals you receive. As already mentioned, good customer service is a prerequisite for cultivating your referral network…but great customer service to a referral partner can be a jump start!

Referral networks and other referral settings often feature third-party testimonials, in which someone who has used your product or service (in this case, your referral partner) tells the group, “I’ve used Moe’s products, and I’m here to tell you, they’re the best I’ve ever found.” Hearing it directly from someone they know is often enough to get people to believe it and act on that belief.

I often tell people that testimonials are a very important part of the referral process, especially within referral groups. Never underestimate the power of the third-party testimonial. When you stand up and say, “I’ve used this person, and you should use this person too, because . . .” and then go on to explain why, it makes a huge difference in how people view that service provider. Your experiences become my experiences. This, of course, makes it much easier for people to refer that provider…even if they haven’t personally used his services yet.

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Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI (www.bni.com), the world’s largest business networking organization. His latest #1 bestseller, Masters of Sales can be viewed at www.MastersBooks.com. Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company (www.referralinstitute.com). He can be reached at misner@bni.com .

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Good Customer Service Alone, Does Not Mean Referrals

Do Your Networking Activities Leave You Exhausted ─ or Exhilarated?

By Ann Barczay Sloan

Women's Networking Editor

Ann's article is brought to you by The Joy of Connecting

Introducing Bonnie Ross Parker

Founder / CEO, The Joy of Connecting®

It’s that time again ─ time to meet another woman of passion and determination!

Bonnie Ross Parker does not mince words. “If you’re feeling mentally and spiritually drained after attending a networking event,” she says,” then your NETworking isn’t working.” So she has taken the initiative to create an empowering, joyful solution to this dilemma. Out of her passion for enriching the lives of business women, in 2002 Bonnie licensed an innovative and highly successful marketing program for women called The Joy of Connecting®: a female-based model of networking, based on the concept of “permission marketing”.

How I first heard about Bonnie:

On three separate occasions, Adam J. Kovitz, TNNW Founder / Publisher of this publication, suggested I contact Bonnie and interview her for TNNW. He made it sound important! Well, after a few weeks of having to focus on other priorities, I was ready to follow through. Bonnie and I finally connected ─ but she was the one to contact me! Synchronistically ─ just a day or two before getting her e-mail ─ I was searching through my files for her phone number Adam had given me.

I was happy to talk with this dynamic entrepreneur at last, to have my questions answered and my curiosity satisfied.

Let’s start with my standard question, Bonnie: How would you briefly describe what you do?

“I am the CEO/Founder of a unique marketing program called The Joy of Connecting®. In that role, I serve as a mentor, coach, and motivator and oversee the daily operations of the organization by supporting its licensees.”

What is your primary goal ─ the mission of what you do?

“We all know that in a crowded marketplace, everyone is networking in order to secure their share of business. Entrepreneurial women, female business owners and professionals are competing in an environment that is insensitive, interruptive and challenging ─ in other words, the antithesis of the way women connect best.

So, in essence, the mission of The Joy of Connecting® is to provide a nurturing, non-threatening atmosphere where women can be heard, valued and appreciated for who they are and what they offer.”

Is this a membership organization, Bonnie?

“No, the Joy of Connecting® is not a membership. Instead, by design, women participate as their schedule allows ─ and when they do, are introduced to the products/services of other attendees, connect with new and returning relationships and foster business.”

Would you describe how you got started in this journey?

“Let’s go a way back. In 1983 after a twelve-year teaching career, I became the first Mail Boxes Etc franchisee in the Virginia, Maryland and DC Area. As a pioneer of that company (now the UPS Store) I faced many challenges as a female business owner representing an innovative concept. Mail Boxes Etc. Corporate was less than supportive of its female franchisees.”

For instance?

“Well, for example, we could only secure a lease if we had a male co-signer! That would never happen today! In 1995, with 28 stores under my supervision as The Area Director and owning 6 franchises of my own, I sold my entire operation back to the corporate office and moved to Atlanta. I told my husband I was going to find a way to support women in business so that women would have access to help which was lacking in my career.”

How you did you arrive where you are currently?

“Initially, I began a free, drop in mentoring program called, “The Red Door” – red for energy and door as in opening. Every Tuesday morning from 7:30 - 9, I parked myself at The Atlanta Bread Co in Buckhead, GA and helped whoever showed up. The Red Door and my sessions increased in popularity over a three year period. Eventually, I added to my volunteerism by becoming the Associate Publisher of a local newspaper – pioneering a women’s section called: ‘Women to Women: Cultivating Our Community’. Not only was I impacting women through my weekly sessions, I now had a much larger platform to share ideas, insights and education.

The paper eventually folded due to lack of advertising support. While I dabbled in other endeavors, my heart stayed true to supporting women. In August 2002 I decided to close The Red Door and open my home monthly for women to participate over dinner in an interactive, networking program which I named ‘The Joy of Connecting®’. Designed to support entrepreneurial women, female business owners and professionals, the program eventually became licensed and is now available nationwide. In my home so far, 1700 women have participated!”

That’s quite an achievement, Bonnie! Clearly, all of your work is focused toward women?

“All of it!”

What are some ways and/or places in which you promote your enterprise?

“There are currently several projects in various stages of development which will each add huge value to The Joy of Connecting®. The most recent is the partnership that JOC has created with http://www.sbtv.com/. I am one of its Featured Advisors – selected to offer networking insights and strategies to its viewing/listening audience. The Joy of Connecting® is also listed as an endorsed organization.

In addition to myself (Bonnie Ross-Parker) and JOC partnering with SBTV.com, the Direct Selling Women’s Alliance (DSWA) and The Joy of Connecting® are now aligned to bring the value of both organizations to women in direct selling/network marketing.”

Sounds like a huge step forward!

“Yes, thanks! This relationship will enhance the brand of both entities and create new exciting opportunities for the women they serve.

Other collaborations being created ‘behind the scenes’ will have a major impact on Joy of Connecting visibility and credibility. Lots of opportunities over the next few months will be unveiled.”

Whom / what does your network currently include? How far does your network extend?

“Currently there are 4500 women in our data base who have chosen to stay connected and informed about what’s going on with The Joy of Connecting®. JOC continues to expand as it spreads nationwide. The number of licensees keeps changing every month!

Participants represent women who are in the Direct Selling/Network Marketing industry, entrepreneurs who have created their own businesses and professionals (attorneys, dentists, CPAs, financial planners, etc.) While we are currently ‘the best kept secret’, it won’t be long before The Joy of Connecting® will be the greatest discovery. We are positioning ourselves for major success.”

Which of your projects are you currently most passionate about?

“I love the playing field I’m on. I continually look for new opportunities to promote The Joy of Connecting®, my licensees and the difference this program is making for the women who participate. Read or listen to testimonials on the site ─ you’ll see what I mean! Yes, JOC has my entire focus.”

What has been the best about building a network: Positive experiences? Benefits, expected and unexpected?

“I have traveled to cities nationwide and continue to be in awe of what women are doing, what they are accomplishing and the wide variety of products/services they represent. Because my goal is to be at every launch of a new Joy of Connecting location, I get to experience first hand beautiful, intelligent and committed women everywhere.

When I first began, I was a mentor – helping a dozen or so women from week to week. Now, I lead a community of women who are eager to not only create their own success, but who are equally willing and eager to support the success of others. When I receive testimonials (unsolicited), letters of appreciation and referrals from attendees who want their colleagues/contacts to know about JOC, I feel blessed that my seed of an idea has translated ─ or I might say transformed! ─ into a major force.”

What challenges (if any) have you found in your networking experiences? Any benefits emerging from challenges in the long run?

“I am so focused on women acknowledging themselves for who they are and their accomplishments, it’s sometimes difficult to hear complaints, self-doubt, set backs and learn of lack of support on the home front. My schedule doesn’t allow me to offer the one on one support I was able to provide when numbers were smaller and my time was more available.

Traditional networking is still a challenge for most women and is necessary to grow one’s business. I see The Joy of Connecting® experience like a ‘safety net’. When the marketplace is crowded and insensitive, The Joy of Connecting is nurturing and supportive.

My challenge? I want to grow the organization to include communities all over the country – where women can be and have and feel fulfilled.”

What are the achievements you’re most proud of at this time?

“In October, 2001, my most significant personal achievement was completing the 60 Mile Avon Walk to support two women dealing with breast cancer. My greatest professional achievement occurred in 2002, when I received the Athena Award in recognition of my leadership. It was that same year that I birthed The Joy of Connecting®. One more significant accomplishment occurred in 2003 when I authored my first book, Walk in My Boots – The Joy of Connecting.”

What are your plans and goals for the future ─ organizational, personal?

“I have huge goals for The Joy of Connecting® ─ and I’m currently working on projects that will have a significant impact on JOC’s growth. My personal goal: To establish a legacy where women will recognize that one person’s idea combined with unwavering vision and focus can make a huge difference in others’ lives. I’m also in the process of co-authoring a book with my husband, Phil.”

With your husband? Sounds interesting! What’s the book about?

“Sorry,” Bonnie laughs, “can’t share contents yet!”

Anything else you would like to add? Perhaps words of encouragement, inspiration for our readers?

“Yes! I’d like us to spend some moments reflecting upon these thoughts:

Life is a journey. Each of our lives is a reflection of the experiences we have, the people we meet, the thoughts we consider and the feelings we embrace. Life is meant to be shared. No one chooses to travel life alone. Joy results in sharing with others. It’s the opportunities we say, ‘Yes’ to, the people we embrace along the way, and the ‘ah ha’ moments that awaken us to a new way of looking at something familiar.

What better way to enjoy your journey than to share it with the women in your life? It’s the friendships we create, the sisters we embrace, and the ‘our’ in the word ‘journey’ that sustains us and strengthens us. Choose to support one another in all of life’s endeavors.’

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Contact Information:

Please feel free to contact The Joy of Connecting® as follows:

E-mail: bootgirl@TheJoyofConnecting.com

http://www.thejoyofconnecting.com

http://www.bonnierossparker.com

Telephone: 1+770-333-7923 or 1-877-411-6611

Mail: 1231 Bickham Way, Smyrna, GA 30080

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Do Your Networking Activities Leave You Exhausted ─ or Exhilarated?

Organization of Your Network Marketing Business

By Candy Webb

Network Marketing Editor

This months’ article will cover the four primary facets of good organization in running a successful network marketing business: Follow Up Systems, Institutionalizing Training, Time Management and Becoming a Momentum Manager. I will not go into the merits of the various computer-based abeyance, follow-up, tickler and calendar systems available with many different software packages. It you have your favorite, and prefer to do the majority of your organizational activities online, then this article probably won’t float your boat, but here is an observation I have found to be true after twenty years at the top:

Most newer distributors, especially those who are new to the industry, will not have a system of computer-based follow-up they are using, and what will be the very most helpful for them is a simple, paper-based system that they can grasp in five minutes and put into practice in about the same time. What you don’t want is that new person grappling with a sophisticated system before they are even dry behind the ears. Once they have established a rhythm and a routine and know the parameters of what they need to do in your particular company, they can migrate to a more sophisticated system. After twenty years, I still have not migrated to a more sophisticated system and I make millions in this industry. So, is it necessary? ABSOLUTELY not.

FOLLOWUP is as key to building your business as arguably as important as initiation of the contact. Unfortunately, most people have poor, unruly systems of follow-up with slips of paper, notes to themselves, yellow stickers everywhere to remind them of when, who and what. Not too hot; we’re going to eliminate yellow stickers forever.

THE MATERIALS NECESSARY:

1. Three ring Binder, Calendar in the Front, the Current Month Divider Next, Followed by the 1-31 Dividers. When you get to the end of that month, advance the 1-31 Day Dividers behind the next month, and so on.
2. Three ring Binder paper
3. One set of Index Dividers with the Months of the Year
4. One set of Index Dividers with the days of the month (1-31)
5. A Monthly Calendar for the Binder (I prefer the two page per month type)

STEP ONE: Put Individual contacts, their profile, and their contact info, anything you know about them on ONE 3-ring notebook paper page. ALL notes about this person, all follow-up details will reside on this one sheet. If your notes get too voluminous, staple another page. The key point is to keep all notes together! Start with 100 Contacts.

STEP TWO: As you call each individual, make appointments, etc. make all notes on their sheet. Always make the next appointment while you have them on the phone or while you are sitting in front of them. This appointment goes two places – On the calendar and also, as you complete your notes, the sheet goes under the date of the next appointment, contact, or agreed upon follow-up.

ESSENTIAL: You must check this calendar every night before you go to bed to see what is under the tab for the next day. You will never miss an appointment; you will never miss a follow up call. This is the glue of the system.

INSTITUTIONALIZING TRAINING: Most good network marketing companies have valuable training available at seminars, on CDs, on Conference Calls, Webinars, at local events. We hear amazingly useful information every day, but it never becomes part of our infrastructure. It never gets “institutionalized” to the point where it becomes part of just how we do the business. Hear are three quick tips to make sure that the valuable information is put into action:

Did you know that you can click on the button above and have your TNNWC articles read to you on your computer, your PDA, or even on any of your mobile communications devices (i.e., pads, pods, tablets, telephathic enhancement equipment...you name it!)?