CONNECTING IS NOT ENOUGH: Develop an Intimate Relationship with Your Clients

Connecting Is Not Enough with Andy Lopata

In his column this month, Andy Lopata looks at networking with our clients and the difference strong relationships can have on a long-term client relationship.

Andy discusses:

- Why you should build relationships with more than one key contact within a client business

- The importance of anticipating clients' needs and offering solutions...even if they don't involve you

- The business with happy clients that we all miss out on.


Client intimacy is vital to any successful business. How well do you know your best clients….and how well do they know you?

We can all be guilty of not developing strong enough relationships with our clients. It’s too easy to get to know one person well and find yourself out in the cold when that person leaves, or moves to another role. We can miss opportunities to offer more solutions by failing to keep in touch with developments in their business and a subsequent need for more support. We may not be able to be completely honest with them because they don’t trust us enough for us to comfortably challenge their approach to an issue.

Here are a few key things to consider when looking at your client relationships.


Build relationships wide as well as deep.

A strong rapport and level of trust with the person you deal with on a regular basis is, of course, essential when building a long-term business relationship. It also helps to develop a relationship with people around them, whether their peers, their bosses or people working below them.

Apart from the danger of losing your foothold in a company if your sole contact moves on, very often big purchasing decisions are made by a group of people, each with their own agenda, ideas and connections. More than one person fighting your corner will increase your chances of winning the business you’re looking for.

When your name comes up in discussion within the client company, what do people know about you and what you deliver for them? Are you relying on your sole contact within the firm to tell people, or are you in touch with them as well?

I spoke at a Conference last year where I met people from across the client company. I had conversations with the Chief Executive, Division Managing Director, Commercial Director, Sales Manager and a host of other people involved in sales and marketing in the company. I have also stayed in touch with many of them since, while dealing with my two key contacts on an ongoing basis.

This was not a unique occasion; I will always try to meet people from across a company where possible and keep in touch with many of the people I meet. Following up is just as important as making the connections in the first place, without it your efforts will be wasted.


How well can you anticipate your clients’ needs?

If you want to maximise the opportunities to work within a client’s organisation, you need to know their industry, what is happening internally and build tremendous levels of trust so that they will confide in you and ask for your opinion.

The more you understand about your clients’ ecosystem, who the key influencers are and what they base their decisions upon, the better positioned you will be to come up with the appropriate solutions at the right time.
Speak to colleagues who work with similar companies, as well as people working with other areas of your client company and learn from their experience. Attend industry events and participate in relevant online forums.

The deeper an understanding you have of your clients’ industry and firm, the more you will be able to anticipate issues before they arise, show a real insight into their needs and challenge them with new approaches where needed. That will help you develop more trust and help you become an invaluable resource that they will turn to time and time again.

Remember, it's not always about you. Get to know your client's business and their needs and offer solutions to those. Sometimes that might mean introducing them to someone else rather than putting forward your own solution, but showing them that you have their best interests at heart rather than your own will develop their trust and build greater loyalty.


Can you work in more than one area of the company?

If you are working with larger companies the chances are that you are working in one specific part of each organisation. With silos operating across many large businesses, one division will often be totally unaware of suppliers being used elsewhere.

Once you have proved yourself by doing a good job and getting positive feedback from your clients, do you ask them who else internally they can recommend you to? If you don’t, work out for yourself where else in the organisation your services or products would best fit, and ask if they can introduce you.

Even if they don’t know anyone there, they should be able to find out who their counterpart is and make a recommendation. If you have built your network at higher levels, the chances are that their contacts across divisions will be wider and their recommendations will be taken more seriously.

We are constantly told that it is six times more expensive to find new prospects rather than sell more to an existing client. Your network and your relationships with existing clients are key to your ability to sell more to them.

Client intimacy should be at the centre of your marketing strategy. Engage with your clients and they’ll engage you more!

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Are you struggling to put an effective networking or referral strategy into place? Do you want to know more about how to ensure you get the maximum possible return from your networking?

Visit Andy's brand new website at http://www.lopata.co.uk/ for more resources and ideas about how Andy can help you.

Andy's new book, on how to generate an effective referral strategy, will be published later this year.

“In this book Andy Lopata demonstrates how so many businesses ignore potentially their most powerful resource – their networks. Andy’s in-depth, practical advice will show you how to both build and profit from the relationships in your network.”

Ivan Misner, NY Times Bestselling author and Founder of BNI and Referral Institute

Andy's Audio program, "Networking in Ninety Minutes," will give you the tools you need to make the most from your networking. Available in CD or mp3 format here.

Andy Lopata's newsletter archive
Andy Lopata's LinkedIn profile
Join Connecting is not Enough - Andy Lopata's Facebook Page

For more information, please visit Andy's TNNWC Bio.

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The National Networker Publications™ produced by TNNWC Group, LLC
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CONNECTING IS NOT ENOUGH: Develop an Intimate Relationship with Your Clients

SALES & MARKETING: Top 10 Challenges Professional Service Providers Must Overcome To Generate New Clients and Revenues

Sales & Marketing with Bill Doerr

15 Second Executive Speed-Read:

I recently surveyed a number of people, via LinkedIn, on this topic. Their responses were varied but clustered around 10 categorical challenges the respondents felt would compromise the goal of generating new clients and (more) revenues. This article identifies these 10 challenges as well as the underlying causes behind them and specific corrective actions you can take so these challenges won't be affecting you.

The following challenges resulted from a LinkedIn survey I conducted in July 2009. While I was pleasantly surprised at the number of responses received, I was more intrigued by the fact that there appeared to be a recurring theme around certain responses.

For the purpose of writing this article, I have 'clustered' the responses received into ten (10) categories of challenges that providers in various fields and professions feel are likely to compromise the growth of new clients and revenues for professionals and other business services providers.

In no particular order, the challenges seem to cluster into these categorical responses:

1. Not seeing enough of the right kind of person
2. Dealing with 'high maintenance' prospects and clients
3. Prospects (and, some clients!) who are asking us for 'lower fees'
4. Losing bids to other firms (who are arguably less qualified, too!)
5. Finding it distasteful to have to 'sell' and/or 'market' our services
6. No sense that everyone is responsible for marketing in the firm
7. Not having time to devote to marketing my services
8. Not leveraging our relationships with existing clients to find new ones
9. Not developing long-term relationships for the referrals and revenues they offer
10. Not getting people to buy or refer us when there's no apparent reason not to do so

Can you relate? To how many? Would you agree they are valid 'challenges' to growing a clientele and revenues for your business or practice?

The AHA!
After looking at these challenges for awhile, I began to see them not as the challenges that need to be overcome but as the symptoms of what the real challenges might be. After identifying the 'probable cause/s' of the symptoms, the cure/s came into view.

Symptoms / Causes/ Cures

Here then, are the Symptoms / Causes / Cures for these 'top 10 challenges' that are limiting the growth of clients and revenues in a variety of professional practices and firms that are business services providers.

Challenge 1
"Not seeing enough people"

Probable Cause/s:

• insufficient level of marketing-related activities

Corrective Strategy:
Be sure you're engaging in appropriate activities at an adequate level for the client acquisition and revenue-generation goals you have. Seems obvious and may correct any deficiency right there. As one respondent said, "Get of your office and go see some people!". Sage advice.

Challenge 2
Dealing with 'high maintenance' prospects and clients

Probable Cause/s:

• not clear about who is 'right' for the business or practice (i.e. who is 'qualified' to work you?)
• not using that profile at the 'moment of truth' with a prospective client or referral source

Corrective Strategy:
Define your 'ideal client' and don't compromise your own standards. A number of people lamented that their willingness to take 'anyone with an open checkbook' often led to a client engagement that, in the end, proved frustrating for all parties. Just don't do it! Identify specific 'knockout' factors and, if present, avoid engaging with those people.

Challenge 3
Prospects (and, some clients!) are asking us for 'lower fees' or 'better pricing'

Probable Cause/s:

• not focusing on the value you provide vs. the fee you are charging

Corrective Strategy:
Charge a 'fixed' fee for your services rather than billing by the hour. Why? Understand that an hourly rate is something you need to know to be sure your pricing is profitable for your business or practice. It is NOT something your clients need to know. In fact, most don't like hourly billing (survey your clients and you'll confirm that one!).

What they do need to know is the answer to this question: "What's it going to cost me . . . if I use you or, if I don't?" Once framed that way, any 'price' you'll ask for will be positioned around the VALUE you represent, not the time you have to invest in a project that will provide the client what they want. In my own experience, 'package' pricing invariably causes more services to be sold and better margins to be maintained than providers who bill 'by the hour'.

Challenge 4
Losing bids to other firms (who are arguably less qualified, too!)

Probable Cause/s:

• No system for helping clients to make a decision is present
• Not skilled at using a system for helping clients to make a decision
• Not seen as a preferred provider of your services

Corrective Strategy:
The first two causes will be addressed by a systematic approach to helping someone make a decision . . . in short, 'selling'. Seen as an essential aspect of your professional advocacy role, it's an incumbent responsibility of every professional to help clients make decisions about their services - including the decision NOT to use them. But it must be a deliberate decision, not a decision by default because it wasn't made deliberately.

If prospects fail to perceive you as a preferred provider you are not differentiating yourself to your marketplace. To differentiate yourself, you must be both beneficial and unique. Being yourself is about as unique as it gets. So you need to learn how to demonstrate the beneficial 'edge' you offer that will cause you to stand out to your prospective clients.

For service providers the 'secret' is to learn how to manage the experience your prospects have with you during the courtship phase of your relationship so they will feel, all things being equal, that you and your firm are definitely the preferred providers of your problem-solving expertise.

Challenge 5
Finding it distasteful to have to 'sell' and/or 'market' our services

Probable Cause/s:

• An attitude of advocacy . . . as a fiduciary of your client's interests is missing

Corrective Strategy:
Reframe 'selling' as a 'moral responsibility' that your professionalism demands. Selling is simply 'client-centered advocacy'. Think of a physician who 'advocates' a course of therapy for a patient not because they want a fee as much as they want their patient to be healthy. So too, you must see that such client-centered advocacy is a high calling and not something much lower . . . in your humble opinion. More than one respondent offered the admonition to "just get over yourself". I hope this perspective will help you do just that.

Challenge 6
No sense that EVERYONE is responsible for marketing in the firm

Probable Cause/s:

• leadership has not communicated that marketing IS everyone's responsibility
• There is no consequence for not bringing in clients (or, doing things that would!)

Corrective Strategy:
If you / your firm hasn't made this expectation public . . . do so! Rewrite everyone's position description (yes, even the receptionists') to include behaviors that support 'marketing'. Unless and until marketing behavior is expected and inspected, it's likely not to happen. Better yet, post this expectation in locations where you will be re-minded of it frequently.

Challenge 7
Not having time to devote to marketing my services

Probable Cause/s:

• No need to market (see Challenge #6)
• No plan - so no marketing activities have been identified to do in the first place
• No skills - you know what to do and why but you still don't allocate time for it

Corrective Strategy:
Create and use a 'Marketing Activity Plan' to ensure you're allocating your time to what some call the 'mission critical' activities so the 'mission' of your planning will be accomplished. And brushing up on your time management skills might be a good idea, too!

Challenge 8
Not leveraging our relationships with existing clients to find new ones

Probable Cause/s:

• Not asking for help from existing clients
• Asking but ineffectively

Corrective Strategy:
Learn to use an effective referral system with existing clients and centers-of-influence. Two possibilities to consider might be: "Referral Flood" by Duct Tape Marketing or The Preferral Prospecting System®

Challenge 9
Not developing long-term relationships for the referrals and revenues they offer

Probable Cause/s:

• No system for following-up
• No system for keeping-in-touch
• Not using such systems even if present

Corrective Strategy:
Get - and use - a system for

1. following-up, and
2. keeping-in-touch

in a manner that is as professional as you are.

While no one will argue these two functions aren't important, many cite they either don't know how or feel they'll come off a 'less than professional'. The key is not to ignore the need to do these things but to find a way to do so that won't be offensive - to you or your marketplace.

Challenge 10
Focusing on client acquisition activities at the expense of client retention activities

Probable Cause/s:

• myopic mindset . . . "Need MORE Revenues? Get NEW Clients!"
• inability to appreciate that not all revenues are equally profitable to your firm

Corrective Strategy:
Consider that the cost of acquiring a project from a new client is much more costly (cost of sales) than generating a project from an existing client. In his book, "The Loyalty Effect" Theodore Reicheld explains that many firms don't see a profit until an account has been with them for some time. Implication: "equal revenues with high turnover is less profitable than equal revenues with lower turnover". Point: Keep-in-touch and stay-in-mind with your existing clients so whenever a need arises . . . you'll be there and . . . seen as the preferred provider that you are.

BONUS!!
Doing more than expected . . . without being asked - (so here's my little 'extra' for you!)

Challenge 11
Not getting people to buy or refer us when there's no apparent reason not to do so

Probable Cause/s:

• Trust (or, a significant lack of it!)

Corrective Strategy:
For any professional or business service provider, trust is an essential element to the formation and maintenance of a productive client relationship. If trust is an issue, getting and keeping clients will be highly problematic if not impossible.

This is an important topic and one that space doesn't permit me to address fully. In general, remember that 'trust' is a conclusion about you that people make after they experience you. That means that what you DO is more significant than what you say. Behave like someone who is worthy of trust and you will be . . . trusted.

And here's the best advice I can give you on this one . . . buy a copy of Jeffrey Gitomer's book: "Trust . . . How To Earn It, Grow it and Keep It to Become a TRUSTED ADVISOR in Sales, Business & Life". It's a painless read that is priceless at helping you create and maintain trust with your prospects, clients and centers-of-influence.

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Bill Doerr is CCO of SellMore Marketing. He helps professionals and other service providers to market their problem-solving expertise simply, effectively and affordably. You can reach him at www.sellmoremarketing.com, by email at billd@sellmoremarketing.com or by phone at 860-798-6964.

For more please see Bill's TNNW Bio.

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SALES & MARKETING: Top 10 Challenges Professional Service Providers Must Overcome To Generate New Clients and Revenues

SALES AND MARKETING: It's The Experience, Stupid!

Sales and Marketing with Bill Doerr


Bill's section is brought to you by qAlias








15 Second Speed Read

Sticks and stones may break your bones but names will never hurt you . . . is an old childhood response to being called some name you don't like. It's true, names can't hurt you (unless you let them). And words, in marketing, don't necessarily help you either. What does? Creating an experience that makes people say, "Wow!"

The Repairman

Recently, our washing machine broke down. Not the end of the world. Just the clean clothes! Needless to say, it quickly became a high priority to address.

Not having any regular need for someone who could fix our washer, I went online and starting searching on Google. Put in 'appliance repair' and my geographic location. Voila! I had a bunch of potential candidates to help us get our washing machine working again.

I found a firm that was close by. I called them. "We can't get someone there until Thursday . . . and we need a credit card approved before we commit to send them". Now, y'know how 'beggars can't be choosers'? Yeah. Well, that was us! So I agreed. Gave them the credit card and waited for Thursday. Late on Wednesday we got a call. "We can't get a guy over there until Monday . . .". Not overly happy to learn that (on Wednesday afternoon no less!) we planned to see them on Monday.

On Monday. The technician shows up. Then he asked, "Where's the refrigerator that's not working?" I explained it was the washer, not the refrigerator. "Nope" he says, "It's your refrigerator . . . says so right here on the work order!" He was actually proud of his 'evidence' of what was wrong. I was shocked that the customer's input (mine!) was being ignored! "Uh, no . . . it's the washing machine". "OK, show me where it is . . ."

Within moments it became painfully obvious that this allegedly skilled technician didn't know much about washing machines. "Uh, do you have an owner's manual for this?" I did. I had already gone through it a lot in the days preceding this service call. "Sure thing . . . here you go". He proceed to pore over it like a teenage boy with a new copy of Playboy. "Oh . . . THAT'S what that is . . . " and similar comments were being made by the repairman with a disquieting frequency. With all the control I could muster I asked, "Look, can you fix this washing machine or, not?".

With a look that reminded me of how I looked upon learning that my calculus professor was springing an unexpected quiz on the class he said, "Uh, well . . . no. I'm not trained for this brand (a HUGE name brand!) and I don't want to mess it up".

Now I've got really mixed emotions. On the one hand, I want the washer fixed. On the other hand, I want to kill someone (or, at least have some clean clothes for a change!) and yet I had to admire (weakly, I'll admit) the guy's candor and honesty. What didn't make matters worse is that the 'service call' cost me $174.50 . . . just to learn "I can't fix your washer". Sheesh!

So it's back to the Google Search. This time, I lucked out!

I made another appointment. The man showed up precisely when we were told to expect him. He even called us about 15 minutes before to confirm our address and to assure us he'd be at our home shortly. (Man, I was starting to get hopeful!)

Upon entering our home, he put on cloth 'booties' -- like the surgeons wear. "You don't have to do that", I said. "Sir, it's our company policy . . . because it's your home". OK, I'm alright with that.

He assessed the underlying cause of the malfunction almost as soon as he walked in the laundry room. Made the repair. Cleaned up the entire area after making the repair, in fact. But it was what happened next that really sold me.

As he's leaving, he asked, "While I'm here, is there anything else . . . we cover up to three appliances on any service call . . . same flat rate . . ." OMG. While the refrigerator wasn't broken, the ice machine part had stopped making ice about a week before. He fixed it. "No extra charge. You have one more appliance . . . anything else?" I didn't. Then the very best part of the call.

"Before I go, may I take a moment to go over something with you folks?" (Sure!) He then proceeded to do the following:

1. he gave his business card -- with his photo AND direct cell number
2. he expressed his PLEASURE to be of service to us (and meant it!)
3. gave a packet of information including "10 major brands and key services we offer"
4. he gave a list of "10 advantages to doing business with (his firm)" (felt like Dave letterman was doing their marketing!)
5. he gave us our 'Preferred Customer" club card -- and referral program
6. he reviewed his company's 'Code of Values and Conduct'
7. he reminded us to call him if anything "Doesn't stay fixed"

Epilog:

The next day we got two phone calls. One was a follow-up call from our new 'friend' in the appliance repair business. "Just checking in to make sure the washer is running as you expect . . . " WOW! Of course it was. But the follow-up call? Man, that almost brought tears to my eyes. The second call was from a friend of my wife. "Joyce, do you know anyone who could fix our stove?" Now who do you think we recommended?

The Lesson:

My Google search revealed WHO we could use for the repairs we needed. But my EXPERIENCE is what convicted us of who the real 'preferred provider' was. In the end, it's a cliche to say it, but "It IS The Experience, Stupid".

Talk is cheap. But ACTION . . . aligned with your values and focused on your customer or client or patient . . . is priceless! It's the best and most controllable way to differentiate yourself and your company in the mind of your prospects, clients and centers-of-influence. Use it!

Bill Doerr, CCO of SellMore Marketing, LLC is the creator of The Preferral Prospecting System™,
 The Expert Directory™, The Client Machine™ and The Ultimate Client Development System™. He is an Authorized Duct Tape Marketing Coach and a licensed facilitator of the Get Clients NOW! program. Bill uses these resources to 
help service providers generate more awareness in their marketing area, interest in their services, and revenues in their bank. You can reach Bill by phone at: 860-798-6964, online: www.sellmoremarketing.com by email: billd@sellmoremarketing.com or through the TNNW Blog: http://thenationalnetworker.blogspot.com
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SALES AND MARKETING: It's The Experience, Stupid!

Don’t Shotgun Your Sales Message…Sharpshoot It Instead!

Networking Success with Dr. Ivan Misner
Ivan's section is sponsored by qAlias.com

You may perform a wide variety of services or offer a broad range of products to your customers, but for a referral, your description of what you do should be narrow and detailed, focused on a single aspect of your business. Yes, you may offer the most elaborate assortment of office furnishings available in your part of the state, but that doesn’t mean much to the prospect who is looking for a truckload of one specific type of high-tech desk for a new technology company.

Your referral sources will find it much easier to get you an appointment with a prospect if you have provided information that will help them address the prospect’s specific needs. You’re an office-furniture wholesaler? No help. One of your specialties is custom-designed, made-to-order desks, shelves, and file cabinets in large lots? Bingo. You’ve snagged an appointment.

It seems counterintuitive, but in reality, the more laser-specific you are, the more likely you are to get referrals. People tend to say they “do everything,” because they want to catch everyone. They want to throw as broad a net as possible. The problem with a really broad net is that there are big holes in it. When you say, “I’m a full-service printer; I do everything,” that doesn’t mean anything to your prospects, or to those who refer you to them. What they’re thinking is, I don’t need a full-service job. All I need is a particular kind of print job. If I’ve come down with a serious illness, it doesn’t help me much to know that there are three hospitals in town. What I really want to know is, in which hospital will I find the specialist who can cure me?

When you tell a referral partner you’re a full-service provider, you’re asking her to mentally sort out all the people she knows and cross tabulate what they do against all the things you do. That does not work; people aren’t computers. Yes, a referral partner needs to know the full range of products or services that you deal in—eventually. But more immediately, she needs to know with some precision the specific needs you can fulfill, because that is what the customer is focused on in any given instance.

If you say, “Who do you know who is a sports enthusiast? Here’s how he can use my product,” then you’re letting your referral source do a simple, easier kind of mental sorting. The more you can educate people about different things that you do—one at a time—the more likely you are to get referrals in the long run. And getting referrals in a specific area doesn’t mean you can’t continue to offer other products or services.

When operating in a referral network of some type, your immediate goal is not to close a sale…but to train a sales force. You’re training people to refer you, and saying that you’re a full-service provider and that you do everything doesn’t train anybody at all. You wouldn’t tell a salesperson for your company, “Just tell them we do it all.” You need to be as specific as possible. As a specialist, you can more easily articulate to your referral sources what you do and how you do it, and they can in turn articulate it more readily to other people. Saying that you “do everything” sounds desperate—as though you have to do it all because you’re not successful in any one area.

Someone who professes to be a generalist, who “does everything,” is not only less likely to get good referrals—she’s also likely to be considered a “relationship assassin” within her referral group. Suppose an insurance agent who’s just joined your group comes up to you and says, “I can cover all of your insurance needs. I have life insurance, medical insurance, auto, home, business, and every other kind of insurance you’ll ever need. I’d like to be your one-stop insurance shop.” But you already have coverage from five or six different agents, most of whom you have solid business and personal relationships with. What she’s asking you to do is dump all your relationships and replace them with one relative unknown—herself.

A better approach for her would be to say to you, “I’m a life-insurance agent who specializes in executive benefits, specifically for tradespeople. My passion, in my insurance practice, is to deliver executive-benefits packages to owners and managers of contracting firms so that they’re able to retire effectively with tax-protected investments and be able to sell that business.” In this way, she’s addressing a specific need you may have, but she’s not trying to assassinate all of your long-standing relationships. She’s presenting herself as an expert in an area where you need expert advice, rather than a generalist with broad but superficial knowledge.

You may still not be convinced that narrowing your focus is a good idea. You may be thinking that, if you present yourself as a specialist, you are limiting your potential referrals and your future business; that is, you can’t do business outside your niche. The truth is, whether you’re a true specialist or a generalist presenting yourself as a specialist in order to facilitate easy referral, you’re not limiting yourself by doing so. People are actually more likely to refer a specialist than a generalist.

If you’re like most specialists, although you generally do only one or a few kinds of business, you can still offer many other products or services that are closely related. Yes, you’ve narrowed down your business to the things you like to do or are able to do best, or that bring you the most profit, but you can do other things as well. And one good way to attract long-term business is by stepping outside your niche and taking on the occasional odd job that can win you a loyal customer for future business.

One last point: If you sell everything, you’re not selling on value; you’re selling on price. That makes you a provider of commodities. And that strategy can work for you—but only if you’re Wal-Mart.

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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 book, the 29% Solution can be viewed at www.29PercentSolution.com. Dr. Misner is also the Senior 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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Don’t Shotgun Your Sales Message…Sharpshoot It Instead!

Social Networking with a Delightful Twist!

By Bill Doerr
Sales and Marketing Editor

Bill's section is brought to you by qAlias

15 Second Executive ‘Speed Read’

Social Networking is a long-established mechanism for connecting with other people.

In days gone by, this meant anything from leaving a painting in a cave to being an elite member of a society’s ‘blue book’. Today, it’s more likely to mean a membership on either LinkedIn or Facebook.

What these latest social networks foster are the quantity of connections. But, as some point out, they may do so at the expense of the quality of the relationships they offer.

While no single social network is a perfect solution for everyone, a relatively new entrant to the social networking scene is Perfect Networker.

This site qualifies as a social network, but it is different. Why? The mission and passion of the founders is to teach . . . to teach the members who use it . . . how to build both high quality relationships as well as a significant number of valued connections.

Glenn Garnes, Mac Cassity and Ken Rochon are the founders of Perfect Networker – a new online community that is passionately committed to:
1) growing new and valued relationships

2) generating referrals, and

3) building revenues for an individual’s practice or business

for the people who are members of this young but growing online community.de

THE HISTORY

Glenn Garnes, an attorney by training and now a founder and key catalyst of Perfect Networker, shared some time with me recently to update me on the organization he helped to create.

Like many things, Perfect Networker evolved out of a sense of frustration with the limitations certain local business networking groups seemed to create for many people as well as the founders of Perfect Networker.

“Many business people are attracted to the notion of networking, but find many local groups are more focused on the mechanical rules of engagement than on the mission they were intended to achieve. We wanted to change all that with Perfect Networker”.

Glenn, Mac and Ken learned that networking has a tarnished image among many who are new to it because of a lack of education about what networking really is and how to network effectively with others. “It’s one thing to say, “There’s a plane” and quite another to actually get into it, fly it off the runway and level off safely at 39,000 feet”.

This inspired them to envision an intentional community of people who would be able to develop quality relationships with others and, as a result, be more refer-able themselves.

This immediately suggested a missing element in other networking organizations – despite their protests to the contrary: ‘Education and Training’ . . . in the art and science of how to build relationships, referrals and, as a result, revenues for the networker’s business or professional practice.

Glenn Garnes, who was a successful ‘rainmaker’ for his law firm, knew firsthand the power and value of networking in an offline environment. Ironically, what he did to grow his practice and revenues was also the reflection of his true passion and calling – to connect people with others to foster mutually beneficial relationships.

In 1999, Glenn became interested in the potential value of the internet as a medium for business promotion. In fact, he created various niche websites themed around ‘health and wellness’ and learned how to use them to sell ‘eyeball space’ on his sites to advertisers who wanted quality time with a select audience of qualified prospects.

That experience convicted him (please, no lawyer jokes, OK?) of the potency of the internet as an online medium for connecting interested parties with one another. So it’s not surprising that he began to think of how to use it to attract and cultivate valuable relationships with others. That, along with the input of his co-founders, lead to the eventual birth of the Perfect Networker website and online community.

THE PERFECT NETWORKER SITE and COMMUNITY

Ted Leavitt of Harvard Business School defined the term ‘differentiation’ as the quality of a product or service to be both unique and beneficial. The challenge, of course, is to be both. Over the long run. That’s not easy. If you’re truly beneficial, you’ll be copied sooner or later. And there goes your uniqueness. By the same token, if you’re truly unique, maybe your competitors knew something about the market and its receptivity to your product or service and chose not to make the same mistake you’re making. See?

That’s why I asked Glenn the obvious question: “Why Perfect Networker . . . given the prevalence and extensive market penetration of alternative sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.? In other words, what’s the angle that makes your site viable alongside all the existing players on the the social networking field?”

Glenn replied, “Bill, on a scale of 1 – 10, where 10 means ‘outstanding’ and 1 means ‘ho hum’, how do you think most business people rate the value they’re receiving from these sites? Mind you”, he said, “I’m on LinkedIn myself and use it a lot. I think it’s fantastic for what it does. But not everyone who signs up for such a service is able to use it effectively and benefit profitably from it for their business or practice.”

So what is the justification for Perfect Networker to co-exist with the ‘big boys’ like LinkedIn and Facebook?

“Simple. We designed it, from the start, to create a truly valuable experience for people who become our members.”

I asked Glenn, “How do you do that?” Glenn indicated there are several keys . . .

Key #1: Relationships Before Transactions
The most notable element of Perfect Networker is the philosophy that recognizes the truth that outstanding networkers always seek relationships before transactions.

Key #2: Training and Development
The second element is the extensive training that Perfect Networker members receive in ‘how to’ build mutually beneficial relationships. There’s a Referral University that offers various documents, audio and video to support the development of each member’s skills so they can become viable, contributing members of this online community.

Key #3: A Committed Community
The third element is the online community itself. If ‘water seeks its own level’ then the founders are attracting other people who, like them, passionately embrace the philosophy that cultivating mutually beneficial relationships is the key to networking effectively.

Key #4: An Open Connection Architecture
This element isn’t unique, but it is valuable. While some social networking sites restrict access to other members of their communities, Perfect Networker actively encourages this by making it extremely easy to find other ‘like-minded’ and/or ‘potentially valuable’ people to connect with online.

“In the end,” said Glenn, “a social network – be it online or offline, is simply a means to an end . . . much like a highway . . . it can connect you with all sorts of wonderful places and people . . . but you need to know how to use that highway . . . you need to know where you want to go . . . you need a means of transportation to make the best use of it. In short, just because a social network exists doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to use it to get wherever you want to be going . . . in your life or your business”.

He’s right.

Glenn, Mac and Ken are creating a truly unique (remember the definition?) online community here. It’s young. It’s growing. It will have some ‘pains’ as it grows. That’s to be expected.

What I didn’t expect (but find extremely heartening!) is that they really and truly get ‘it’.

They understand the secret to realizing value from any social network is to be a good citizen of that community, pro-actively reach out to others and seek to build relationships before transactions as a way to build revenues. Their site reflects this. Their actions support it. They are truly practicing what they’re teaching to their members. Refreshing!

Do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. I think you’ll be as pleasantly surprised at this nascent undertaking in the growing social networking arena as I am.

About Perfect Networker
Founded by Glenn Garnes, Mac Cassity and Ken Rochon, this site helps people grow revenues in their business and value in their lives by focusing on building valuable relationships with others by design, not accident. To learn more go to: www.perfectnetworker.com or call Glenn Garnes at: (800) 306-6488.

Bill Doerr, CCO of SellMore Marketing, LLC is the creator of The Preferral Prospecting System™,


The Expert Directory™, The Client Machine™ and The Ultimate Client Development System™.

Bill uses these services to 
help service providers build their business by leveraging relationships and generating more introductions to new business. You can reach Bill by phone at: 860-798-6964, online: www.sellmoremarketing.com or www.getnewclientsnow.com by 
email: billd@sellmoremarketing.com or through the TNNW Blog: http://thenationalnetworker.blogspot.com

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Social Networking with a Delightful Twist!

When a Referral . . . Isn’t The Best Thing You Can Get

By Bill Doerr, Sales & Marketing Editor

Executive Summary

Referrals are highly desired but equally challenging to obtain for several possible reasons. An alternative – a Preferral – can be equally valuable to your bottom line but far easier to generate. What these are, why you’ll want to generate them for yourself in 2008 and how to do that is what you’re about to learn.

The Problem with Referrals

What? How can there be any problem with referrals except not getting enough of them? Actually, as good as referrals can be, they aren’t without their problems. I offer their relative scarcity in many service businesses or professional practices as ‘proof’ of that claim.

Why Too Many People Are Getting Too Few Referrals

1. We Don’t Ask / Don’t Know How To Ask

Why? A lack of skill in asking for referrals. We’re all clear on the objective but we come up short on the methods and skills needed to actively generate referrals on a regular basis.

2. It’s Painful When We Ask

We fail to ask for referrals consistently. That’s a symptom, not the underlying cause. The underlying cause behind not asking for referrals is often the frustration you experience when you ask for but don’t get the referrals you want. Think about it. If you’re not getting them, you – just like the white rats in B. F. Skinner’s psychology labs – will get frustrated. And frustration – a ‘negative reinforcement’ is a powerful motivator to avoid doing the very behavior – asking for referrals – that might produce the result you want. Think about ‘cold calling’. Same difference! It’s classic reinforcement theory in everyday practice.

3. People Honestly Don’t Know Who Needs Us

Most of us aren’t psychic. So people don’t always know someone who may need you. In fact, the very people who may benefit the most from what you do often don’t reveal their need or desire for the benefits you offer to the very people who could refer you to them. So they don’t. And, in the end, everyone loses out in the process.

4. People Aren’t Comfortable Judging Others

Finally, most people are extremely uncomfortable making a subjective judgment that their friends, family, business associates, etc. are somehow ‘broken’ or ‘needy’. Even if they’re right, there’s a lot of emotional baggage that comes with making that kind of judgment about someone they know. That’s another type of ‘negative reinforcement’. So guess what? People look at you and say, “Gee, I can’t think of anyone right now . . . but I’ll be glad to call you if I find someone who may need you, OK?”

These four factors make it difficult for other people to help you identify and connect with people they know who, given the right circumstances, may want to know you and possibly utilize your services to enjoy the beneficial difference you can create in their lives with your problem-solving expertise.

An alternative, known as a ‘Preferral’ is easier to obtain and, over time, offers more value.

What IS a ‘Preferral’?

A Preferral is a preferred introduction . . . made by someone you know to someone they know . . . who possesses one or more characteristics that your ‘best clients’ have in common. A Preferral enables you to leverage the influence and prestige (i.e. goodwill) of the person you know in common . . . until you can earn your ‘stripes’ on your own.

Why Preferrals Are Easier To Get Than Referrals

As an introduction, a Preferral doesn’t impose any burden on someone to either know someone who needs you or to make a subjective judgment that maybe they do. That alone takes care of 50% of the main reasons why most people aren’t generating enough referrals.

Also, an introduction is definitely easier to ask for than a referral. And therein lies the secret to making the behavior of asking for a way to connect with the ‘right’ kind of people . . . far less emotionally painful.

For example, let’s say I know someone you’d like to meet. Which approach do you think would be more effective . . .

“Bill, I know you know Mike Peterson. Would you refer me to him? I’d like to see if he needs my services”.

“Bill, I know you know Mike Peterson. If we were at Chilies having lunch and Mike stopped by our table on his way out, would you introduce me to him?”

It’s pretty obvious that getting an introduction to someone is more likely to be successful than getting a referral to them. That’s positive reinforcement for the very behavior that you need to do to generate the results you want, isn’t it?

Asking for an introduction to someone who possesses one or more visible characteristics, makes it easier to help you meet people someone else knows that you’d like to know, too.

For example, one of my clients is a financial planner who works with people who have a significant net worth. She’s found that a ‘visible characteristic’ that’s quite common among the ‘best clients’ she has is that they own some big boats. So she asks potential Preferrers – the connectors who can introduce her to people they know that she’d like to know – this question: “Tom, do you know anyone who owns a boat that’s AT LEAST 42’ or bigger?” The other person will either say, “Yes, I do” or, “No, I don’t”. If they don’t, she doesn’t have to pursue the matter because they couldn’t connect her to someone she wants if their life depended on it. But, if they said, “Yes, I do” . . . then she can ask for an introduction to that person. Again, that’s far easier on her and far more likely to produce the result she wants – an introduction . . . a connection . . . to someone she’d like to meet under the most favorable conditions possible.

Why You Must Think Strategically To Use Preferrals To Grow Your Revenues

In order to commit to seeking introductions to people who possess one or more visible characteristics (to avoid the need to be psychic or judge how needy someone may be) you must see the ‘BIG Picture’ – the ‘forest for the trees’ so to speak.

By that I mean you must understand that meeting people by introduction means you’ll usually meet them when they have ‘no need’ for what you do . . . at the time you first meet. But sooner or later, they will. And, if they don’t know you BEFORE they need to, how in the world will they ever find you when they want to?

So, if you’re meeting people who share characteristics in common with the kind of people who will, sooner or later, develop a ‘need-to-know’ for the benefits you offer then you must be willing to build a relationship with them. That takes time and effort. Usually before they become your client.

That implies using a ‘client cultivation’ plan. That demands time. And, a commitment to ‘stay the course’ with someone who ‘looks good’ but may not be ‘hot’ . . . at the moment.

And just as surely as the farmer knows that planting good seeds in good soil then watering and weeding and feeding them will probably produce a ‘harvest’ before too long, you can be confident that doing the same thing with the right kind of people – the seeds of your future success – will bear equally sweet fruit for you and your business.

A Final Thought: Polar Bears Have a Strategy You Should Follow

Referrals will always be preferable to Preferrals because referrals are ‘hot’ opportunities. Unfortunately, you don’t control who is ‘hot’ for your services or, when they’ll be ‘hot’. People will develop a need when they decide they have a need-to-know, not you.

But you do have control over if, when and how you’ll ask others for introductions to the kind of people who, sooner-or-later, are likely to develop a need for your services.

And, because you’re meeting people – the ‘right’ kind of people – through an introduction rather than a crisis – they’re probably not going to be ‘hot’ to act -- when you first meet.

But take a lesson from the polar bears. They live if they eat. And seals are their main food. Seals are mammals and they need air to breath. So polar bears find the air holes in the ice where their ‘meals’ surface periodically to breath. Unfortunately for the seals, sooner or later a polar bear is waiting for them and that’s that.

The lesson here is that if you find a ‘good hole’ . . . if you’re meeting the right kind of person for your particular expertise or services . . . stay put! Cultivate that relationship so that you become a ‘preferred provider’ to that person.

The polar bears know that ‘sooner-or-later’ their patience will have a payoff. They’ll eat. They’ll survive. Chasing from one hole to the next will only exhaust the bear and, absent incredibly good timing, produce little or no food for the bear.

So I hope you will consider this seasonal ‘gift’ from me to you . . .

Celebrate every referral that comes your way. Reward the people who give them to you to reinforce their referring behavior in the future.

But also seek Preferrals. Seek introductions to people you want to know through people you both know in-common.

And if you want to know how to do this truly effectively . . . please accept my offer to download an informative Special Report on this topic from my website.

Happy Holidays and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year!

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Bill Doerr, CCO of SellMore Marketing, LLC is the creator of The Preferral Prospecting System®,
The Expert Directory® and The Ultimate Client Development System™. Bill uses these programs to
help service providers build their business by leveraging relationships and generating more referrals.
You can reach Bill by phone at: 860-798-6964, online: www.sellmoremarketing.com or by
email or by the TNNW Blog: http://thenationalnetworker.blogspot.com

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When a Referral . . . Isn’t The Best Thing You Can Get

Relationship Building 101 – Basic Training for Business Success

By Bill Doerr, Sales & Marketing Editor Bill's Bio Email article to a friend

I recently spoke with Matthew Scott. Matthew is a ‘professional growth coach’ who helps people grow revenues for their business professionally and meaning for their lives personally. An accomplished entrepreneur who’s sold more than one company he’s built from scratch for a few good coins, I spoke with him during a recent meeting of Duct Tape Marketing Authorized Coaches in Kansas City. I asked him to talk with me on the topic of how he builds relationships that build his business. What I got from talking with Matthew was quite revealing . . . and valuable. Enjoy!
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Relationship Building 101 – Basic Training for Business Success

Marketing Services Isn’t About Pushing Products Off Shelves!

By Bill Doerr, TNNW Sales & Marketing Editor

Which of the following comments made by small business owners and professional service providers can you relate to:

"I don’t like marketing myself."

"I’m not good at marketing myself."

"I find going to networking events painful."

"I have letters after my name . . . I shouldn’t have to market my services."

Can you relate?

These sentiments are common. They’re understandable. But, they’re not acceptable! At least not if you intend to grow your reputation, revenues and business.

In today’s highly competitive, over-crowded world of services marketing, being ‘professional’ is a minimum expectation to get into and stay in business. Beyond that, you must also become known to and regarded by the kind of people who can best appreciate the beneficial difference you make in the life of a client.

That’s where marketing your services comes in. And, since you’re not pushing a product off of the shelves in a retail environment, your methodology must be aligned with this reality: your marketing reflects the quantity and the quality of the relationships you develop with people who can help you grow your business or professional practice. Like who? Well, certainly clients. Definitely your centers-of-influence. Probably most of your prospective clients, too.

OK, "How?"

Here’s a simple four (4) keys you can use to help you build share of mind and, as a result, share of market for yourself and your valuable, problem-solving services.

KEY 1: Seek Introductions . . . as well as referrals.

I work exclusively with professional service providers in accounting, financial services, business consulting, etc. and almost everyone in service fields like those finds it difficult to ask people – even their clients – for ‘a referral’.

Certainly, there’s the issue of being rejected or ‘turned down’. Some of us learned how good that felt at a school dance during our formative years! But, however it’s learned, you have to recognize it’s likely to modify your referral requesting behavior. And while not having enough business is motivating, you know that avoiding the ‘pain’ of being rejected . . . can be even more powerful than achieving a ‘gain’, too.

The solution? Seek an introduction. It’s easier to ask for one. And, easier to obtain, too!

Why? Two factors. 1) people aren’t psychic. 2) people don’t like to judge their friends.

If you ask me for a ‘referral’ to ‘someone who needs your services’ I am forced to be psychic. How would I know if someone needs (or, cares about!) what you do?

For example, most people I know aren’t asking, "Gee Bill, do you know a good Chiropractor?" So if my Chiropractor asks me, "Bill, who do you know who might need to know a good chiropractor?" (which he is, by the way!), I might have that ‘deer in the headlights’ look and he might feel ‘rejected’ – which is a great way to de-motivate him from asking other people in the future. Nasty little cycle, isn’t it?

The problem with services marketing is that people who do need your problem-solving services aren’t wearing a ‘SEND HELP’ flag that the people who can best connect you with them are able to see.

Assume you’re financial planner. You ask me "Who do you know who could use my services?" Assume I also know, like and trust your professional abilities. So I ponder your question about who I know who needs a financial planner. One of my contacts is ‘Charlie’. Charlie’s possibly a candidate for you. His ‘other’ car is a Mercedes, right? But if anything, that makes me pass over Charlie as a possible ‘person who needs you’.

Yet, ironically, he may be the BEST contact I know who could (and, maybe should!) value the benefits of a good planner. But I wouldn’t think of telling you about Charlie because I’m making a judgment that he doesn’t appear to have a need to know about you. And guess what –– I could be completely wrong. But you’ll never know because you asked me for a ‘referral’ rather than an introduction to meet "someone I know whose ‘other car’ is a Mercedes"

Don’t make someone have to be a psychic or make a judgment about whether someone needs your services . . . to help you meet new client opportunities.

KEY 2: Recognize that someone isn’t likely to need you . . . when you first meet each other.

Most of the professional services providers I know seem to ignore a critical fact. That people who need their services – actually the benefits they provide – don’t develop a need for them all the time. So whenever you initially connect with someone, it’s a good idea to presume two things:

1. they probably don’t need your services . . . at that moment, and
2. given enough time they will . . . in the future. Probably repeatedly, too.

So it’s important that you take a strategic vs. a tactical approach and plan to ‘be there’ when they’re ready . . . and assume it’s not likely to be the same day you meet them.

Marketing is, by it’s nature, a strategic process. Selling is a tactical activity. Keep that in mind and you’ll develop the patience you need to grow your business or practice by design, not accident!

KEY 3: Have a plan in place to ‘keep-in-touch’ and ‘stay-in-mind’ . . . before you need it.

OK, you find yourself talking with someone who, if not ‘now’, will likely need what you do at some point in the future. If so, you need a way to keep-in-touch to stay-in-mind or that person’s future value may be lost to you and harvested by someone else.

At a minimum, a basic plan – a KITSIM (keep-in-touch-stay-in-mind) plan – should allow you to do the following:

• Immediately: send a personal note to acknowledge your connection
• Monthly: send some brief information about the receiver, not about you
• Quarterly: call the person to ‘touch base’ and ‘see what’s happening’

Get off to a ‘good start’ . . . keep-in-touch repeatedly, regularly, respectfully . . . and soon enough . . . you’ll be harvesting the seeds of opportunity you’ve been cultivating.

KEY 4: Delegate / Automate the process of keeping-in-touch . . . as much as possible.

As good as any plan is, it’s of no value unless / until it’s being used on your behalf.

Perhaps the most frequently cited challenge I hear from service providers is that, while they may feel they know what to do, when to do it, with whom, where and why . . . the HOW to do it is that elusive element that can prevent them from realizing their goals.

So, if you’re able to delegate the key actions of a KITSIM plan to an assistant, great.

If not, automate your KITSIM plan using some kind of software. More and more of this kind of software is being developed and, if you’re seeking some suggestions, I have a good buddy who’s pretty adept at putting plans into play using the latest software of the day. If you’d like to contact him, give me a call – 860-798-6964.

So there you go . . . marketing your services isn’t like pushing products . . . but it still requires a plan and your commitment to carry it out.

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Bill Doerr, CCO of SellMore Marketing, LLC is the creator of The Preferral Prospecting System®,
The Expert Directory® and The Ultimate Client Development System™. Bill uses these programs to
help service providers build their business by leveraging relationships and generating more referrals.
You can reach Bill by phone at: 860-798-6964, online: www.sellmoremarketing.com or by
email: billd@thenationalnetworker.com or by the TNNW Blog: http://thenationalnetworker.blogspot.com

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Marketing Services Isn’t About Pushing Products Off Shelves!