Maverick and Company

This month I want to tell you a little story and a not so little secret about referrals.  I call this story, The Attorney & The Frog.

Once upon a time there was an attorney who lived in a magical place called “Chicago.”  Our hero was a smart guy who knew that one of the simplest ways to build his business would be to develop referral partnerships.  Since he specialized in employment law, he wanted to develop a relationship with a criminal attorney.  Since neither did the work of the other, they’d be able to share business.

So our hero set out on a quest to find a criminal attorney with whom he could share referrals and live happily ever after.

He first came upon a very smart criminal attorney who was part of a very prestigious firm.  He was willing to meet with our hero and happy to send referrals back and forth.

One problem… the criminal attorney seemed rather stuffy to our hero.  He didn’t seem to find our hero’s jokes very funny.  While a very nice man and probably a very good attorney, our hero often thought, “he has the personality of a frog.”

So the situation was not ideal but what could our hero do?  He needed a good criminal attorney and wanted the wonderful referrals.  Yet when he thought about getting together with “the frog,” he cringed.  He felt tired.  He could not make himself be excited.

Our hero sat in the woods pondering his dilemma.  “I just have to suck it up,” he said to himself. “This is what professionals do.  It’s called NETWORKING.”

Luckily a passing fairy overheard him.  Unlike most fairies, this one had on a black suite and a pair of wickedly sharp high heels.  (She was very, very beautiful.)

“You don’t HAVE to work with people you don’t like you know.  You could look for a criminal attorney who is both a qualified PROFESSIONAL and has a desirable PERSONALITY.”

“Huh,” said our hero.  “I hadn’t thought of that.”

So our fairy went on to teach our hero one of the greatest secrets to referral partnerships:

If you don’t like the people you partner with, developing and maintaining a relationship will suck and you’ll do it less and less or not at all.

If, alternately, you partner with people who you do like, you’ll find it easy, you’ll do more of it, you’ll get more referrals to clients you’ll love too.

(For this service our hero gave the fairy many thanks and much praise and a heavy bag of gold coins.)

So our hero went out again, resolved to find a criminal lawyer he could stand and even enjoy hanging out with.  He found one and they went on to pass many referrals and even occasionally get together with their wives for margaritas on our hero’s back patio.  Truly, they lived HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

The End

The morale of the story, develop referral partnerships with people you really like, people who are also you CHOIR and you’ll get more done and get better referrals.

Also, pay the fairy well.  Ha ha!  No seriously.

If you’re wishing for a bit of your own magic when it comes to referrals, check out this month’s classes and put the magic fairy to work in your business.  Visit our Classes & Books page at www.maverickandcompany.com

FRUSTRATION

I had a chance to meet with a well-intentioned service provider yesterday.  He’d just been to a long meeting with two potential clients who turned out to have very little potential at all.

“They just don’t understand,” he said.  “They really have no idea what it will take to do this project successfully and they couldn’t see how I might be able to provide value.”

It doesn’t really matter which service in particular this person provides.  The truth is he could be selling legal services, or accounting, or finance or interior design.  His clients couldn’t see the value and he couldn’t help them see it without sounding like a pushy jerk.

EDUCATION

One of the MOST EFFECTIVE but LEAST UTILIZED secret to selling services is EDUCATION.

People hire service providers like lawyers and event planners and interior designers precisely BECAUSE they have an expertise that those clients do not.  Unfortunately, that often also means there is also a lot they need to know about how to hire someone like you.

• How much does a good painter charge?
• How do I tell if the CPA I’m thinking of hiring is a good one?
• Do you pay an event planner by the hour?  How much?

There are typically two types of prospective clients we find most frustrating.  One kind is just not your CHOIR.  They don’t get it because they never will.

Another type however are the great people who don’t get it because they’ve never gotten educated.  There is a lot they don’t know…often starting with how to find someone like you, how to evaluate you before the hire you and how much they should be paying for someone like you.

They might actually be GREAT clients but you’ll never know if you don’t take the time to educate them.

You may think  selling a service is tough…but try buying one.  It’s hard to feel confident about the decisions you’re making when you don’t have at least a basic education about what you’re buying.

THE GOOD NEWS

The good news in all this is that the problem is also a very effective solution.

They are missing knowledge.

You have it.

GIVE IT TO THEM!!!

WHAT TO DO

Take the time to create documents that explain how things work in your industry.  Take the time to write up a page or two on the different types of people who have a title like yours and where you fit in as far as experience, expertise, and even price.  Do a bit of research and put together a short write-up of standard pricing in your industry.  Do the work to give your clients that basic background knowledge.

If you can’t write it yourself, see if someone else already has.  Gather some resources and display them on your website or give them away prior to your first meeting.

Some specific ideas to get you started EDUCATING your potential clients all the way to the bank:

• 10 Top Mistakes People Make When Hiring a
• 5 Smart Things to Remember When Hiring a
• How Much Should a Cost?
• A Guide to Hiring a
• All Are NOT Created Equal
• 7 Surprising Things About Working with a
• Ten Tips for Finding a GREAT

These can be simple articles that you use on your website, post on your blog, submit to a magazine, or offer to email a new contact.  However you deliver them, they should all have a note at the bottom with your contact information and a short blurb about your services.

Remember:  Take the time to teach your clients how to buy services like yours and you’ll find that many more of them actually buy those services…FROM YOU.

Good News!  We’re launching several great courses to help you get good at finding good clients.  If you missed out on 60 Second Commercials 101 or Referrals 101 we’ll be offering those AGAIN as well as two BRAND NEW courses:  Identify Your CHOIR and Leads Group Strategies (a 3 hour workshop.)  Visit the Classes & Books page on our website for all the latest.

Most people I talk with think that MOST of their referral sources KNOW:

• What they do
• How to talk about it
• Who to talk to (your CHOIR)

Most people are wrong.

Ask yourself, how good are your friends, colleagues and clients and understanding and communicating your value?  This one little question can tell you a lot about why you get the referrals you get now and how to get more.

If I asked 10 of your people what you do and WHO you do it for (your CHOIR), would I get 10 different answers?  Would I even get the right answers?  Would they know what you do but not who to talk to?  Would they know WHO but say the wrong thing?

Selling services can be a complex thing, ESPECIALLY when it can be hard to answer these questions for ourselves.  It’s critical to answer these questions well and specifically and even more so to educate your fan club.

If your “fan club” of potential referral sources

can’t talk about what you do or isn’t talking to the right people,

you’re MISSING OUT ON GOOD REFERRALS

AND GREAT CLIENTS.

Make sure you take the time to figure out who you really work with, create simple ways of explaining your WHO to other people and make SURE that you take the time to TRAIN YOUR FAN CLUB so they can spot your future clients and connect you to them.

SPECIFICALLY:

• Don’t Assume…they know what you do.  You’d be surprised how wrong they often get it.  Don’t take it for granted that even clients who have done work with you, even multiple times, are really clear about who you work with and why, often, they are NOT.

• Ask…go out of your way to find out how they describe you, who they think you work with and why.  The best way is to simply ASK the people you hope would send you referrals.  Amazingly, many people are willing to ask for referrals but shy about asking how people describe them, who they think they work with and so on.

• Go Basic…keep it super simple for everyone involved.  Don’t try to teach everyone about every single thing you do.  Make sure you focus on one or two key things with each potential referral source.  Trust me, they’ll often have a hard enough time remembering one basic service and client.  Overwhelming them with ALL the stuff you do is a great way to get NOTHING.

Remember, it’s YOUR JOB to educate your fan club.  If you don’t do your job, don’t assume they know who to connect you to and don’t assume you’ll get the referrals.  The one little question is:

Do you potential referral sources REALLY know

what specifically you do,

how to talk about that service

and who to talk to?

If they don’t, your job it to give them the answers to that question, remind them when they forget and repeatedly supply them with stories that reinforce the message.  Do THAT and you’ll find yourself happily receiving more great referrals.

If you could use some extra help training your fan club, make sure to check out Referrals 101 live in Denver on April 15^th or via webinar on April 21^st.  Click here for more details and to get registered.

REFERRAL Myth’s, Oddities, & Contradictions

Referrals are a widely misunderstood phenomenon.

• We think that trust is key to getting referrals, yet sometimes we refer people we barely know.
• We believe that if we do a good job we will earn referrals from our customers but often our best work produces no referrals.
• We tell ourselves we could get more business if we just did a better job of keeping in touch.  So we send out a flood of postcards and Christmas cards and newsletters and yet the referrals only trickle in.
• We see some people get LOTS of referrals, despite providing the same level of service, or perhaps even a lower level and we wonder why OUR phone doesn’t ring more.

Beyond the myths and mysteries are some simple strategies that can ACTUALLY help you consistently get more referrals.

(more…)

NO SMALL THING

Words are no small thing. A perfect phrase can stick in your brain, can inspire you, can round up the troops and put out fires. A perfect phrase can change everything. With just over 700 words, Abraham Lincoln turned the public health hazard, the field littered with dead bodies, the horror outside Gettysburg into a turning point of the war.

YOUR WORDS

A simple 60 second commercial might not be quite so simple if it connects you to your biggest client or a lifetime of referrals. Taking the time to find the right words, investing the money to buy the right words if necessary can pay off over and over and over.

FAMOUS EXAMPLES

Consider for a minute some of these famous phrases and how different they could have been. “I have a dream.” Martin Luther King OR “Hey guys, I’ve been thinkin’.” “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” FDR OR “Suck it up you pansies.” “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind OR “Whatever, I’m outta here.” “Give me liberty or give me death.” Patrick Henry OR “Suck it England.”

WORDS MATTER

Make sure you take the time to create words that work as hard as you do. It isn’t about being perfect, but a perfect turn of phrase can make all the difference.

ONE LAST THING

Talk is cheap.Great talk is priceless. And a great 60 second commercial will cost you about 50 bucks. If you’d like to get some great talk of your own, please check out our upcoming classes at www.maverickandcompany.com

We all want to be remembered so we can be referred.  We want to stand out in their memory.  But the smartest way to do this is to first focus on fitting in. Ever notice that there are certain people you just click with?  Certain people who seem to like you and you seem to like them, almost from the get go?  There are some people on this planet that you don’t have to work hard to connect with.

These are what I call your Blue Fish people.  There is something about them, something about you, that just goes together.  When you find these people they tend to stand out in your memory…almost like a Blue Fish in a sea of Red Roses.

If you want to stand out, be remembered and get referred, I recommend you start by seeking out the people who you have that click with…your Blue Fish people.  It’ll be easy to connect with them.  It’ll be easier for them to remember you.  And because you do have that friendly connection, they’re more likely to refer you.  AND because their connections are probably a lot like them, their connections are likely to be more Blue Fish people, people you will naturally connect with as well. Don’t try to impress everyone.

Don’t try to be remembered by everyone.  And CERTAINLY do not seek referrals from everyone.  Find your Blue Fish people, the places where you fit in.  It is there you are most able to Stand Out and reap the rewards of doing so.

A few weeks ago I received an email invitation to a launch party for a BNI group.  BNI, Business Networking International, is a great organization with lots of chapters all over the world, and oodles of dedicated members who pass millions of referrals.  In general they do a great job of providing businesses and sales people with good training and a good set-up to build relationships with new referral sources.  In general, I am a fan. Specifically, the series of interactions I had with the person inviting me were a case study in how NOT to invite people to events you’d actually like them to attend.  Which brings us back to that first email. 

1. It was a generic email…which is NOT a problem.  It contained NO personal reference at ALL which IS a problem.  Primarily this is a problem because I had no idea who the person sending the email was.  I meet lots of people and maybe everyone else on her list knew her name immediately but I did not.
2. I received a second email about a week later. Good on the follow up, again bad because I didn’t want the email to begin with, had no idea who was sending it or how I might have met them and therefor the series of communications is now, technically, SPAM.
3. I write a very polite, very nice response letting the sending know I had been a member of a BNI chapter a few years ago and was not currently interested.  I also said I couldn’t remember how we had met and asked her to please remove me from her mailing list.  I added that I wished her great success with her new group. SHE NEVER RESPONDED. This was her big chance to actually communicate with me, build a relationship with me.  She could have apologized, asked questions, asked if there was anyone else I’d like to send, never explained how we knew each other…nothing.
4. Today, the coup de grace. I receive a phone call from a person who sounds like they’re two minutes away from falling asleep or comitting suicide who tells me she’s with a company that sent me an invitation to a BNI meeting.  She could not be LESS enthusiastic about talking to me or her group.  Worse than going thru the motions, she actually sounds like she’s so bored she’s in pain.  I politely inform her that I had received a couple of emails, one of which I’d responded to saying I was formerly a member and not interested in joining at this time.  She then says, “O.k. thanks,” AND HANGS UP. I know we’re all guilty of skipping a couple of steps in the interest of saving time but a couple of hints: 1. As email has become more and more widely USED, it has become more and more widely ABUSED which leads to less use.  A mass email used to have some pull, not anymore.  Any communication will go a LOT further if you can be specific, talk directly to me and at least fill in any missing information about how we know each other.  Adding a detail or two to a generic email means that yes, you sent a generic email but you also gave enough of a damn to tweak it for ME.  The least I can do is read it for you. I once watched an insurance salesman send out 500 personally signed Christmas cards, not a single one of which contained a personal message.  Better strategy, send out 50 with a personal note.  They’ll actually get read, you’ll actually forward those relationships and you’ll save at least one tree and and a bunch of stamps. 2. Respond to any response communication. It’s an opening you worked hard to create, make sure you USE it. 3. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, at least be interested in your own invitation!  If you don’t care, why should I?  You don’t have to jump up and down like a cheerleader on speed, but you could at least be interested in talking to me, somewhat happy, excited about your own event, your life, your phone, the possibility of caffeine in your future.  Sound alive…please.

Invitations are powerful tools for building relationships.  Even if people don’t accept them, it’s a real reason to be in touch, to communicate their value to you, to be on the lookout for what might benefit them…all things that help solidify their connection to you. As with all powerful things however, you must use your power for good and not evil.  Used carelessly, a badly made invitation can do a lot of damage to your relationships and reputation. Invite well and prosper.

Remember, even though people may be spending more carefully, plenty of them are still SPENDING.  One of the best ways to make sure the people who SHOULD become your clients actually BECOME your clients is to get smarter about referrals. Most people think that if they do a good job and know enough people, they’ll get referrals.  But you know lots of great people that you may have NEVER given a referral to.  While I can’t teach you every secret about getting more referrals right here, I can let you in on one of the simplest, MOST EFFECTIVE secrets for REFERRAL RESULTS.

STORIES For a very long time human beings communicated and remembered information primarily through stories.  And even now with our books and directories and our Google, the number one way people transmit and REMEMBER information is through STORIES. This is important because if you want referrals, people will have to remember you and what you do.  STORIES can quickly and easily make you memorable, likable, and trustworthy.  Perhaps even more importantly, a good story can make it SUPER EASY to refer you.

A Quick Case Study: THE MORTGAGE GUY A mortgage guy I know once asked me to take a quick peak at his marketing materials.  I started by asking him to tell me what 3 things he’d want people to know and remember him for in the referral process.  He, like many of you, was trying to let customers know he had integrity.  Unfortunately, that word, by itself, doesn’t work very well.  When pushed, he gave me the perfect example of how he has integrity.  He told me the following story: “This couple came to me for a second mortgage.  I spent a couple of hours with them, looking at their entire financial picture.  In the end, it didn’t really make sense for them to take out a second mortgage and I told them so.” This STORY is brilliant.  He can tell his referral sources to talk about his integrity but in one simple, fast story he can make sure they know it.  More importantly, it’s an easy story for them to tell to potential referrals.  When you make it EASY for people to refer to you, you DRAMATICALLY increase the odds of them doing so.

BONUS ROUND: For those of you who want to go past being a rock star and become a referral ninja, look at some simple edits I taught him. “A few months ago one of my clients referred her sister to me. They were a really nice couple who wanted to take out a second mortgage.  I sat down with them and talked to them about their overall financial picture–that’s important to do because a house is most people’s single biggest financial investment.  I spent a couple of hours with them and ultimately recommended they NOT take out the second mortgage.  I showed them some other options that made more sense for them.  So I actually didn’t make any money working with them but I believe in looking out for people.  That’s the way my dad did it and I think it’s one of the reasons people do refer me.  They know I’ll do the right thing with their people.”

The reality is that both of these examples work just fine.  Remember, your goal here is to train people to refer you AND make it easy for them to do that.  So I added some specific elements.

1. Be specific where you can.  If Mary referred you, talk about Mary.  It humanizes you and adds credibility.  Obviously a mortgage broker has to protect confidentiality but he can talk about a sister.
2. If your story includes a referral, make sure you say so.  It helps train people to think of you as someone people REFER frequently.
3. Add an extra nugget.  The focus of this story is that this particular mortgage guy will give up a deal for himself if it’s the right thing to do for the client.  We added a couple of extra nuggets.  You don’t want to tell a 20 minute story.  Simple is important.  But a couple extra QUICK nuggets put some very important ideas into the story.  Our first one is that he spent time looking at their entire financial picture.  Lots of mortgage guys might not do that.  It’s something that is different about him.  Second, we added the piece about his dad.  It’s TRUE, it humanizes him and helps people know that he’s from the old school, a highly desirable quality, especially in this industry.
4. Reinforce why people refer you.  At the end, we wrap it all up and bottom line it for people.  He’s a good person to refer because he not only says he’ll take care of people, he does it–EVEN WHEN it means he’ll lose a deal. Odds are YOU will remember this story. You might even tell it to someone else.  You might even want to refer someone you know to this broker (Jeff Aronheim)

What stories are you giving your fan club about you?

The MAVERICK GUIDE to GETTING MORE REFERRALS is being pre-sold at a HUGE DISCOUNT right now.  It’ll be out on April 15th.  Order your copy today and start working  A LOT smarter.  Your network likes you and knows people who should work with you.  Do you know how to connect the dots so their REFERRALS become YOUR CLIENTS?  For more information and to pre-order visit www.maverickandcompany.com and go to the CLASSES & BOOKS tab–get ‘em while they’re hot.

O.k. kids, lets have some fun.  You’re great.  People love you.  You do good work.  So how come you’re not getting referrals?

The 3rd Party Problem:  Let’s say you have a client or contact who WANTS to send you referrals.  You’re the 1st Party, your client is the 2nd party and their connections represent the 3rd Party.  Between you and their connections is a giant wall that I call the 3rd Party Problem.  It’s a barrier made up of two basic problems that keep them from connecting you to that 3rd Party.

Problem #1: EVERYBODY = NOBODY  Unless you tell people SPECIFICALLY who your clients are, they have no way to differentiate between the people they should be talking to about you and EVERYBODY.  Therefore, they see a big pack but do NOT see your potential clients.

Problem #2: WHAT TO SAY  Provided your people, by luck or your brilliant referral cultivation strategy, have figured out WHO to talk to about you…they next have to figure out WHAT TO SAY.  They’ve got to come up with something clear and simple and compelling to make the connection between you and that 3rd party.  Considering that most people can’t do this for themselves, what are the odds your 2nd party people will figure out how to do it for YOU?

More specific solutions to come, for now, consider: How can I make it easier for my contacts to recognize WHO they should refer me to? What would I want them to say if they happened to know the perfect client for me? ULTIMATELY you getting referrals is your responsibility.  The more work you make them do, the less likely you are to get results and referrals.  They’ve got other stuff to take care of.  Make it easy for people to send you new business and you’ll be a lot more likely to get it.

Need some help developing your own REFERRAL STRATEGY?  This month’s (March 2009) SCREAMIN’ DEAL is a $50 First Hour.  Get your FIRST hour of help for ONLY $50!  Contact me at info@maverickandcompany.com regarding scheduling.