Saturday, January 9, 2016

Referring best women speakers

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

86% of Companies with B2B Referral Program See Growth, Study Says

Great article by Shubhomita Bose is a staff writer for Small Business Trends Jan 5, 2015
(Tx Michael Doyle for the referral)

What’s the best way to boost sales and acquire new customers?

Marketing-led referral programs that are supported by relevant technology, says a new study (PDF). In fact, 84 percent of B2B decision makers start the buying process with a referral.

Heinz Marketing surveyed 600 B2B professionals from across North America to understand the impact of formal referral programs on sales pipeline growth and revenue acceleration. It found that “referrals convert better, close faster and have a higher lifetime value than other types of leads.”

Key Highlights

The study reveals a number of useful insights about B2B referral programs.

It has found that the most successful organizations:

Have a formal referral program in place.
Have referral programs managed primarily by marketing.
Use tools or software specifically for referrals.

It also reveals that:

71 percent of companies with referral programs report higher conversion rates.
B2B companies are three-times more likely to reach their revenue targets when the marketing department has primary responsibility for a formalized referral program, or when referral tools or software are used.
Formal referral programs help B2B companies generate two-times more high-quality referrals.

Fewer Companies Have a Formalized Referral Program in Place

Despite realizing the many benefits of a marketing-led referral program in boosting sales and marketing, only 30 percent of the surveyed B2B companies said they have a formalized referral program in place.

This is surprising because referral programs are not just nice to have; they are a key contributor to revenue growth. As the study finds, 86 percent of companies with formalized referral programs experienced revenue growth over the last two years, compared to only 75 percent without them.

Matt Heinz, President of Heinz Marketing Inc. says, “The findings of our research are clear: if you want to accelerate revenue growth, a referral program must be a key part of your strategy, marketing must own that program, and you should leverage technology to create a better referral process.”

Winning Big With Referral Programs

If you need a compelling reason to consider having a formalized referral program in place, consider this: 84 percent of B2B businesses start the buying process with a referral, according to Edelman Trust Barometer.

It goes without saying that engaging customers and giving them the incentive to refer your business can go a long way in strengthening your sales and marketing efforts.

Jim Williams, marketing vice president at Influitive, a company that also participated in the study, says, “The responsibility for generating referrals can’t rest solely on the shoulders of front-line sales reps. Simply asking individual prospects and clients for one-off referrals won’t get you to your revenue goals.”

He adds, “Instead, sales leaders must turn to their counterparts in marketing, who have the budget, creativity and technology to generate referral business at scale.”

SHUBHOMITA BOSE

Shubhomita Bose is a staff writer for Small Business Trends And a communications enthusiast. With more than 8 years of experience in B2B and B2C marketing communications, she’s adept at creating well-researched and compelling copy to bring brands closer to their target audience. Her interests lie in social media marketing, branding, creative conceptualization, world cinema, fiction and gastronomy.

http://smallbiztrends.com/2016/01/b2b-referrals.html

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

3 Ways to Get More Referrals for Your Business

December 15, 2015 • 26 Views • 4 Likes • 3 Comments

Statistically, there are no better clients, customers, or patients in business than those who are referred to you.

Referred clients come to you having been told by a third party that you are the person to contact. Essentially, the “selling” process has already been taken care of for you. The potential client is essentially looking for fulfillment on the promises made by the person who referred them. Your job is to live up to those expectations.

Another benefit of referrals is that they tend to be of higher average value than non-referred clients. There is less resistance to the prices you charge and more compliance with the process of handling the legal issue. This means more money and less stress for you.

It is obvious that more referrals for your practice is a good thing.

But there’s a secret to getting referrals that is often hidden from business owners. Most business owners have been taught, “Just do good work and the cases with come.” The idea is that you will get more cases over time as people refer more to you. That’s a pretty slow-moving train of success.

Instead of waiting for referrals to trickle in, you should be creating a steady stream of referred cases. Here are three ways for you to start generating more referrals for your practice:

Make Referrals Part of Your Culture– This isn’t a wishy-washy, happy-go-lucky concept. The idea here is to integrate language encouraging referrals into everything you do. New clients should know that you love getting referrals. Stationary you use could have a brief statement about how to refer a case to your office in the footer. Whenever you talk with another attorney, don’t forget to discuss referrals with them. Make referrals a highlighted part of your practice’s general existence. The more importance you give to referrals, the more referrals you will get thanks to how many opportunities you are creating to draw in more referrals.
Create an Email Specifically About Referrals– Try making contact with business owners in your area to build referral relationships. Email is a quick and easy way to open the lines of communication with people about referrals. Send it out to a group of business owners in your area (you can usually grab email addresses from their websites). Try sending 5-10 emails every week. If you give each one a custom feel by commenting on something you liked on the attorney’s website, you’ll score a few points as you try to establish the relationship. Make sure you follow up every few weeks until you start hearing back from your prospects.
Turn Referrals into a “Program”– Develop a step-by-step process that you can show to other business owners to really encourage referring clients to your practice. Include pieces such as how the referring attorney will be notified when you accept the case, how they will be updated, how you handle the ethics requirements, and how payment to the attorney will be handled if allowed in your state. Giving structure to what can often be a loose verbal agreement makes the referring attorney more confident in how you handle the process. Now you have your own “Program” for referrals at your office, which can be an impressive marketing tool.

The smartest choice you can make right now is to make the cultural shift.This shift will change the behavior of people in your office and will modify how others perceive you and your practice. You can move from occassional referrals to constant stream in short order just by being known as a practice that handles referrals professionally and responsibly.

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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

5 smart strategies to grow your executive network

From AustralianSuper Pty Ltd ABN 94 006 457 987

Google ‘networking’ and ‘CEO’, and you’re served up a plethora of events across the globe where C-suite executives have the opportunity to grow their professional network. It’s all very well to attend these events, but how do you get the most out of them and then continue to nurture the networks you build?

If you’re looking to deepen your professional network – and leverage the vast benefits that such relationships afford – here are five things to keep in mind.

1. Take the time to reach out

As an executive, you’ve no doubt got access to a strong network of professional peers – fellow board members, clients, investors, analysts and more. You need to take the initiative to keep these relationships current, which can be hard when your calendar is crowded with meetings and events. Don’t wait until you need something to reach out.

2. Find great matchmakers

We’re not talking about Greg Evans here. Your perfect match when it comes to networking may be your accountant or banker – someone who knows a lot of other people and can potentially introduce you to a valuable new business partner. This way, you can focus on managing your micro-network and they can cast a wider net for you.

3. Show your worth

In today’s fast-paced business environment, people are less likely to connect with you if you don’t have anything to offer them. If you’re confident that you want to connect with someone, make the first move by offering up support or advice to them. They will be much more likely to reciprocate down the track.

4. Use technology to your advantage

While nothing matches face-to-face meetings to strengthen relationships, technology is now a vital tool in the networking process. Many believe the gold standard for executive networking is LinkedIn. Here, you could find groups that are relevant to your business, participate in these groups and make relevant connections. You could also maintain connections via Twitter, or create a blog to share your learning with peers. Identify which tools work best for you, and use them to your advantage.

5. Remember, it’s not about selling

No matter what your agenda or why you want to connect with another professional, remember that networking is not about selling. You won’t get far if you try to push a product or service in front of another executive’s face. Instead, at the C-suite level, you should be building legitimate professional networks that are mutually beneficial – you really can help each other solve business problems.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

The "can we" manifesto - adapted from Mark and Pri...

he "can we" manifesto - adapted from Mark and Priscilla Zuckerberg ...: About Gratitude, Hope. Positivity and giving back Its all about Learning and Connecting - a dvancing human potential and prov...

Monday, November 30, 2015

How Financial Planners can get more referrals

But many financial professionals are not getting their share of referrals says Stan Mann

Why?

Mostly because they are not leveraging the most powerful marketing strategy for advisors – referrals.

According to the Schwab Report: "The fastest-growing advisors saw growth rise five times faster than all other firms because they excel at delivering "the client experience" and as a result get more referrals.”

These fast-growing firms generated an average of 36% more new clients from referrals than all other firms, said Jonathan Beatty, senior vice president of Schwab Advisor Services.

Beatty said the fastest growers understand their specific value proposition and ideal client profile, which makes them better able to generate more referrals through strong client relationships. "The client experience floats all the way through the system," he says.

The client experience is the key. The better your clients experience you, the more referable you are. It's not about asking for referrals. It's about being referable. Highly so.

You are probably already knocking yourself out giving superior service, catering to your client's whims and having client appreciation days. In fact, you might even have a reserved parking place for them when they visit your office. All of this is good stuff. But it’s not enough.

How to Be Highly Referable

Here's a little-known secret to make you highly referable. In addition to providing fabulous service, you also need to engage your clients. Take your very best clients and make them true partners by asking them how you can improve your practice. They will feel flattered and invested in your success. Do this individually and in groups. Create an advisory board and listen to what they say.

Not only will you give them a superior client experience, you'll get many valuable ideas to improve your practice.

Help Your Clients Refer You Ideal Clients

Now you have this loyal group of clients you have conditioned to want to help you. One of the best ways they can help you, course, is by giving you referrals. Not just any old referrals, but ideal referrals.

To be able to do this they need three things:

Knowledge of who the right prospects are for you,
An understanding of how to describe you and your services, and
Reassurance that it's safe for them to make the referral.

Identify Your Target Market
What type of people do you work with best and help the most? Do you target anybody nearing or at retirement age, or do you specialize in a specific occupation or profession? Let's use dentists as an example. If you work with dentists who are nearing or at retirement age, you are in a more powerful position because this group is easier to market to because they have similar values and interests. You can even get to know and use their jargon, which makes you more attractive and trustworthy in their eyes.

A less specific target market works well too. For instance, self-employed professionals would include dentists, doctors, accountants, and lawyers, to name a few. So if you're having a referral conversation with an ideal client, you can say something like, "the people I help best are self-employed professionals like you."

Write Your Ideal Client Profile

An effective referral building strategy includes clearly defining the specific characteristics and circumstances that make up your ideal client profile. Think about it: what type of people do you love to work with? What type of people are you in sync with? And how are your unique services geared to that type of client?

Clarifying your ideal client profile makes the referral process clear. Once you understand and have crafted your ideal client profile, it’s easy to reinforce with your current clients how they ARE ideal clients for you. And it’s natural for your clients to then recognize what a good fit your services are for them.

Having a written ideal client profile also helps you in many additional ways. It helps you focus and speak the language of a specific type of person. It helps you decide which networks to participate in and what marketing strategies to use. You'll be able to structure your whole financial service to serve your ideal client. And your ideal client will listen to you. It's like being able to call out to him/her by name in a crowded room. Your ideal client will be compelled to look at you and listen.

If you picture your ideal client in your mind's eye when you're writing your marketing material, it's much easier. You can write about their specific needs and desires. Define your ideal clients by examining these criteria:

Age, occupation or retirement status
Investable assets, socioeconomic group
Income
Education
Psychographics (values, motivations, problems, issues and aspirations)
Groups they belong to

When you've done this, take a fresh look at your ideal client and think of it him/her as your ideal prospect. This is the person you want to talk to. This is person you should network with. This is the person you educate. This is the person you write your value proposition to. This is the person you make your compelling offers to.

And this is the person you want your clients to refer.

So, when you're educating one of your special clients to refer to you, show her this ideal client profile.

Then educate her on what to say. Explain that you have a process for making referrals you'd like her to use.

Develop Your Value Proposition

It's important for your referring clients to understand why they should refer anyone to you in the first place. What's in it for her friend?

So, if you ever wondered why your client get a glazed look when you ask for referrals, it's because she doesn't know what's special about you; she doesn't understand what value you provide; and she doesn't know what clients you work best with. You're a generalist who does everything for everybody — just another advisor. You don't stand out from the crowd.

That's why, in addition to your ideal client profile, you need to show her your compelling value proposition.

If you don't have your value proposition yet, here's how to make one. Start with this exercise. Make a list of the benefits your services provide. Thoroughly review the challenges your clients are trying to solve. Describe which tools you provide and what decisions you help them make. Then boil this down to one or two concise sentences.

Always start your value proposition with your target market explaining the people you help and then describe the benefits you provide. The shorter you make this, the better.

For instance, my value proposition is: I help financial professionals get more profitable, high net worth, referrals.

If you'd like help creating your value proposition, you can get four easy fill-in-the-blanks value proposition templates here.

Lastly, you need to reassure your clients that it's safe to refer to you. She'll have no regrets because you promise to treat her friend with the utmost professionalism. Her friend will have a good experience. You will act as a sounding board and not as a salesman. You're offering a value-added service and her friend does not need to become a client to benefit from it.

Be sure and keep her in the loop and let her know what's going on without divulging inappropriate details. I find one of the big mistakes advisors make is to thank someone for a referral and that's the end of it. The referring party is kept in the dark. Not at all rewarding.

Summary

Follow these tips to make yourself highly referable and you get your share of the annuity sales bonanza.

Stan Mann

P.S. Exclusively for financial professionals.Discover my seven-step process for getting a steady flow of more profitable referrals.

http://www.stanmann.com/free-webinar-financial-advisors/

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Want more referrals?

Tips frim Rashid Kotwal

Had a call from a hypnotherapist. We’ll call her J.

J helps people quit smoking and gets great results. But she’s not getting any referrals. Either from past clients or other therapists. J wondered what was wrong and how could we help?

It’s a pretty common scenario. The vast majority of businesses don’t get a lot of referrals. No matter what they might tell you.

Your best source of referrals should be your clients. But they generally won’t refer even though you do a great job. Unless you give them the tools they need.

I needed to diagnose J’s issue and then prescribe a solution.

While specific situations differ, the principles are the same.

J gets results. 95% of the time one session with a client is all it takes.

“What happens after the session? Do you ever contact them to see how it went?”

“No. If they need another session they call me. But usually I never hear from them again.”

As a model, it sucks. A Customer buys once and then disappears into the sunset never to be heard from again.

Probing deeper, J mentioned clients who want to quit smoking often have other underlying issues she could work with.

This opens up possibilities to add services including weight loss as she already has a client’s trust.

This was my advice.

Move from one to three sessions.

Three or more touch points means a client gets familiar dealing with you which helps cement the relationship.

In J’s context it takes time for people to change major underlying patterns. Quitting smoking is considered to be one of the hardest addictions to beat. Three sessions allow J to spend more time with each client increasing the long term success rate.

Back to generating more referrals…

Plant the seed that you expect they’ll give you referrals. Explain that you build your business on recommendations from happy clients.

Have marketing material your clients can hand out on your behalf. Material which does the “selling” for you encouraging prospects to call. While your clients may sing your praises, nothing beats having something tangible to hand out.

Then follow your clients up.

Call them in a couple of days to see how they’re going. Are they happy? Did they get the outcome they wanted?

Have a newsletter with tips as well as success stories you can send out once a month. Then make a personal connection every 3 months or so. Gently remind them that you build your business on referrals so you keep on top of mind.

These principles apply to any business. It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling services or physical goods. The more you follow up, the more you show you care and the more your clients will reciprocate by giving you more business and referrals.

The key is to do it.

Want help generating more business? Call Rashid on 0414-913-334.

Referron is a great way to track, measure, reward and follow up referrals.

Www.referron.com

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