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June 01, 2010
The Simple Way to Network and Get Referrals
As a business owner, you’ll need to proactively reach out to potential clients to make offers and to marketing partners and other decision makers to create business opportunities.
The most important direct outreach you do might well be to other service professionals, businesses, and professional associations to network, cross-promote, and build referral relationships.
But so many of us struggle with this. The idea of reaching out to someone that we don’t know…Yikes! You might be getting queasy just thinking about it. How do you do it (without nausea)?
With the BYS List of 20, of course. Don’t have one? Really? Ok, let’s make one…
The Book Yourself Solid List of 20
Make a List of 20 people within your industry with whom you’d like to develop professional relationships.
These are people whom you do not yet know — influencers within your target market who can help you get booked solid. This is your BYS List of 20.
The list never leaves your side. It sits on your desk. Lives on your computer. And, travels with you when you’re on the road.
Why twenty and why must you keep it with you at all times?
- Since your success is, in large part, determined by the people within your industry who are willing to refer to you or to put you in front of your ideal clients or endorse you, you need to keep these people top of mind. Keeping this list by your side will ensure that you’re thinking of them and, if you do, you’ll begin to notice opportunities to connect with them and get to know them.
- And, twenty, because it’s a large enough number to keep your focus expansive but narrow enough that you won’t be overwhelmed.
Written Exercise: Identify a minimum of three, and a maximum of twenty, people you’d like to reach out to directly and personally. (These may be prospective clients, decision makers at an organization or association, or the press.) At this moment, you might not think you can fill out your List of 20, but now that you know what you need to do, you’ll start to take notice of the people you should add to this list.
Here’s what you do with your list:
- Each day, reach out to the person at the top of the list.
- After you’ve reached out to this person, place this person at the bottom of the list.
- Now that this person has been moved to the end of the list, the person who was number 2 on the list becomes number 1 and each other person moves up one spot. This way your List of 20 always stays at twenty.
You’ll reach out to each person approximately every twenty business days which is about once per month.
This direct outreach activity occurs every day. This is critical. Dedicated, disciplined and determined action is key to your direct outreach success.
Remember, the BYS List of 20 is your wish list. You’re list of 20 people that could have a significant impact on your business through their referrals, introductions and advice. Do this daily and you’ll be booked solid in no time flat.
Booked Solid Action Step: Reach out to the first person on your list of 20 by sending a card or email of appreciation. Or maybe congratulate them on an accomplishment. Simple.
Using the Book Yourself Solid Direct Outreach Strategy is all about making personal connections. Reach out to others from the heart, in a way that is genuine and authentic for you.
Take it one step at a time and you’ll do fine.
The Simple Way to Network and Get Referrals http://bit.ly/dyygpY
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Lawyers, take a look at RT @michaelport: The Simple Way to Network and Get Referrals http://bit.ly/dyygpY
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The Simple Way to Network and Get Referrals: As a business owner, you’ll need to proactively r… http://bit.ly/dyygpY http://bit.ly/cbPbyq
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Great advice. RT @michaelport: The Simple Way to Network and Get Referrals http://bit.ly/dyygpY
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RT @michaelport: The Simple Way to Network and Get Referrals http://bit.ly/dyygpY
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RT: @michaelport The Simple Way to Network and Get Referrals http://bit.ly/dyygpY
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