Referral acquisition is no longer reliant on word of mouth. Just a handful of years ago, in order to cultivate referrals, you just needed to deliver good products and service, communicate consistently, and give clients an experience to talk with others about. Today, all of that is still true but becomes meaningless if what they say about you does not match what is found online.
If someone verbally says something like, “You have to go see my financial advisor!
Vince Lombardi famously said, “winning isn’t everything it’s the only thing” or some variation on that theme. Do you think it’s true? I suspect the Denver Broncos think it is. It is true that typically, the runner up isn’t even remembered.
Sometimes our instincts are to minimize the value of winning. “It’s ok if we don’t win” or “I’ll land the next big client” – but is it really just a justification? We all lose from time to time in our careers.
Sometimes we do things in certain circumstances that we normally wouldn’t do…ever. I’m a Green Bay Packer fan, born and raised in Wisconsin. You may have noticed that many Packer fans wear what is commonly referred to as a “cheesehead.” Now, really, what would possess someone of seemingly normal intelligence to wear a cheesehead?
Some Packer fans wear these yellow foam hats in public, at a game, and TRY to be on TV in front of millions of people!
As football fans know, one of the main tenants of football is the game plan. Every team has a very defined plan for the plays they will run designed to score and not be scored on.
The focus of the game plan is on getting into the red zone (the final 20 yards before the end zone) and scoring. Every offensive play is designed to move in that direction. Nothing is done offensively that differs from the main goal.
If you want to truly engage a prospect or client, instead of talking, it is actually more critical to listen. The key with engagement is interaction. Most (and I really mean most) people are focused on themselves and are more than ready to talk about themselves and their products. But how do you get the other person to begin talking?
Great questions lead to great interaction and will allow you to be in control of the conversation while gaining all the benefits of listening and learning about the other person.
By using this form you agree with this site's privacy policy.
