A quick referral lesson for your consideration.
Referrals …  my favorite form of insurance marketing.

One of my networking partners drops me an email the other day and wants to go to lunch. He is going to introduce me to a fellow Independent Insurance broker who he thinks would be a strong Strategic Partner for my firm and I. Odd thing is, I know this firm, and they are good … AND a competitor of sorts. I eagerly agreed to a meet over at one of my fav’s – Yard House in Irvine Spectrum. Crunchy AHI Salad mmmmmm.

Cutting to the chase – the lunch meeting went well [ imho ] and we’re poised to circle back next week and brainstorm on how we will "pro-actively" NOT passively incorporate each others businesses into our insurance marketing plans for the remainder of the year.

I bring this lunch meeting up for two reasons. Sometimes we get so focused on asking [ or is it BEGGING / IMPOSING ON ] our clients for referrals that we develop Tunnel Vision.  Here’s what I mean by this.

Does this resemble how some of your Asking for Referral experiences go?

To Self: How did that Referral Gurus world famous referral asking script go again?

Was it….

..Joe, I get compensated in two ways … blah blah blah …

..Bob, I have a list here of some firms in your industry I’ve been trying to meet can you look here and see if you know any of them …? Blah …

??????????????

Dang – thats so uncomfortable – thats not me … oh forget about it ….

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Shameless Plug:

The Most Powerful Referral System for Agents Ever Developed – No More Begging!
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Frankly, Im of the mindset that ASKING clients for referrals directly – face to face is not the most effective way to obtain quality introductions. Blasphemy you must be thinking … I understand – but hear me out.

Is putting your relationship with your current client into an unbalanced status really the most effective insurance marketing S-Y-S-T-E-M you can come up with for referrals? Unbalanced you say – whatever do I mean? Its now unbalanced. You originally proposed a solution to the clients needs. They reviewed and decided to hire you based upon that solution. They paid you for that solution, you delivered. They are happy. Relationship is IN BALANCE.

Now, you come along and put it OUT OF BALANCE. You are now asking them to do more than they originally bargained for. You are now asking them to effectively put their reputation on the line. Yet, there is little to No Value you can provide to them in return that would put the relationship Back Into Balance if they complied with your request. That is why you get uncomfortable and they get even more uncomfortable [ more times than not ].

Point of these last 3 paragraphs – there is other, more productive approaches to systematically generate high quality referrals. Get out of the box a little bit and think strategically – not just Old School Mantra …

The is another insurance marketing lesson to be learned from this lunch meeting and why it was a significant example. I no longer just look for 1:1 referrals from people. I spend time articulating to my Strategic Referral relationships the type of business people that are great strategic alliances for me and my business. They not only know the types of clients I like to insure but they also know [ because I automatically keep them aprised with a system ] who would make a good Referral Partner.  Someone who is not just a referral – but a continuous Referral Source. 

Don’t just hunt for referrals to sell an insurance policy to. Strategically hunt for other hunters as well. You need to develop a LARGE network of business people who KNOW you, LIKE you, and KNOW WHAT YOU DO. The key to this, is maintaining those relationships effectively over time. I say the only way to "effectively: manage all those relationships is with a S-Y-S-T-E-M.

I had the pleasure to meet one of the most connected businessmen on the planet at one of his talks.  Dr. Ivan Misner – Founder/CEO of Internationally famous BNI / Business Network International. He told us all in his talk, the S-Y-S-T-E-M he uses to manage his enormously vast network.  It’s also in his book "Truth or Delusion" on page 148.  Some of the most prominent authorities on Referral Marketing like Tom Hopkins, Bob Berg, and Bill Cates among others also use this system.  

CLICK HERE to see the system they use.

To your success,

Steve

This is simply a fantastic idea … Simple & Fantastic!

Sometimes is the simple and easy things that generate the best R O I for your marketing time and expense.  Rad this little system and marvel at its simplicity and effectiveness.

This would take about half an hr to implement in the Ultimate Referral Marketing System.

Enjoy!

Steve

Here is a simple postcard to get them buying

This is a sample postcard for an art gallery (it doesn’t matter that this is not your business – it only matters that you take the idea and MAKE it fit your business).

This was a whopping $100 investment – and made them a healthy $3,000 profit in 5 days (mailed out to 120 people). These numbers may seem small to you – but to this business it was huge … their biggest EVER. And after they implement the follow-up campaigns and lead generation sequences, they will see 10 times these numbers.

The postcards were done with a gold foil invitation look … and went out to their existing customers (and NO, you cannot use e-mail postcards to replace this – invest the money and do it properly! My offline marketing returns many times better response than online only (by 400% and more).

=================== Front of postcard ===================

A FREE $50.00 Gift Certificate has been gifted to YOU

By at

I was just reflecting, as most of us do with the _____ (insert your holiday or reason why here) _____ upon us, about people, and especially my most loyal and appreciated customers. I thought about some ideas of how I could say thank-you … What’s better than giving away money?

Come see us in the next 2 weeks with this $50 gift certificate. I will have some new help around the store to take care of your projects. Finally get that picture framed that’s been under your bed or in the attic.

It’s my way of saying Thank-You for your loyal patronage!

================== Back of postcard ==================

Welcome to the Michelangelo Club. You will be the first to hear of (and benefit from) all the new offers for our Michelangelo members … Look for them in the mail … Enjoy your FREE GIFT.

See you this week …

PS … Come see me in the next 3 days and I will add an extra $5.00 to your gift certificate!!

Thank-you for your loyalty over the years and welcome to the Michelangelo Club.

What to do with your $50? (make that $55 if you come in soon)

• use it for custom framing
• use it as a down payment
• please allow up to 4 weeks to complete the project

When you come in – let me know your e-mail address for future Michelangelo specials coming up this year!!!

******

That was VERY simple – they wrote it up in half an hour – had it printed and mailed in the next 48 hours. There is nothing difficult about that – and yes, there are ample ways you could improve the offer. The point is – IT WORKED. The point is not for you to critique it or poke holes in it – rather to find a way to make it work for your business.

There are undoubtedly more ways you can get your existing clients back to buy – to buy more often – and to become more devoted purchasers (through clubs like this).

So … what offer can you make to your clients?

The ideas are endless if you put some thought into it and find ways to get them back to buy.

Find a few ways to make these lessons work for your business …

http://www.makepeacetotalpackage.com/troy-white/balancing-life-and-business-while-building-your-fortune.html#more-376

From – Troy White Editor, Small Business Mastery Supplement to THE TOTAL PACKAGE

From Steve

As you go through the hints and tips all the “gurus” provide – there’s a common underlying theme,  appreciation [see item #4 below] .. but How exactly?

What shall I send, when?

Wow.. this is time consuming to keep track of !

Well, the Ultimate Referral Marketing System has helped me tremendously in solving these issues.  If you want to be able to actually IMPLEMENT the following referral generating strategies – you’re going to need a system!

Good luck all and enjoy these ideas from Evan Carmichael

Youngentrepreneur.com presents …

Growing a business through referrals can be one of the most effective strategies an entrepreneur can embark on. Referred clients are more loyal, buy in greater quantities, buy more frequently, are less price sensitive and cost less to acquire than clients who come through traditional advertising / marketing avenues.

So how do you go about getting more referrals for your business? Here are five quick tips you can follow.

1) Just ask. Most entrepreneurs don’t get more referrals because they don’t bother asking for them. You would be surprised at how frequently an existing client would be willing to give you a referral but they don’t because they either a) don’t know you are looking for more business or b) don’t think about it because they have so much happening already in their lives. Simply by asking for referrals you will dramatically increase the amount of new business from word of mouth connections.

2) Wait for the thank you. When is the right time to ask for a referral? I prefer to wait until a client has had a positive experience with me and thinks highly of my business. What I wait to hear is the words ‘thank you’ come from them. If you have gone beyond the call of duty to help them and they have expressed their gratitude, now is the perfect time to ask them for a referral. They recognize your value, are in a positive frame of mind, and are likely to help return the favor you have just given them if they can. Try to train your mind so that when you hear the words “thank you”, you ask for a referral.

3) Become and introducer. Always try to think outside the box for your clients and help them in ways they don’t expect. I make introductions for them to other people I know who can help them. When reporters contact me for stories I try to involve my clients as well. If I spot an article or read a book I think might help my clients I’ll save it for them and gift it to them the next time we meet. I am always looking for ways to help my clients because by becoming an introducer you are more likely go get more of those ‘thank you’ moments. If you help a client land new business, for example, through one of your introductions, they are likely to thank you for your efforts which brings up a perfect opportunity to ask for a referral.

4) Recognize their efforts. Another important factor is to recognize the people who have given you referrals. This can be in the form of a specific contribution (a percentage of the sale for introducing a new client), but the people I work with typically don’t like to feel like they are being paid to sell their friends. They prefer to feel like they are helping their colleagues as well as helping me. So how do you recognize them? What I do is every quarter assign a certain % of my revenues towards thanking the people who have helped me with my business in the past quarter. I use the money to buy them gift certificates of various kinds and write a handwritten message with each reward. They always enjoy receiving the gifts and it’s another way to encourage them to send you even more referrals. (Note: I also do this for the people who I employ.)

5) Stay Top of Mind. This final element is important for every business owner to follow. If you want people to refer you to their friends they need to be thinking about you. To get them to think about you, you have to find ways to stay top of mind. If a client hasn’t heard from you in a couple of months it’s unlikely that they will have you at the front of their mind – they have busy enough lives to live without having to worry about you. Find ways to keep in touch. You can use a newsletter, host events, call to catch up, suggest a lunch, invite them to a party you are going to, send them information you have found valuable recently. The goal is not to sell them but just to remind them that you are there and that you value the relationship with them.

Referrals are not as scary as you might think. Get into the habit of following these five strategies and you will have new business being sent to you in no time!

Evan Carmichael
YoungEntrepreneur.com Blog Manager

See this article here: http://www.youngentrepreneur.com/blog/2007/09/12/how-to-get-more-referrals/

Shared by Steve
Hi everyone … another interesting FEED post by Seth Godin. I wanted to share this short note with you because – like he points out, I’ve lost a favorite little store or vendor I really liked.

Now I miss them a great deal. What did I do to spread the word about them? Rarely anything. Shame on me.

Imagine if ALL you clients somehow got the point that “My Agent – who has been there for me since I was on my parent auto policy, or since I was the beneficiary of my Father’s Will etc … and they might not be there next year.”

So as creative Referral Marketers, how do we utilize what we’re going to read below to gently inform our clientele of this, and spin a marketing opportunity out of the concept?

What if we were to more frequently add P.S. messages or closing sentences to correspondence with something like … “It is through your generous referrals and trust that our business thrives through the most challenging of times.

Please don’t keep Us/Me a Secret …

We appreciate the trust, confidence and loyalty you’ve shown our firm over the years. We will strive to continually earn and keep it, and that of the friends, family and associates your refer to us!”

A little wordy … and a bit over the top – but it was for emphasis and idea. You get the point.

I like to put a little something heart felt and impactful from time to into to some of the drip campaigns I’m using with the Ultimate Referral System.

Enjoy …

IWantSandyis folding, as are a number of web companies. So is that restaurant you loved down the street. Users are outraged. Outraged!

When you find a service or establishment or product that gives you joy, it’s tempting to keep it to yourself. Perhaps it’s uncomfortable to recommend it to a friend (after all, you might seem silly) and even more uncomfortable to recommend it to a stranger (after all, you might seem like a shill).

Plenty of people hesitate before spreading the word about a political candidate or a business or amedical device. We’re worried that we’ll look silly, or that the place will end up being too crowded and now we won’t be able to get in. Or perhaps we’re concerned about losing our uniqueness…

Anyway, the outcry that accompanies the closing of one of these businesses should be enough to remind you that your hesitation has a cost.

It’s simple, I think. In a world where consumers have so much power, we now have two responsibilities:

• If you don’t like what an organization stands for, work actively to spread the word and force them to change

and

• If you will miss a product, a service, a book, a site or a professional when they close up shop, stand up, speak up and bring them masses of new business.

We get what we promote.