Success Tips Newsletter

In this issue: The real secret to referrals doesn't cost you a dime

by Eric Albertson

This newsletter is about a very effective way to get referrals. Please do me a favor: If you like what we are writing, please consider shooting me an email (eric@succeedinginbusiness.com). I would like to know what you think, and what you want, if you are not getting it. I would also like to know if you want us to stop doing something. Thanks, in advance.

-- Eric

For many, succeeding in business is simply the mastery of getting referrals. The "King of Referrals" is a fellow named Joe Girard who sent birthday cards, thank you cards, holiday cards and I'm-thinking-of-you cards to every customer. He sold more cars than any individual before, or since, according to the story I have heard. His secret? He was nice, sincere, stayed in touch, and asked for referrals. Pretty simple; and pretty effective.

In my experience, there are really three simple keys to getting referrals and not one of them costs a dime, beyond your time and attention. Those three things are:

• Have your elevator speech down cold (simply who you serve and the challenge or aspiration you address. Nothing more; nothing less.
   

• Perform in your business. That is, do what you say you will do, when you say you will do it.
   

• Know that people love to contribute to your success. You just have to make it easy for them. In other words, ask.

If you can give people a well-crafted elevator speech that describes what you actually do in your business, all you have to do is ask. Then let one of the great drivers in human nature take over from there. People love to contribute to others' success, if you make it easy for them.

Here is an email message I just got this morning, from a subscriber who got to feel the effects of being asked to refer. I can't say it as well as she did. Please read on:

Eric, I know I cannot keep writing you because you do have 160,000+ other subscribers (and paying clients), but I did have to say one other thing. The light bulb really went off when I read this e-mail... your advice was just proved. You said to me in your first e-mail, "people love to contribute to your success, you just have to make it easy for them."  Well, in your last e-mail, you walked your talk and asked me to "please tell others about Succeeding in Business, and guess what?

You are exactly right... I don't know you from Adam's house cat (is this a southern saying?) but I do know that you were kind enough to take the time to respond to my e-mail and give me the advice I was seeking, and because you asked, I want to tell everyone I know about you and Succeeding in Business! Key words being that you ASKED me for the referrals, so to speak. If you hadn't asked, it may not have occurred to me, which also proves that we should never be afraid or hesitate to ask! 

Bottom line, I've never met you, don't have a relationship with you except for these brief e-mail exchanges over the last few days and I want to "contribute to your success."  I have good long-term relationships with my customers and friends, so I'm sure they would like to contribute to my success."

Thanks again!

 -- April Huguenin, Print Works
 (april@printworksforyou.com)

What I have written in this issue might be all you need do to get all the referrals you'll ever need in your business. I hope that is true.

But, if you want a little help getting your business defined so you can describe it repeatedly, and have it understood well enough to get referrals, our Marketing Fast Track program will get you on your way quickly.

Our intent in these newsletters is to give you something of value in each issue. Information that will stand on its own, and produce for you, without your having to spend another dime.

Having said that, there is only so much that can be accomplished in a newsletter; even in a series of newsletters.

If, and when, you want more, we want to give you a variety of ways to meet the need. So, we offer (or will shortly offer), the following:

• No-charge podcasts and tele-seminars (coming very soon).
   

• Electronic books -- that you can download instantly. These e-Books provide more than what the newsletters do.
   

• Spot training sessions ($99 - $199), coming soon. A spot training session is a single class devoted to a single topic (let's say, creating a brilliant elevator speech). In this example, we would give participants a guide prior to the class, and ask them to send in their draft elevator speech efforts. During the class we would use a selection of the submissions to illustrate how to compose an elevator speech that gets others to say, "Tell me more."
   

• Multi-week training sessions, such as the Marketing Fast Track program (sales classes, marketing classes, list-building classes, margin-boost classes, for example)
   

• Industry-specific courses for insurance, financial services (SEO compliance figured in advance), service professionals, manufacturers reps, and so on.
   

• Programs for entire sales forces and their management.

We are committed to your success, your career and your security.

Thanks for reading,

Eric Albertson
Portland OR
August 2, 2007 

eric@succeedinginbusiness.com

(503) 635-2319

©2001-2008 Succeeding In Business, LLC All Rights Reserved.
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