INDEX
Abundance mentality, adopting an, 11
Accelerant Curve, 25–29, 185, 213–215
Ad hoc committees, serving on, 94
Advisory boards, 194–195
“Aladdin Factor,” 112
Alan’s Forums, 190
Alan’s Friday Wrap™, 180
Alan’s Monday Morning Memo®, 180
Amazon.com, 218
Announcements, rehearsing major, 200
Annuity factor, 41
“Apathetics,” 39
“App” approach, 191
Arbitrary alternatives, 44–46
Arthur Andersen, 173
Asking for referrals, 5, 69–89, 154, 233
and approaching the referral prospect, 82–86
and asking early, 153–157
from existing clients, 6–7
language for, 62–64
and mentality of value, 69–73
from new clients, 6
and not taking no for an answer, 77–81
and overcoming resistance, 63–64
from past clients, 7–8
and raising the issue, 61–62
and rewarding referral sources, 86–89
soft referral requests, 135–140
strategy and tactics for, 73–77
“Aspirants,” 40
Attorneys, 197
Automated lists, creating, 180–181
Avon, 168
Balancing Act® newsletter, 180
Best practices:
introducing, 55
ongoing access to, 200
Blurbs, 156
Boards, serving on, 133, 140–141, 143
Book reviewers, 218
Booklet, testimonial, 170–172
Bower, Gail S., on greatest referral, 119
Breakfasts, 225
“Breakthrough” perceptions, creating, 34
Business referrals, character vs., 156
Business relationships, 1–23
creating high-potential, long-term, 10–14
creating new, 15–16
dos and don’ts in, 14–19
four stages of, 5–10
and positioning with clients, 19–23
as process, 2–5
Buyers (See Economic buyers)
Buyer-to-buyer referrals, 58
Buyer-to-nonbuyer referrals, 58
Casemore Shawn, on greatest referral, 121–123
“Ceiling,” hitting the, 64–65
CEYK (“Call Everyone You Know”), 131–152
and creating soft referral requests, 135–140
and fees for referrals, 148–152
language template for, 144–148
and untapped referral sources around you, 131–135
and using social/civic mechanisms, 140–143
Character referrals, business vs., 156
Chutzpah, 23
Civic involvement, 140–141
Client evangelism, 235
Client potential bell curve, 37–41
Client support teams, 93
Clients:
abandoning underperforming, 11
creating results that reflect positively on, 101
“current” vs. “past,” 193
high-potential/long-term, 10–14
requesting referrals from (See Asking for referrals)
transferring skills to, 15
and value distance, 70–71
value of, 2
Closing skills, 233–234
Collaboration, collecting referrals via, 160–165
Colleagues, referrals from, 92, 217–221
Collecting referrals, 153–173
and asking early, 153–157
and keeping current, 170–173
language template for, 165–170
using technology for, 157–160
via collaboration, 160–165
“Collector, the,” 31
Commissions, serving on, 133
Committees, standing, 93
Communication, frequent, 180
Communities, online, 187–192
Complimentary services, offering, 67
Concurrent, Multiple-Win principle, 79
Confidential information, 200
Confidentiality agreements, 161
Constant contact, 180
Consultant, roles of, 207
Contacts:
lateral, 99–103
maintaining information on, 175–179
tracking, 179–187
Credibility:
independent, 2
and internal referrals, 50
of referrals, 1
Credit, sharing, 15
databack.com, 186n.3
Databases, building, 183–187, 223
Deadlines, meeting or beating, 100
“Delayer, the,” 31–32
Diagnostic approach, 14
“Disclaimer, the,” 31
Dogs, 98
Dropbox, 187
Drucker, Peter, 213
Economic buyers, 14, 20, 29–33, 44, 47
Efficacy, self-esteem and, 53, 54
Electronic newsletters, 160, 182
Electronic testimonials, 171
E-mail, 59, 157, 159, 182, 229
Endorsements, 156–157, 218–219
Enron, 173
Errors, handling, 101
“Escape velocity,” 104
Ethical issues, 86, 149–150, 195, 200
Events, inviting past clients to, 194
Existing clients, requesting referrals from, 6–7
Expanded business, 47–68
language template for creating, 60–64
moving around to obtain, 56–59
surpassing the limits of, 64–68
using leverage to obtain, 51–55
Exponential growth, 232
Favored lists, 182
Favors, doing, 134
Federal Reserve, 21
Fees:
formula for setting, 211
and perceptions of value, 33–37
(See also Retainers)
Follow-ups, 148
Forrest, Tim, on greatest referral, 114–115
Fortier, Alan, 123–124
Fourth sale, thinking of the, 48
Friends, referrals from, 92
Fund drives, 94
Garland, Judy, 142
General Motors, 213
Gerke, Daryl, on greatest referral, 126–127
Ginzberg, Issamar, on greatest referral, 116–117
Godin, Seth, 38
Goldsmith, Marshall, 38, 203, 230
Google Alerts, 218
Gordon, Monica Austin, on greatest referral, 124–126
Great work, doing, 101
Help, people seeking, 136
Helping others, 141
Hewlett-Packard (HP), 21, 92, 104
How to Acquire Business (Wiley), 234n.2
HR people, 16–17
HSBC, 215
Impact, project, 19
Improvements, suggested, 139
In Search of Excellence (Peters), 173
Incentives, 4
Independent credibility, 2
Initiatives, rehearsing major, 200
Innocent mentions, 136
“Insider” knowledge, 48
Instantiation, 36
Institutionalizing your presence, 66, 91–110
by creating lateral contacts, 99–103
by demonstrating unique value, 106–110
by joining internal groups, 91–95
by providing extra value, 95–99
by sharing ownership of intellectual property, 103–106
Intellectual property (IP):
creating, 223
providing, 36
sharing ownership of, 103–106
“Interest” clients, 12
Internal buyers, 47
Internal groups, joining, 91–95
Interviews:
in the media, 222–223
video, 158
Introductions (from referral sources), 82, 83, 157, 229
Irresistible Value principle, 79
Jensen, Michael, 112
“Jurist, the,” 32–33
Key people, tracking, 179–187
Labor intensity, 27
Language template(s):
for CEYK (“Calling Everyone You Know”), 144–148
for collecting referrals, 165–170
for expanding your business, 60–64
Larger organizations, working with, 47–48
Lateral contacts, creating, 99–103
Letters to the editor, 133
Leverage, using, 51–55
Levy, Steven B., on greatest referral, 120–121
Lieberman, Simma, on greatest referral, 128–129
Listservs, 186
Local service providers, 219–221
Luncheons, 225
Lunz, Byron, 186n.3
Macfadyen, Steve, 112
Mailings, 180–181
Marine Midland Bank, 215
Market value bell curve, 37–41, 185
Marketing events, inviting past buyers to, 194
Marx, Groucho, 142
Meals, 95
Media interviews, 222–223
Meetings, 222
Melendez, Joe, 114–115
Mentor Program, 192, 203, 208, 230
Miller, Andrew, on greatest referral, 117–118
Million Dollar Club, 200
Million Dollar Coaching (Weiss), 230
Million Dollar Consulting™, 180, 200
Million Dollar Consulting (Weiss), 208
Moving around (to obtain referrals), 56–59
Mozy, 186
Name(s):
asking for, 13
your, as brand, 37
Needs, unspoken, 136–137
New clients:
repeat vs., 57–58
requesting referrals from, 6
Newspaper articles, 218
“No,” not accepting, 77–81
Nonbusiness referrals, 76
Nonbuyer-to-buyer referrals, 58
Nonbuyer-to-nonbuyer referrals, 59
Nondisclosure agreements, 161
Nonprofit work, volunteering for, 141
Observed weaknesses, 137
Ongoing relationships, creating/maintaining, 66–67
Online communities, 187–192
Opportunities:
identifying, 227
listening for, 18
Options, providing, 148
“Parachute business,” 26
Parcells, Bill, 192
Particulars, asking for, 94
Past clients, 175–195
and creating communities, 187–192
maintaining information on, 175–179
requesting referrals from, 7–8
tracking, 179–187
utilizing, in current promotions, 192–195
Peers, lateral contacts with others’, 99–100
Peripheral benefits, 36
Perseverance, 148
Personal information, obtaining, 182–183
Personal interactions, 158
Personal introductions, 157, 229
Personal meetings, 84–86
Personal visits, 59
Personal-to-person contact, 83
Picasso Rule, 205–209
Pillsbury Bakeries and Food Services, 128–129
Pitching, avoiding, 42
Podcasts, 158–159
Post, Karen, on greatest referral, 123–124
Press releases, 134
“Pretenders,” 39–40
“Priming the pump,” 77–81
Professional organizations, 67–68, 225
Profit, identifying potential, 11
Promotions, utilizing past clients in current, 192–195
Prospects, potentially valuable, 176–178
Providing referrals, 101, 226–230
Quality committees, 93
R&D teams, 93
Reading between the lines, 137
Reciprocal obligations, 138
Reciprocal value, 210
Reciprocity:
believing in, 101
demonstrating, 148
providing referrals as form of, 133, 226–230
Recognition factor (of clients), 20, 22
Recommendations, spontaneous, 72–73
Reconnaissance principle, 79
Reference potential, 12
“Referral clubs,” 88
Referral culture, creating a, 234–238
Referral potential, 12
Referral sources, 4
approaching prospective, 82–86
developing a multitude of, 65–66
introductions from, 82
often overlooked, 134–135
potential, 57
reaching untapped, 131–135
rewarding, 86–89
Referrals:
from buyers who did not accept your proposal, 153
from colleagues, 217–221
defined, 1
exchanging, 87
maximizing your, 236–238
most credible, 1
providing, for reciprocity, 101, 226–230
references vs., 2
“referral,” 230–234
Rehearsing, 200
Requests for referrals (See Asking for referrals)
Resistance Preparatory principle, 80–81
Respect, showing, 101
Retainers, 197–216
for life, 213–216
and Picasso Rule, 205–209
price guidelines for, 209–213
value of, 197
variables determining amount of, 198–201
when people don’t use your services, 201–205
Revenues, identifying potential, 11
Review committees, 93
Revlon, 155
Richards, Kelli, on greatest referral, 111–112
Rooney, Mickey, 142
Routines, weekly, 221–226
RSS feeds, 223
Russell, Bill, 206
Schmoozing, 138
“Scholarships,” 192
Scope creep, 95
Scope seep, 96
Second Wind (Russell), 206
“See the man,” 222
Self-esteem, 52–54
Serendipity, 139
“Serial developers,” 40
Service providers, 219–221
Setili, Amanda, on greatest referral, 112–114
Signature files, e-mail, 159
60 Minutes, 167
“Skeptic, the,” 30–31
Skills, transferring, 15
Sloan, Alfred P., 213
Sobell, Andrew, 230
Soft referral requests, creating, 135–140
“Sole source,” 107
Sources of referrals (see Referral sources)
Spam filters, 182
Speed, 15
Sponsorships, 133
Standing committees, 93
Storm, John, 124–126
Strategies (for asking for referrals), 74, 77
Strengths, building on, 55
Success, visibility of, 16
Suggested improvements, 139
“Superficialist, the,” 32
Tactics (for asking for referrals), 74–77
Targets, identifying, 227
Task forces, 93
Technology:
collect referrals using, 157–160
collecting contact information using, 175
online communities and, 191
Teleconference series, 158–159
in e-mail signature files, 159
keeping, 193
older, 170–171
video, 155, 156, 158, 171, 194
Thanking others, 224
Thank-you notes, 87, 88, 148, 224
approaching, 82–86
benefit of referrals to, 79
interviews by, 158
Thought Leadership Workshops, 203
TIAABB, 36
Time:
in retainer relationships, 202–203
“Time-shifting,” 189
Topic, gaining agreement to discuss a, 61
Tracking key people, 179–187
Trade organizations, 67–68, 225
Training and development programs, 93
Travel expenses, 225
“Triage” technique, 109, 178, 180, 184, 194
Trust, 42
Trust line, 207
Trusting relationships, creating, 43, 48, 50
Twitter, 223n.1
Underpromise and overdeliver, 96
Unique value, demonstrating, 106–110
“Unreachable, the,” 33
Unspoken needs, 136–137
UPS, 188
Vagelos, Roy, 20
“Validator, the,” 30
Value:
belief in your own, 79
of clients, 2
demonstrating unique, 106–110
fees and perceptions of, 33–37
focusing on, 8–9
leveraging and, 51–52
maintaining a mentality of, 69–73
and nonbusiness referrals, 76
providing extra, 14–15, 67, 95–99
reciprocal, 210
of retainers, 197
using a blog to create, 181
of your product/service, 4
Value distance, 70–71
Victories, initial, 15
Video interviews, 158
Video testimonials, 155, 156, 158, 171, 194
Visible success, creating, 16
Voice mail, 158
Weaknesses:
correcting, 55
observed, 137
Weekly routines, 221–226
Weiss, Alan:
Shawn Casemore on, 121–123
Monica Austin Gordon on, 125–126
Karen Post on, 123–124
Weiss, Mark F., on greatest referral, 123
Weiss Advice, 181
What Got You Here Won’t Get You There (Goldsmith), 203
Word of mouth, 4