Archives by: firstoneon

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What is a referral worth?

Referrals that come from someone who has actually used the service they are recommending can save you time and effort finding what you need. But unfortunately, not all referrals are based on personal experience or have your best interests at heart. Sometimes people give referrals because they owe another company a favor, are friends with the owner of the company they are referring, will get a commission from the company they are referring, or because they hope the company they refer ... Read more

Is Your Referral Networking Working?

Anyone who has ever tried to keep an accurate count of how many "cold calls" led to actual, cash-in-your-pocket sales knows it isn't an easy task. The good news is that measuring success from referrals is actually quite easy. We know this because we've designed a networking scorecard for tracking referrals and the business that results from them. You might want to develop a similar one for your own use. On this card, record the nature and source of each referral, how ... Read more

Good Networking Principles

A good networker has two ears and one mouth and should use them both proportionately. When you meet someone in a networking environment you should ‘listen’ more than you ‘talk’ (especially if it is the first time you’ve met). Consequently, in books like The 29% Solution and Networking Like a Pro, I’ve written a lot about the kinds of questions you should ask when you meet someone for the first time. Recently, I was at a networking event and, at the end ... Read more

Five Steps to Building an Effective Referral Network

Five Steps to Building an Effective Referral Network By Alan Bayham For many small-business owners, the thought of attending a networking event is enough to make them cringe. After all, many are overworked, and do not enjoy spending their small amount of free time in a crowded room of people; making small talk with complete strangers; attempting to sell company products or services to disinterested prospects; and often having little to show for their time investment. And in fact, that notion of networking ... Read more