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As networking becomes more the norm in business circles, people have learned that finding out how they can help others is a good way to develop referral relationships. And certainly, the realization that giving referrals is a good thing is solidly implanted into folks’ minds, as well. But sometimes we jump to the giving referrals stage before everyone is ready. Besides ensuring at least a level of familiarity that justifies trust and a reasonable knowledge of what the other person does, we should know a few other things before we leap into the referral mode.

As we create referral partnerships, we must assess the relationship and determine a number of things if we hope to be successful. A few of those things include: Are you giving your referral sources all the tools they need to be able to recognize a referral for you? And, do you have the tools you need to help them?

Here are 5 questions from our friend over in Indianapolis, Hazel Walker, both you and your referral sources should be able to answer for one another.
1. How would I know if someone I am talking to is a prospect for you? (from Bob Berg’s book, Endless Referrals)

2. What would you want me to say to that person if I meet them?

3. What might be going on in a company or a person’s life that would be a clue they need your services?

4. If I recognize the clue, what should I say to open the conversation on your behalf?

5. How do you want to be referred, introduced or connected?

Educate your referral team about how to help you, not about how you do what you do.

State Dept. Asked Site to Keep Running
According to a recent Washington Post article, the State Department asked social-networking site Twitter to delay scheduled maintenance earlier this week to avoid disrupting communications among tech-savvy Iranian citizens as they took to the streets to protest Friday’s reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

and

“Iran is not the only global hot spot where the State Department has taken an interest in Twitter, nor even the first. For months it has been working to deploy the short-messaging service to Iraq and Afghanistan, part of a broader plan to leverage U.S. technology companies’ connections with youth as a diplomatic tool.” BusinessWeek June 18, 2009

These are remarkable times we live in. We have access to many powerful communications tools that are radically changing our world…every day. My friend Gordon Rude said to me recently, “Almost everything we do will be changed in 10 years.” That’s amazing, and not hard to imagine. Think about the changes we’ve experienced over the past 10 years.

Many of us are resistant to change. Conservatism is a natural human response. In the extreme, change can be terrifying and exhausting. At the least, it is unsettling.

Business is changing. New products and services come at us in waves. And marketing messages are being delivered in new and innovative ways. About the time you feel good about a new technology, it is surpassed by something new.

So, what are you doing to stay abreast with this torrent of change and innovation? Have you seriously considered new technologies in marketing your business? Or are you just dismissing Twitter, Linked In, Facebook, videos, blogs, and the other “force multipliers” that are available to you?

I’m an amateur at all this stuff but it is helpful for me to read and discuss what’s going on. Are you engaged in discussion with others about what they are doing? Are you asking questions? There’s a lot to know and sharing knowledge is the only hope for keeping up. Find a way to do that.

They’re tweeting from the streets of Tehran. There’s a message there.

It seems to me that one of my biggest challenges is to remain consistent in my new business development activities. It appears to be the case with many of my clients, as well. Most of us have a good idea about what we should be doing; we just don’t have a good method for staying on track. So other than accepting that we’re doomed to the surges and droughts that result from lack of consistency, what can we do?

Much of the problem results from not having a process we stick with, nor an environment that helps us to stick with that process. Yeah, I know, you may not like too much structure. I’m with you in that department. However, without a process, you’re bounced from one activity to another without necessarily progressing closer to your goals.

There are many approaches to marketing but they all start with a well thought out plan. There are many forms your plan can take. I recommend a few to choose from: Appendix B of Business By Referral by Dr. Ivan Misner, “7 Sentence Marketing Plan”, article by Al Lautenslager or the OpPlan format used by the military (aka SMEAC or the 5 Paragraph Order.)

The second key element to making this work is having an implementation system. Solutions here include hiring a Business/Marketing Coach, joining a Master Mind Group, creating a peer coach relationship with a colleague, or hiring a Trunk Monkey, Marketing Coaching Edition Trunk Monkey. Having accountability to someone other than ourselves has a way of motivating us to get things done. And having to declare what we will do and then report on what we actually did makes a big difference. We tend to let ourselves off the hook but hate to come up short in the eyes of others.

I’m wondering what works for everyone to get and keep you on track. It’s a constant effort that is worth investing thought and effort into.

Getting your message in front of people has turned into a real cat and mouse game for some.  Seems like those boxes with the letters and numbers used for web site security to thwart those evil spammers isn’t enough to stop ‘em.  Reminds me of when I lived in the woods in Maine.  The mice were always figuring out whatever trap, bait or other contraption we could come up with.  The only thing that worked consistently was a cat: the personal touch. 

Other forms of leads acquisition are spokes in your marketing wheel, but for most of us the personal touch is the way to go.  So building a diverse network and creating key relationships is the best path for new business. 

I’ve been chained to my computer a lot this week, doing proposals.  Getting out has been tough but the shame of having to report my networking score card results in my coaching group drives me out.  Had a lunch with a group of folks yesterday (points) and will be going to a mixer tonight (more points.)  Watch out!  I’m looking for referrals for my “P’s”.  (Really big points!)  And I need the points. 

“ Strategy without tactics is the slow road to victory but tactics without strategy is merely the noise before defeat.”   

                                                                                                                            Sun Tzu                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

It seems that the idea of developing a business strategy is gaining more attention all the time.  I’ve often related my favorite quote, above, to business people I know.  And the theme is showing up more and more in books, articles and seminars.  Good stuff, all, and certainly important to business success.  But it’s one thing to articulate a good strategy and another to implement it.  In military circles, things like the fog of war are recognized as disruptions to even the best strategies. 

This fog of war shows up in our business world as the day-to-day execution of the “thing” we do. In fact, the biggest challenge that we may have is executing well on a consistent basis while maintain focus on our longer range strategic intent.  Strategy has more to do with competitive advantage while tactics are about delivering the goods.  Not easy when you’re wearing many different hats on the organizational chart, like most of us do. 

Lately, I have been in a few discussions about “networking”, what it means, what works, and what does not work so well.  Seems like every event, political, social, business or otherwise is a must-do because of the great networking opportunity.  Makes me wonder what this networking thing is all about.  We used to get together on occasion for the purpose of just getting together.  Of course, we “networked” in the sense that we developed relationships by spending time together and learning more about each other. 

It seems to me that “networking” has run amuck, gone wild, is out of control, taking on a life and purpose of its own.  We’ve got to attend all these events because they are networking opportunities and you can’t afford to miss one of those now, can you? 

Which brings me to the thought of broad vs. deep in building your network.  Broad is good, even necessary but deep is better. 

I know that broad vs. deep can spark great discussions, with the deep thinkers coming down on both sides of the fence.  Creating a diverse network gives access to a wide range of contacts, both numerically as well and from the perspective of variety.  This is good but not entirely for the reason we think: getting referrals for us.  While there are a number of things that can result from wild networking (spaghetti-on-the-wall theory), it is random and not a good use of your time.  And it doesn’t necessarily work well in getting to your target market.  However, broad may be  valuable as a way of developing referrals for your referral partners.  Some people are good at broad and that is why you want them in your well-rounded network. Remember Gladwell’s Connectors.

But to me deep deserves more attention.  Barring the person locked in their office all day, most business people get out reasonably enough and know enough people to be valuable referral partners.  If fact, they may know all the people you’d  ever need to keep you in business for years.  But we’re not tapping into that resource because we are not purposeful in our networking as a tool to building referral relationships. 

I’d like to hear a bit about “broad vs. deep”  and  your take on networking as we know it today.   

The more I review referral marketing activities with my clients, the more apparent the impact of behavioral styles becomes.  The common complaints of, “I’m not getting enough referrals” or, “I’m getting crumby referrals” reminds me of the Referral Institute mantra, “It’s all my fault.”   Because we expect our referral sources to behave the same way we would, we are often disappointed.  If you haven’t taken time to assess their needs, then your failure to achieve referral quantity and quality is all your fault.

Yesterday I was discussing referral development with two women, an I/D and a C/D, I’m guessing.  (DISC Model of Human Behavior)  As we talked, the differences in what they would be comfortable doing and the activities they were inclined to participate in began to appear.  The I/D’s tendencies were toward group networking activities such as mixers and other social-type events.  On the other hand, the C/D was very interested in discussing a systematic approach to referral development, much of it one-on-one.  The idea of meeting a lot of people for the sake of becoming a “Connector” (Malcolm Gladwell) didn’t make sense to her. 

Doesn’t it make sense to have a good understanding of a behavioral model to help you better understand yourself and those you hope to work with, giving and receiving referrals?  Remember the Platinum Rule, “Treat others the way they want to be treated.”   I’m a fan of the DISC model, mainly because it is so simple to remember.  Whatever the approach, it is well worth the time and effort to learn and apply this information if you are planning to be successful in consistently giving and receiving referrals.

Often, when people want to help someone, they make a “referral” that is a connection.  This introduction is based on their belief that you may form some sort of referral relationship where you will work together, contributing business opportunities to each other.  More often than not, these introductions lead nowhere.  Why is that? 

First, have you checked with the person to see if they need or want such a connection.  They may already have a good relationship with someone in that field, or maybe “someones” in that field.  I often tell people that I have all the friends I can handle.  In fact, like most of us, I have more friends than I can manage and as a result, am not as good a friend as I should be.  I don’t need more friends that I can neglect.  The same goes for business relationships.  How many can you handle and still maintain a mutually beneficial relationship?  Don’t add another phone call or meeting to someone’s schedule without knowing if it meets a need they have.  Find out what your referral partners need and talk to them before you make another commitment for them.

We do a monthly luncheon that is a chance to introduce people in a casual setting so that they can get to know each other and decide if they would like to move the relationship to the next step.  Think of ways such as this that start the process and that lets the participants decide if it is worthwhile.  Be a profitable referral partner and find out what makes a good introduction and the best way to make it. 

Just read this in Robert Middleton’s More Clients EZine: Twitter may be the most powerful tool yet invented for powerful online networking. Don’t get left out. Jump in today and create and implement a Twitter plan that expands your network, visibility and credibility.

Wow!  I hadn’t figured Twitter out yet.  I have a couple pretty savvy friends who are Twitter fanatics and my marketing guru, David Meerman Scott is a fan but I couldn’t quite make the leap past the mindless “I’ve just eaten my 4^th donut” kind of comment.  I think I get it now.  Here are a few ways Twitter can be an integral part of your online marketing effort:

The first rule is “How can I share value with my network?” 

So if you read a good article, tweet. 

If you write a good article, tweet.

Learn about a valuable event?  Tweet.

Want to get people to read your great blog: tweet.

Learn something new that could be helpful to your network?  Link them to it with a ….tweet.

Found a great video, you got it: tweet.

While an occasional tweet about your kid throwing up on you or your dog swallowing the car keys might be amusing to your friends, the real value of Twitter is bringing value to your network.  There’s a lot going on out there that could help us succeed but it impossible to keep up with it all.  That’s where a solid, savvy network and Twitter comes in.  Think what Paul Revere could have done with it.