Want More Referrals?

1. Respond IMMEDIATELY to the person who was referred to you.

2. THANK the person who sent you the referral and TELL them what your

course of action was with the referral.

3. TELL the person referred to you of other happy clients- these would be references for you.

Be sure you have selected a couple of clients and ask their permission to refer people to them for a reference. By TELLING the person who sent you the referral of your course of action, they will be comfortable sending you more referrals. By TELLING the referred person about other happy clients THEY will be more comfortable doing business with you- and then referring others your way.

Jeff@marketmagic.com

1. Be really passionate about what you do.

If you're not excited, other people won't be either. When you're joyful about your work, hobby, etc., you're attractive to yourself. When you're attractive to yourself, you attract others. It's that simple.

2. Get over feeling you have to impress people.

Yes, you worked hard to know what you know and be where you are, but don't expect other people to appreciate that as much as you do. When you emphasize what you know or how far you've come, you run the risk of coming off as egotistical and patronizing. Worse yet, you can create such a distance between yourself and others that they'll write you off. Better to practice humility. On the other hand, when others know that you're a gold mine of talent or information about something and you withhold yourself deliberately even when you've been asked to help, you can get the same unpleasant result. The key here is to place yourself in other people's shoes and find out what it is they care about.

3. When people ask what you do, use real life examples of how you have helped others solve a problem, improve their quality of life, stretch themselves, etc.

When you use real life examples, you tend to get rid of the complexity and jargon that so often turn people off anyway. Moreover, using real life examples enables the person you're talking with to relate what you're saying to his/her own situation, wants, or needs.

4. "Tell it to a wise person, or be silent."

This line from a poem holds a great truth. The person who is ready to hear your message is the person who can make the most use of it. With those who are not receptive, your message just bounces off into the air, or, worse, triggers defensive reactions in the other person.

5. Eliminate jargon from your vocabulary.

When you use jargon, however meaningful it is to you, you risk turning the other person off because what you're saying is too cryptic to be understood or you appear to be showing off. When you have a conversation with another person based on his/her point of view, you naturally ease into using his/her vocabulary. It's that person's vocabulary which has meaning for him or her, and that's what you want to connect with.

Jeff@marketmagic.com

The Top 10 Extras to Give your Clients
1. Extra time that you don't bill them for.
2. A newsletter that's WORTHWHILE.
3. Education on how to make the most of your service.
4. Networking: Putting your clients in touch with others in your network, for mutual benefit.
5. A gift during the holidays or for their birthday, if appropriate.
6. A free annual review/meeting of some sort that's about the CLIENT.
7. Develop a bank of experts in many fields who are available to your clients.
8. Continually innovate/improve your products and services and keep your clients informed about why/how to take advantage of these.
9. Develop a reminder service of some sort to keep the client informed when certain things should be done.
10. An automated way for your clients to access of your resources--from appointment making to FAQs to policies to payment to account status.

Jeff@marketmagic.com

The overwhelming majority of people do not respond to a single marketing communication... or a single phone call... or a single fax... or a single anything else.

Jeff@marketmagic.com

Introduction to Networking

Networking.

The word conjures up all sorts of interesting pictures. Men in recliners smoking cigars and making deals in back rooms. MLM dealers cheering at training sessions and trying to recruit everyone who comes within 3 feet of them when they're done. Even computer wizards doing arcane things behind the scenes to make your Internet connection work.

Networking is about connections. For your purposes in business, it's making connections that bring you customers.

A couple of basic working definitions are in order.

Contact

Jeff@marketmagic.com 

A person with whom you have developed, or are developing, an ongoing relationship of trust and mutual respect, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING BUSINESS MATTERS.

Referral

The recommendation of a business to a person who knows the prospective customer well enough to have developed some level of established trust. Someone telling a friend or business acquaintance to do business with you based on their confidence in your ability to do the job well.

Introduction to Networking
Networking.

The word conjures up all sorts of interesting pictures. Men in recliners smoking cigars and making deals in back rooms. MLM dealers cheering at training sessions and trying to recruit everyone who comes within 3 feet of them when they're done. Even computer wizards doing arcane things behind the scenes to make your Internet connection work.

Networking is about connections. For your purposes in business, it's making connections that bring you customers.

A couple of basic working definitions are in order.

Contact

A person with whom you have developed, or are developing, an ongoing relationship of trust and mutual respect, SPECIFICALLY REGARDING BUSINESS MATTERS.

Referral

The recommendation of a business to a person who knows the prospective customer well enough to have developed some level of established trust. Someone telling a friend or business acquaintance to do business with you based on their confidence in your ability to do the job well.

Networking

Consciously developing contacts in an effort to increase the number of referrals you get for your business.

Networking, in the business sense, is nothing more complicated than working out ways to get other people to send you business, based on word of mouth or direct introduction.

Networking is the single most cost efficient form of advertising you can plan for. Yes, you may get some, or even a lot, of referrals without making a conscious effort at it. You'll get a lot more if you pay attention to the process.

It not only leads to more business, but it usually means better business. If a customer always pays their bills and never gives you hassles, do you think they're liable to send someone your way that is a deadbeat and a trouble customer ? Not often. The two types don't usually mix, and when they do, the good customer will normally value the relationship too much to jeopardize it with unnecessary bad referrals.

Cold Calling – A basic guide

During a cold call, you have just 30 seconds to interest a potential customer in what you’ve got to offer. Luckily, in just a few minutes you can learn some basic tips for improving your cold call success.
• Firstly, think about how you come across. Enthusiasm and an articulate approach are crucial. Don’t be pushy. Instead, listen carefully and respond to what the customer says.
• Before picking up the phone, plan the timing of your call. For example, ask receptionists about busy periods and good times to ring. Most people are more responsive to calls made in the morning.
• Once you’ve got through to the right person, introduce yourself and state the reason for your call. Try taking your cue from the customer. If he or she seems busy or impatient, ask if there’s a better time to speak. Otherwise, find out how long the customer has, and be ready to keep your call short.
• Now’s the time to give a brief description of your product or service. Stress the key benefit your product has for this particular customer. You can then ask if the customer is interested in what you’ve said so far. If so, congratulations — you’re well on the way to making a sale. If not, try to find out why. Your call may be more welcome six months down the line.

Jeff@marketmagic.com

Getting the Sale

Do you purchase a new product or service the first time you see
or hear of it?  I doubt it.  In fact, it's highly unlikely that
you ever purchase a new product the very first time you hear
about it.

And yet that's exactly what a majority of all salespeople
actually expect!

Based on studies over the past 50 years, we know that:

***  A majority of sales people make one call, and never
come back.

***  Only 25% of salespeople will call a second time to offer
additional information, or to follow-up.

***  Less than 10% of salespeople will call on a prospect 5
or more times, and yet these are the people that make over
80% of all the commissions!

The statistics change slightly from one study to the next,
but the principle holds true in every industry, and from year
to year, around the world.  In sales, persistence pays!

How does this apply to professionals and those who are
less focused on direct sales, like therapists, Chiropractors,
coaches, attorneys and accountants?  I think it means
maintaining the same office, participating in community
organizations, and showing up at Chamber of Commerce
or other meetings.  It means participating.  It means
consistency.  It means persistence!

People buy familiar "brands", whether that's a recognized
brand of automobile, or a professional who has become a
recognized and familiar face at the health club or my house
of worship. 

To build your professional practice or expand your sales, show
up!  Get involved, meet people where they are, participate
in the things that interest them, and be generous.  Be
consistent -- TIP's is vastly more effective as a sales
instrument now than even a year ago, simply based on
repetition and familiarity.

Use that principle to build your business, increase your
sales, and make more money.

 Jeff@marketmagic.com