'Tis the Season To Be Sowing

The Parable of the Sower

I love the month of December for many reasons. I love getting together with family, the great food, the nip in the air, the lights, and all of the wonderful memories that are created.

I also love it because business usually slows down a little. Rather than just taking even more time off, I take it as opportunity to prepare for the next year. It's really the Season for Sowing. It's the season to be thinking and planning and getting everything in place to make a GREAT START into the next year. All the top earners do this. They have a mentality that allows them to see their business as a constant opportunity.

In the following audio Jim Rohn explains how the Law of Sowing and Reaping is so very clearly played out in growing a Network Marketing Business. It is the thorough understanding of how it works that enables us to discipline our disappointment and keep sowing, and ultimately succeed.


The story Jim tells comes from the book of Mark in the Bible.

Mark, Chapter 4, Verses 1-9

¹Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. ²He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

⁹Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

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Jim Rohn will change your life if you listen to his material. His wisdom and insights will change you from the inside out.

This exceptional series of motivational and inspirational messages by Jim Rohn literally changed my life over 20 years ago. His witty and sage advice will reach into the core of your thinking and change you from the inside out.

Listen to an Excerpt Here

My recommendation is to start with The Art of Exceptional Living > > >

You'll never be the same and you'll love it. I guarantee it!



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WHY WORK BY REFERRAL – PART 1

This is the beginning of a three-part article that will walk you through the philosophy and basic strategies of Working By Referral (WBR).

Here in Part 1, we’ll talk about why we MUST Work By Referral. Things have changed and the traditional methods of lead and customer acquisition just don’t work any longer

In Part 2, we’ll talk about why you CAN Work By Referral – Why EVERYBODY can work by referral. You can because you have a wealth of opportunity before even walking out your door. TRUE! And you don’t have to be an outgoing, Type-A social networker either.

Finally, in Part 3, we’ll go over the three basic strategies in the HOW of Working By Referral and give you some easy first steps to take.

I can sum up the foundation of Working By Referral in one key word: GENEROSITY

Generosity with your time, your resources, your relationships, your business "secrets." This should become more clear, so let's press on.

Part 1. Take your time and please don’t skip ahead... -------------------------------------------------------------

Why we MUST work by referral -- Because traditional methods of lead and customer acquisition simply don’t work like they used to.

Things have changed a lot in the last 20 years, haven’t they? Life moves at a faster pace. All those “labor-saving devices” like cell phones, the Internet, voice mail, answering machines and computers haven’t really moved us very far ahead. But they sure have changed things.

MAIL

Remember when the mail used to be looked at with anticipation? We ran to the mail box as soon as the mail truck left or even met him before he even got to the mailbox. Now the mail is viewed with suspicion. Ever received a piece of junk mail disguised to look like a check? You see what I mean. That’s why now we stand over the trash can to sort through our mail.

The best case we can hope for is less than a 1% response rate to our direct mail. And even then the quality of the leads is very second rate.

PHONE

Remember how we used to just love the telephone? Because we didn’t have email, text messaging and chat rooms on the Internet, the phone was our only way to stay in touch. Now it seems cumbersome and time-consuming.

I remember when answering machines first came out and we all rushed to get one so that we wouldn’t miss any calls. Now we use them to SCREEN our calls so we only answer for people we want to talk to.

I can’t remember the last time I cold called, but I bet that I’d see less than 5 in 100 where I wouldn’t have to first get past the screening of the answering machine. Certainly NOT my idea of a good time.

DOOR TO DOOR

Unless it’s one of my neighbors or someone I’m expecting (or a Girl Scout offering those MARVELOUS Girl Scout Cookies), it’s just plain weird when someone comes to my door. Like most of us, I have the peep-hole to see who it is and make the WILL I ANSWER THE DOOR DECISION based on what I see. Usually I don’t.

NEWSPAPER AND OTHER PRINT ADS

We live in an age of information overload. Between all the books we can read, the Internet sites and the newspapers and magazines we can read, a person could go crazy just trying to keep up. Aside from the dramatically declining subscription rates to newspapers and magazines with the advent of everything alternatively available online, print ads are SO EXPENSIVE. Kind of like putting all of your money on number 7 and letting them spin the wheel.

I don’t know what everybody else does, but I don’t read ads when I occasionally read a newspaper or a magazine. I don’t subscribe to any magazines and my wife likes to get the newspaper on Sunday for the coupons. She doesn’t read it either.

If you’re depending on print ads to generate enough business to pay the rent and feed the family, you’re going to end up homeless and hungry!

THE BIG WWW…(aka the Internet)

More of the same here with the information overload.

IN DAYS OF OLD WHEN KNIGHTS WERE BOLD…

Remember the days of the Knights of the Round table, Sir Lancelot and King Arthur? They all lived in some kind of castle. And all the castles had a moat and a drawbridge. Visitors had to first be identified and then allowed access to the castle.

We’ve gone back to that.

We’ve built electronic moats around our lives to keep the unwanted people out.

In the days of old:

• They called up to the watchman; we call into the phone.

• They threw small stones over the wall to get their attention; we throw direct mail into their mailbox or email inbox hoping for a response

• They stood at the drawbridge door and banged on it until it was answered; we stand at their door and knock hoping for a friendly face on the other side.

OK… So now we know what DOESN’T work. But before we jump into what DOES work, let’s go to Part 2 and talk a little bit about the most important ingredient of Working By Referral – YOU. Anybody, especially you, has already IN PLACE a foundation of a fantastic referral system. I mean it’s at your fingertips and you can start enjoying the fruit of that foundation -- TODAY.

See you in Part 2.

It's a Good Life !

Dennis Volz Insurance Agency
10783 Jamacha Bl, Suite 1, Spring Valley, CA 91978
OFFICE: (619) 670-1000 - FAX: (619) 670-1121 - Cell (619) 339-1339
Email: Dennis@DennisVolz.com
Websites: Company Site: DennisVolzInsurance.COM, Client Convenience Site: 6701000.com

My 'Other Blogs'

The San Diego Insurance Blog

Active Rain Networking Site

Musings from California
Read more!

WHY WORK BY REFERRAL – PART 3

This is the final installment of a three-part article that will walk you through the philosophy and basic strategies of Working By Referral (WBR).

• In Part 1, we talked about why we MUST Work By Referral. Things have changed and the traditional methods of lead and customer acquisition just don’t work any longer

• In Part 2, we talked about why you CAN Work By Referral – Why EVERYBODY can work by referral. You can because you have a wealth of opportunity before even walking out your door. TRUE! And you don’t have to be an outgoing, Type-A social networker either.

• Finally, here in Part 3 we'll discuss HOW you can Work By Referral. We’ll go over the three basic strategies of Working By Referral and give you some easy first steps to take.

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HOW you can Work By Referral – It’s a simple process of caring for, contacting with and uniting the people that comprise your LIST OF RELATIONSHIPS.

HERE'S THE SIMPLE Three-Step TEMPLATE FOR WORKING BY REFERRAL

1. CONTACT:

a. Face to Face (coffee or lunch) as often as possible (with your A's).
b. Calls about every 60 days. More frequent for your very best A's.
c. Personal, handwritten notes as often as possible.
d. Personal Email
e. Group Email

2. CONNECTION:

a. Networking
b. BEING a source of referral

3. CONCERN:
a. ALWAYS listening and lending a hand either with your time, your energy or your resources (contacts, knowledge, expertise) Not just limited to your field.
b. Remembering to follow up about significant events in people's lives.

Let's take a minute to talk about each one of these and you'll be ready to put this simple yet POWERFUL system into action... TODAY!

CONTACT

Simply stated people will forget about you if you don't stay in contact with them. I know we'd all like to think that after explaining our need for their referral business that our friends and family will be digging day and night to generate leads for us, but that's simply not the case. People lead very busy lives these days and even when the PERFECT referral opportunity presents itself to them, they may not remember to help people connect with you. That's why it's so very important to keep in touch with several levels of communication.

Here's each of the methods that have proven to be most effective. I'd say these are also listed in order of effectiveness.

Face to Face as often as possible (with your A's).
Nothing beats sitting down for lunch or coffee and just getting to know our best Sphere's of Influence (SOI's) People will indeed tell you their life story if you're just willing to listen. Listening to someone uninterrupted and uneditorialized is one of the greatest gifts you can give.

Invest your time into the value of the relationship and you'll reap dividends in every area of life

Calls about every 60 days. More frequent for your very best A's.
Don't make this a big deal! Just pick up the phone and say howdy. "Just checking in with you, John to see how life has been treating you. How's things?"

If you feel better, have a little something to offer. Maybe ask if they'd like the link to an online article or blog post you read that might be helpful. Offer to send them a file with a list of 10 best ways to (whatever...). Having something to offer often can overcome any call reluctance you might have.

Personal, handwritten notes as often as possible
Get yourself a box of simple, blank greeting cards. Whenever you have a conversation with someone that has any kind of significant event, drop them a quick note. "What should I say?," you ask. GREAT question.

Simply write from your heart. Write what you'd like to hear. I know sometimes the words just don't come. In that case, I'd recommend a great little book that is a tremendous desktop reference tool. Read it just once and you'll be on your way. Refer to it when you get that occasional Writer's Block. Personal Notes: How to Write from the Heart for Any Occasion

I've learned that notes are so much more than a TOOL TO GET REFERRALS (although it seems to work that way) Notes will bless and enrich the lives of the recipients. They will possibly be that one bright spot in an otherwise ROTTEN DAY.

I've been using this book or about 8 months now. The author, Sandra E Lamb offers a step by step process to learn to convey the real you in your notes. This process is so helpful when you know what you want to say in your heart but the words just don't come out for you.

Personal Email
Sometimes just a quick PERSONAL email is going to be almost as effective as a note. Email will never replace the warmth and impact that an old fashioned note in the snail-mail, but if it's done correctly, it can be a genuine connection event between you and your friend.

Make sure you remove any 'automatic signature' things that ask for referrals or give any other kind of 'commercial' for you. Just make a personal note from you to them without any other agenda.

Group Email
I send these out monthly. They're a great way to offer a 'group connection.' Here's your opportunity to send out multiple touches with just the click of your mouse. You can use your regular email, but I like to use iContact. where you can get a free trial and then if you decide to keep it, its only $9.95 a month. It's very user friendly and will track your email by telling you how many people opened it, how many people clicked on any links you had in your email and if they sent it on to friends or unsubscribed.

I use all that information to help me know which people in my list of relationships are still viable and interested in being in touch with me. I never want to push myself on someone who's not interested. The unsubscribe is an excellent tool for that. Helps me spend the best time on and with people who are interested

CONNECTION

Networking
You may think that all I've been describing is 'networking.' While the definition is different for different people, to me, networking is the act of CONNECTING your list of relationships

This is an excellent way to deepen the friendships you have and create others along the way. Just by getting several of your friends together for coffee, happy hour or a lunch you will rapidly expand the effectiveness of your referral network.

There's two ways to approach this.

1. Simply connect your friends and assiociates as friends. Bring them together for a good time.

2. Connect them as business people. Offer to introduce your plumber to your attorney if he needs some plumbing work. Tell your best friend about your handyman if she needs some work done on her patio roof. Let all your network know that you're the GO TO PERSON when they need a trusted contractor, business or professional to help them out

BEING a source of referral
Remember that in order to get referrals, you need to provide them. Simply connecting your network together with referrals tells them that WBR is the best way to find a business or service that you need. It keeps you and your philosophy in front of them and then when the time is appropriate, they'll remember you and send people your way.

CONCERN

ALWAYS listening and lending a hand either with your time, your energy or your resources (contacts, knowledge, expertise) Not just limited to your field.
This is what makes us better people. This habit of remembering that everyone we meet loves someone, is afraid of something or has lost someone separates us from the slam-bam-thank-you-m'am way that many people do business these days

We have a TREMENDOUS opportunity to be a blessing to people along our 'business way.' It really doesn't take any extra time to listen with both ears and your heart. Nothing can substitute the impact of a soul to soul connection that leads to deeper relationships. Take a minute to listen to the story about their vacation where everything went wrong, to the mom who's daughter got arrested over the weekend, or to the man who just lost his father.

Express your genuine concern, maybe an offer for assistance, or your promise to follow-up and check in on them. Then...

Remembering to follow up about significant events in people's lives.
After you've connected with people, don't forget them. Drop them a note, call them to be sure they're ok, take them out to lunch to get the latest on their progress, or brighten their day by stopping by with a small gift.

THE PROCESS TO A RICHER LIFE
All of this 'work' can take you less than a couple hours a day. Then you go out to lunch with a few friends. Then on the way home you stop by another friends house and bring them a small bouquet of flowers or a Snickers Bar. Make another call or two on the way home to a couple more friends and invite them to the ball game or a small BBQ at your home over the weekend.

Think of the new friends and the depth of the relationships you'll develop.

At the end of the day, its really the people that make a difference. Make a difference in their lives and you'll be rich beyond measure.

It's a Good Life !

Dennis Volz Insurance Agency
Spring Valley, CA
OFFICE: (619) 670-1000 - FAX: (619) 670-1121 - Cell (619) 339-1339
Email: Dennis@DennisVolz.com

Websites:
Company Site: DennisVolzInsurance.COM,
Client Convenience Site: 6701000.com

My 'Other Blogs'
The San Diego Insurance Blog
Active Rain Networking Site
Musings from California

Read more!

How to turn a BLOG SITE into a Business Referral Directory

I've been using the BRIAN BUFFINI online Referral Directory but am finding it to be complicated and not really user friendly. I was reading another blog the other day and something I read sparked this idea and I tried it out and I like the look MUCH BETTER and it seems more user friendly to me.

I'd love your comments after you take a look at the directory.

Everyone knows that networking includes creative methods of:

1. Keeping your name in front of your network.
2. Keeping your network in the public eye to maximize their exposure for referrals from you and your clients.

Keeping a Business Referral Directory is an important networking tool and excellent value to your clients. You can turn a FREE BLOG site such as www.blogspot.com (Google's FREE blog site) into your ONLINE BUSINESS REFERRAL DIRECTORY.

Here's the steps. (I've only done this at Blogger.com but I'm guessing the process is similar at other sites)

1. Set up a blog.
2. Each of your "listings" is an individual post.
3. Do a WELCOME POST (see mine here)
• PUBLISH the post, then go BACK INTO THE POST TO EDIT
• Adjust its posting date to a date about a year in the future (you'll see why in a minute)
• RE-PUBLISH the post
4. Set up the side menu to list the LABELS (AR Calls them TAGS here) but NOT the ARCHIVE (that's the chronological listing of your posts).
• This will allow you to assign any number of labels to each business. For example, you can label your plumber as HOME REPAIR, PLUMBING, and HANDYMAN if you'd like.
5. Set the blog to only show 1 post on the first page. This will display only your post with the most recent date (or furthest in the FUTURE) ie the WELCOME PAGE
6. Encourage your clients to come back and add COMMENTS for each vendor. (hopefully they'll all be positive)
7. Add a place on the side menu to encourage others to talk to you about being added to the Directory.

OPTIONAL....

1. I also put in a LINK section at the very top to return people to one of my two web pages as that's likely where they came from to get to the Directory.
2. I put a 'post' titled AND LABELED "**Click here if you can't find what you want" that asks clients to call me if I don't have what they need listed. This keeps you in the loop and helps you find needed additional vendors. (the ** at the beginning of the label just puts that label always at the TOP OF THE LIST)

Get creative and let the good times roll.

If you've already done this, I'd love to see your directory. Please leave the link address in your comment.

THANKS.......

It's a Good Life !

Dennis Volz Insurance Agency
Spring Valley, CA
OFFICE: (619) 670-1000 - FAX: (619) 670-1121 - Cell (619) 339-1339
Email: Dennis@DennisVolz.com

Websites:
Company Site: DennisVolzInsurance.COM,
Client Convenience Site: 6701000.com

My 'Other Blogs'
The San Diego Insurance Blog
Active Rain Networking Site
Musings from California

Read more!

Personal Notes - The Key to Richer Relationships

We all know the power of personal notes. Yes, we all do whether we send them out or not.

Think back to the last time you were sorting thru your pile of junk mail and nestled in the middle of the disarray of fliers (trash), postcard ads(trash), bills(trash)(oops, better keep those), and circulars(trash) and a HAND ADDRESSED envelope with a note or letter to YOU (STOP)!

Maybe it was your birthday or maybe it was just for no particular reason. You STOPPED with an internal dialog maybe something like mine when this happens. (this is all before I even open it.)

WOW! Look at this.
Decent handwriting.
Don't recognize it.
Looks like a card of some kind.
Wonder who it's from.
No return address on the front.
Oooh...>Heres one on the back.
No name, just an address. 5656 Prarie Lane.... OKLAHOMA????
hmmmmmm.
OK, let's check this out.

All that just for a quick note. Then you open it and IMMEDIATELY go straight to the END to see who signed. I guess that's why Paul and other New Testament writers put the "signature line" right up front. But I digress...

What an impact! And we know that these notes to our clients, friends and family have a powerful impact their lives, on our business , and on ourselves as we take the time to write them. Do you think they toss these notes with the rest of the JUNK MAIL... NO WAY. They keep them. Sometimes for years.

Doesn't seem to matter what's in the note as long as its handwritten and from someone you know. They're either wishing you HAPPY BIRTHDAY, 'How's it going', 'Congratulations on your recent _____', or 'Just wanted to say HI'.

We all love to receive notes. Maybe you've received one when you needed some encouragement or you'd recently celebrated some milestone. Or maybe you received one from a salesman thanking you for your time. Wouldn't you be more likely to talk to him again.

Maybe even send him a referral! AH-hah... Now I've got your attention.

I know the owner of a print shop. She tells me that she prints lots of personalized thank you notes. It's one of her most popular items. It's the development of relationships that will drive your business forward faster than anything else you can do. The key to richer relationships is becoming a remarkable value to your clients and contacts. Ultimately, effective networking that brings your business to the point of Working By Referral (only!) comes down to how much you give. Networking is all about becoming a PERSON OF VALUE for your network.

One of the tools that is at your disposal is the practice and habit or writing personal, handwritten notes to your network.

But you say, "I just can't write notes. I never know what to say or when to send them and really.... I don't have time for it." Let me encourage you to MAKE TIME for it. It will enrich your life beyond measure. Giving to others is the best 'high' of all!

Think on two levels when you are writing your personal notes.

1. First and foremost, you are seeking to enrich the lives of the people to whom you write. (this is the PERSONAL side of your habit) Remember, true networking is about what you can give. Getting comes later...


2. Develop a disciplined, systematic method of sending out your notes. Set a goal of 3 per day or 10 per week. (this is the BUSINESS side of your habit) Remember, effective networking brings you a constant stream of new leads and contacts.
   

So what do you write to them about.

The answer is just about ANYTHING and nothing. Certainly you will write them when a special event happens in their lives -- both good and bad ones. Celebrate with them and mourn with them. Any opportunity you have to encourage or edify them with your notes is golden! Don't miss it. Just go to you local stationery store or Office Depot or Staples and pick up a few packs of blank note cards. Usually what you'll want is a card something with a generic on the front. A nice picture of a landscape, ocean, forest, mountain cabin is perfect. You'll even find some with a nice phrase or generic quote either on the front or on one flap of the inside. That's ok too, but nothing more than that. Remember, the card is about what you write to them. Don't detract from that with too much going on with the card itself.

WHAT DO I WRITE? GREAT question.

Simply write from your heart. Write what you'd like to hear. I know sometimes the words just don't come. In that case, I'd recommend a great little book for you.

This book is a tremendous desktop reference tool. Read it just once and you'll be on your way. Refer to it when you get that occasional Writer's Block. Personal Notes: How to Write from the Heart for Any Occasion

I've learned that notes are so much more than a TOOL TO GET REFERRALS (although it seems to work that way) Notes will bless and enrich the lives of the recipients. They will be possibly that one bright spot in an otherwise ROTTEN DAY.

I've been using this book for about six months now. The author, Sandra E Lamb offers a step by step process to learn to convey the real you in your notes. This process is so helpful when you know what you want to say in your heart but the words just don't come out for you.

This is extremely helpful for me when i need to write a note of condolence and encouragement for a lost loved one, lost job, or onset of serious illness.

I keep it next to my desk now and pull it whenever I have a little WRITERS BLOCK...

Check out the book description page at AMAZON.

Personal Notes: How to Write from the Heart for Any Occasion

It's a Good Life !

Dennis Volz Insurance Agency
10783 Jamacha Bl, Suite 1, Spring Valley, CA 91978
OFFICE: (619) 670-1000 - FAX: (619) 670-1121 - Cell (619) 339-1339
Email: Dennis@DennisVolz.com
Websites: Company Site: DennisVolzInsurance.COM, Client Convenience Site: 6701000.com

My 'Other Blogs'

The San Diego Insurance Blog

Active Rain Networking Site

Musings from California
Read more!

WHY WORK BY REFERRAL – PART 2

In Part 1 we discussed the philosophy of Working By Referral (WBR). Why you MUST work by referral these days.

Here in Part 2, we'll talk a little about the CAN DO of Working by Referral.

You CAN Work By Referral -- Because you have EVERYTHING you need to get started and be very successful.

Working By Referral generates the BEST QUALITY leads

Let’s play the RATE THE QUALITY GAME!

Rate these leads on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best possible.

A phone call who asks for a price quote.

A return card with a name, address and phone number from direct mail.

Call from an ad or sign.

A referral from a friend.

A referral from your MOM.

Possibly you rated these in some kind of ascending order. Maybe not, but let me submit to you that by a country mile, referrals are the best leads you can receive. Why is that?

• Referrals usually come to you from people you like.

• Referrals come to you somewhat PRE-SOLD on YOU!

• Referrals usually are not “price shopping.”

• Referrals are more likely to then refer you because “they get” the referral process.

Now someone please tell me why the pursuit of referrals isn’t the PRIME DIRECTIVE of every sales person on the planet!

Why would you NOT spend the vast majority of your prospecting time, energy and resources in the generation of referrals?

YOU ALREADY HAVE THE CORE OF YOUR REFERRAL NETWORK

So you may ask, “Where am I going to find these people to refer leads, prospects and clients to me?” ANSWER: You already have them. Let's do the math and see how it works.

CONSIDER THIS: MOST PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT 200 PEOPLE

If you look at the size of the average wedding or funeral, you'll see somewhere between 200 and 300 people in attendance. So if that's true, then you know about 200 people.

And, most important of all, each of these 200 people also know about 200 people.

That gives you first party access to 200 people (the people you know) It gives also gives you second-party access to an additional 39,800 people (the people that YOUR 200 people know!). That’s a total of 40,000 people!

What do you think the odds are that within a group of 40,000 people, there's enough business there for you to make a VERY DECENT living? Pretty good, I’d say.

You see each of us has a tremendous source of wealth literally right at our fingertips. But the big question is....

HOW DO WE TAP INTO THAT WEALTH?

The secret to tapping into that wealth is in the relationships we develop with the people we know. Those relationships are nurtured by the value and the expertise that we bring to those relationships.

Please read that last paragraph again slowly. It’s probably the most important and powerful networking nugget you’ll ever read. Here, I’ll make it easy…

The secret to tapping into that wealth is in the relationships we develop with the people we know. Those relationships are nurtured by the value and the expertise that we bring to those relationships.

Consider if a friend of yours, Bob for example, had a plumbing problem in his home. If your very best friend on the planet, Pete, was a plumber, wouldn't you be completely comfortable even anxious (in a good way) to introduce Pete and Bob . The answer is... Of Course. Of course you'd serve as the connector to get them together. That’s just how simple it is to work by referral.

Pete was at the front of your mind because he’s your very best friend on the planet. You can keep yourself comfortably and continuously at the front of the minds of all your friends, contacts and alliances.

Developing meaningful relationships is rewarding on AT LEAST two levels. You'll enjoy the rewards of friendship and mutually enriching conversations along the way. And you'll get many more referrals as well.

HOW TO GET STARTED

The first step is to make a list of your friends, family and business contacts who:

1. Would be very willing to refer you.

2. Would be reasonably willing to refer you.

3. Might be willing to refer you if you asked them and showed them how.

This is not going to be a mailing list or database. This is a LIST OF RELATIONSHIPS (relationships you have or those you’d like to develop). Don't worry about the numbers yet, just make the list. Some very fruitful lists have started with as little as 10 people.

Here’s a little list to help jog your memory…

• Father and Mother
• Father-In-Law / Mother-In-Law
• Grandparents
• Children
• Brothers & Sisters
• Aunts and Uncles
• Nieces and Nephews
• Cousins
• Those you meet in organizations or clubs
• Civic groups, Rotary, exchange, Jaycees
• Political clubs
• Lodge, Elks, Moose, Etc.
• Missionary societies, brotherhood groups
• Merchants or farm organizations
• School groups, boosters, alumni, PTA, etc.
• List of acquaintances already available
• Christmas card list
• Address book
• Day timer, planner
• List of fellow employees
• Church directory
• People who are decision makers
• Business owners
• Human Resources Directors
• Office managers
• Those who are your closest friends with whom you associate regularly
• Friends and Neighbors
• People you work with
• Church members
• Sunday school class members>
• Those you have been associated with in the past
• Schoolmates
• Former co-workers
• People in your home town
• Military cohorts
• Those you do business with
• Doctor, lawyer, barber, merchants, grocer
• Gas station attendant, dry cleaner, postal worker
• Beauticians, jewelers, waiters/waitresses
• People you know who are in direct sales
• Business/office machine salespeople
• Insurance sales people
• Car salespeople
  

Now that you’ve got your list of relationships, you need to rate the people with respects to their potential to refer business to you. I like A, B, C, & P.

A's are the people who are your biggest fans – Your personal cheerleaders. They maybe have referred you in the past or would be eager to refer you now. Here’s where you might start with just a couple names. Keep this list sacred as it’s the people with whom you’ll spend the most time, energy and resources.

B's are people who you think would refer you if you asked them and showed them how to refer you. (YES, there are BETTER ways to refer than others. more on that later)

C's are people that you've either had a discussion about referrals and they weren't all that warm about the idea, but wanted to maybe try to help you. Or they may have been enthusiastic at first, but a good amount of time has elapsed and no referrals.

P's (Pending) are people you know or have just met but you're not really sure how receptive they might be to referring you.

DELETE - are people who are no longer on your list. Either you've decided that they're just not going to ever refer you and you can't afford to invest in them any longer or you really just don't like them. (One of great benefits of having an effective system of Working by Referral is that you don't have to work with people you don't like!

OK. STOP ! !

Yes, really. Just STOP HERE for a second.

Did you actually make a list? No, I don’t mean a mental list. Did you actually stop and write a list of all the people you know and sort them into A’s, B’s, C’s and P’s? If you didn’t, please stop and do that now.

Keep on reading after you’re finished.

Moving on….

You will always be sorting and qualifying your list. You must be continually striving to work people up the chain. Move your C's to B's, B's to A's and so on – But ONLY if they qualify for the higher designation. I’ll teach you how to get them qualified.

You will also want to constantly adjust people down who aren't responsive. You don't need to build and build your list until there are several hundred people on it. That would be way too much to maintain effectively. People can move down from B to C, and from C to DELETE! A good list of 100 GOOD QUALITY people will yield you plenty of business. Imagine having a list of just 50 people who averaged sending you just 1 referral a month!

So now we’ve got your philosophy of referrals in place (Part 1). That’s important because

Working By Referral is NOT a get rich quick scheme

FAR FROM IT. WBR is a slow burn. It burns white hot, but it’s not something that will yield amazing results in a week or two. (it could, mind you, but it probably won’t)

WBR is an ongoing PROCESS, not an intermittent PROJECT – its a few SIMPLE DISCIPLINES repeated (almost) everyday that yields a stead stream of viable and profitable leads, prospects and clients.

WBR is working like a hunter but thinking like a farmer. You work daily like a hunter because you’re focused, passionate and enthusiastic about your daily bread. You’re also thinking like a farmer because you know it takes planting seeds, watering, nurturing, cultivating and weeding until you harvest. It’s important to understand the philosophy behind the strategies we’ll learn to execute.

The Key word to successful WBR Is GENEROSITY.

Sure, I’ll say that again just so be sure you read that right. The key word to WBR is generosity. Be generous with your time. Be generous with your resources. Be generous with your expertise. Be generous with the YOU that you’re willing to invest into the lives of other people.

I know that may be not quite what you were expecting. This is NOT going to be about how much you can get out of these relationships, but how much you can invest. WBR is a process of giving to the lives of others… as an investment.

Now investments – Good Ones – yield returns. What kinds of returns can you expect from WBR. You can expect rich relationships, better friendships, more meaningful conversations, opportunities to really make a positive impact in the lives of countless people. And yes, you will get some referrals along the way.

Here in Part 2, we’ve talked about of creating your LIST OF RELATIONSHIPS. There’s lots of ways to structure this list. You can use any one of a number of computer platforms, 3x5 cards, paper and pen, but make sure it’s recorded. (we’ll get into the pros and cons of some of the various methods in other posts)

Now in the final Part 3 of this introductory series, we’ll go into the basic tools, activities and strategies of Working By Referral. There’s lots of thoughts and ideas there so let’s get to it.

It's a Good Life !

Dennis Volz Insurance Agency
10783 Jamacha Bl, Suite 1, Spring Valley, CA 91978
OFFICE: (619) 670-1000 - FAX: (619) 670-1121 - Cell (619) 339-1339
Email: Dennis@DennisVolz.com
Websites: Company Site: DennisVolzInsurance.COM, Client Convenience Site: 6701000.com

My 'Other Blogs'

The San Diego Insurance Blog

Active Rain Networking Site

Musings from California

Read more!

Become the GO-TO PERSON to get more Referrals

Working by referral and networking are really just two sides of the same coin. Expanding our networks to enrich them with diverse and practical outlets is important to become known as THE GO TO PERSON.

I'm an INSURANCE AGENT and yet just this week I found a Plumbing Contractor for one of my General Contractor Clients. Bob (the General) has been insured with me for over 20 years. He's 65 now and is trying to "wind down a little", but he really likes what he does and just can't seem to not take on the next project. We talked about this for awhile when he dropped in my office to start a new policy on a rental property he has just repossessed from the owner (he was carrying all the paper...)

As HE talked, I LISTENED. How can I be of service to this great client of mine? I know Bob likes no-nonsense in or around his job sites. "Don't whine, don't complain and don't give me excuse." he says, "just get the job done. Tell me what you need (materials, more help, whatever) and I'll have it there for you the next morning."

I asked him..."Bob, what's the most frustrating part of your work right now?"

He thought then said, "Well, I don't have a good plumbing contractor any more because Jerry moved to $%^$% Oregon."

"Want me to find you one?"

"Can you do that? What do you know about building?"

"Nothing," I replied. "But I know a lot of people."

He gave me a puzzled look and finally said something like, "well...whatever...ok... I guess. Yeah.... that would be great."

Long story short, I made some calls to a couple of QUALITY General Contractors I know who fully support WORKING BY REFERRAL and explained my situation. Got two for Bob to call today.

Moral of the story, I think is this....

1. You can never be connected to too many people.
2. Always listen with your NETWORKING ears on and ask, "What or who do I know that can help this client/prospect/friend.?
3. Step up to the plate, make the calls and make the connections.

Here's one last little tidbit for you to EXPAND your knowledge base. How many times have you known someone who says, "The insurance company is only giving me $2000 for my $3500 Chevy!" Well YOU CAN HELP THEM. Just click this link to THEY'RE NOT OFFERING ME ENOUGH FOR MY VEHICLE . Now you're kind of an ad hoc insurance helper/adviser/confidant. Bookmark it. You may not need it for a few months, but you'll run into somebody.

It's a Good Life !

Dennis Volz Insurance Agency
10783 Jamacha Bl, Suite 1, Spring Valley, CA 91978
OFFICE: (619) 670-1000 - FAX: (619) 670-1121 - Cell (619) 339-1339
Email: Dennis@DennisVolz.com
Websites: Company Site: DennisVolz.COM, Client Convenience Site: 6701000.com

My 'Other Blogs'

The San Diego Insurance Blog

Active Rain Networking Site

Musings from California
Read more!