quality referrals http://www.artwoo.com Returned search results for quality referrals Copyright 2008 Sun, 23 Nov 2008 08:14:53 +0000 http://www.artwoo.com/rss/quality+referrals Why Clients Resist Giving Quality Referrals http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-clients-resist-giving-quality-referrals http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-clients-resist-giving-quality-referrals#comments Sun, 14 Jan 2007 06:27:06 +0000 quality referralslack thereofgood jobreferralfile cabinetseconds to goroadblocks http://www.artwoo.com/article/why-clients-resist-giving-quality-referrals referrals from clients and prospects are the way to success, but less than 15% of all advisors generate enough referrals to significantly impact their business. Most of the time, the problems advisors have generating referrals is due to the training--or --they have received, rather than with the their performance. The traditional referral selling training has been to "do a and ask for referrals." Yet, it has been obvious for decades that it really does not work very well. Using the traditional approach, the typical advisor will get an occasional name and phone number or two from their clients, but seldom do these names and phone numbers result in a sale. Certainly, on occasion, these referrals become clients, but the close ratio tends to be quite poor.

The failure to generate a large number of high actually lies in the traditional method's approach to the client. The traditional "do a good job and ask for referrals" approach creates several to getting referrals.

First, by waiting until the sale is complete and then asking for referrals, your client has not had the opportunity to prepare for your request. To the client, the request comes from out of the blue. When you approach your client with your request without giving them an opportunity to think about it, you have put them on the spot. You are only giving them a few through their mental . More than likely in this situation, they will not be able to immediately produce the number or the quality of referrals you want.

Second, even if your client takes a few seconds to think about it, they really do not know what you want. It may seem obvious to you, but your client really has not a clue what a good referral for you is. This may seem a little difficult to accept, but it is true. You assume that because you sell a whole array of financial products and services, your customer is immediately going to think, "Who do I know who needs or uses any type of financial advice, guidance or products?" Wrong assumption. What they actually think is "what does this person want from me?" Or, more likely, "how can I get out of answering this?" Without having defined for your client exactly what a quality referral for you is, you stand a very little chance of getting quality referrals.

Third, the traditional method of "do a good job and ask for referrals" does not give your client a reason to give you referrals. We make the assumption that if we have done a good job, the client will like and respect us and be willing to give us referrals. Again, this is far from the case. Most clients will not give good, quality referrals just because they like you or because you have done a good job for them. You must give them a reason to give you referrals. They need to understand why it is in their best interest to give you referrals--and after the sale is complete, it is too late to try to explain how giving you referrals benefits them. Clients assume that whomever they refer you to will be more demanding and critical they have been. When a client gives a referral, they are putting their reputation and image on the line with the person to whom they are referring you. They are concerned about what their friend or acquaintance is going to think of them, particularly if you mess up. Consequently, you must give them a good reason why they should go out on the limb for you.

Fourth, the traditional referral generation method does not give the client an objective standard by which to measure the quality of your performance. You and your client may "feel" you have done a good job, but when you ask for referrals, they begin to think back over the sales process more critically and question whether you have really performed up to standard. If the two of you agree up-front on exactly what you need to do in order to "do a good job," they will have an objective basis to decide if they trust you enough and if you have earned the right to be sent to the people they really know and respect.

And finally, although not a direct result of the traditional referral generation method, an equally serious issue is studies show that the majority of the times advisors do not really ask for referrals--rather they suggest referrals. Instead of asking a direct question seeking referrals such as "John, which of your friends, family members or acquaintances do you know that I may be able help solve some crucial issues?" the typical advisor will make a weak request such as "John, if you happen to know someone I can help would you mind letting me know?" Or, "John, if you run across someone who could use my services would mind giving them my card?" Rather than a request for referrals, these are throwaway sentences, quickly forgotten by most clients.

Traditional referral training is inherently unfair to you, the advisor, and your client. It does not give the you the tools needed to successfully work with your client to generate quality referrals, and it does not give your client a reason give referrals, nor a chance to become comfortable giving you referrals.

Yet, it is possible to generate a very large number of high quality referrals from your clients. You need to make sure that your interaction with your client eliminates these shortcomings. Preparing your client during the sales process to give referrals by informing them up-front that you are a referral-based advisor and expect referrals after the sale; defining for your client exactly what a quality referral for you is; educating your client on why it is in their best interest to give you referrals; and then coming to an agreement with your client on exactly what you must do during the course of the sale to earn their referrals will quickly give you a large pipeline of quality referrals.

By recognizing and resolving the problems of the traditional referral generation method, you can turn these issues into your strengths, generating a large number of high quality referrals from almost every one of your clients and prospects. Bestselling author, speaker, sales trainer and management consultant, Paul McCord is recognized as a leading authority on lead generation, referral selling and personal marketing. Find more information at http://www.powerreferralselling.com ]]> Referrals Significantly Increase Sales - At no Cost! http://www.artwoo.com/article/referrals-significantly-increase-sales-at-no-cost http://www.artwoo.com/article/referrals-significantly-increase-sales-at-no-cost#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:43:30 +0000 internet marketing consultantbusiness referralsstreams of incomecustomer behaviourbill gatesbrainergraphic designer http://www.artwoo.com/article/referrals-significantly-increase-sales-at-no-cost
If you could hear about more sales leads that will boost your business, would that be worth a few hours once a week?

Each week, 25 other business owners, with same challenges you have, could meet to share their success with you - their success at helping you find more business, because if they help you, then they know you will help them.

Would you believe that you are probably about seven contacts away from ? We all know that if we had access to decision makers, our business could flourish - each week you get a chance to be introduced to the people you want to see - this is what the members of networking organisations already enjoy.

People meet locally and we work strategically together within a structured and focused environment that produces proven results.

The little secret behind getting and giving many is in building small clusters within the chapter. For example, we have already one of a web designer, an , a photographer, a and an IT specialist and within this cluster the referrals are exchanged very easily and bring business to all members!

So Why You Need More Referrals?

Business referrals are the best source of new business because of their effectiveness and the quality of leads that they provide.

1. Higher revenues - you get additional on a regular basis
2. Prospects convert to customers - those who were referred to you, are more likely to also buy from you!
3. Lower marketing costs - you don't have to spend money on expensive adverts any more
4. Better customer 'behaviour' - they pay you on time, do not complain much
5. You can concentrate on your business - because other people will sell for you!
6. You can literrally double your business - that's a no .

What are the other factors that make thousands of business people throughout the world join referral organisations?

1. Increased exposure to many other people and businesses.
2. Substantially increased referrals.
3. Marketing materials for your chapter and much, much more.
4. Participation in up to 52 networking meetings per year -- if the meeting takes place every week
5. And much, much more!!!

Fact "98% of businesses rely on referrals to gain new business and yet only 3% have any sort of strategy for referrals." Referral organisations provide that strategy, opening doors through personal introduction that might otherwise remain closed. Because what goes around, comes around! People that GIVE business referrals, GET business referrals!

This is expressed simply as "Givers gain" and the members who give most referrals have experienced tremendous successes.

This it the "good news" of networking -- you do not have to be pushy, you do not have to sell yourself, you do not have to be hated. The exact opposite is true - when you help people, either by giving them "hot" referrals or by delivering good quality service to their friends or to themselves, people will love you and they will find ways to give back what they got from you. The key to success here is: you give first.This article was written by members of Business Networking Group in Dublin.]]> Getting Referrals For Paid Online Surveys http://www.artwoo.com/article/getting-referrals-for-paid-online-surveys http://www.artwoo.com/article/getting-referrals-for-paid-online-surveys#comments Sun, 15 Jul 2007 00:35:01 +0000 google adwordsquality referralreferral numberonline surveyreferralsamount of moneyearn money http://www.artwoo.com/article/getting-referrals-for-paid-online-surveys online survey sites that you are a member of is a tough task, IF you don't know how to go about it. Even people that think they know how to get end up falling short.

As you have probably found out the hard way, it is not how many referrals that you get, but it is the quality of those referrals. You want to attract people that want to get paid for taking an online survey. You don't want some unmotivated browser, that will join and do absolutely nothing. There are many easy ways to make your skyrocket, and most of them do not involve you having to pay for internet adverstising of any sort. This involves everything from homemade flyers to pass out at a local college, or telling each and every one of your family members and friends (you won't believe how good of a referral a friend/family member can be).

You may want to dive into the paid advertising portion once you get comfortable with what works and what doesn't work, but, who knows, you might not even NEED to pay for any sort of advertising (ex: ). You might end up making a nice getting people to join survey copanies doing free marketing. The trick is to know what survey sites are good and reward well. You want your referral to feel comfortable with the site they join and you want them to be able to make money themselves. That is why you want to join AND get paid from every single online survey site that you promote. That way, you know that your referrals will enjoy the site enough to keep making money. The longer yor referral is active, the longer you will get paid from the work they do!

Sign up to one of the top online survey sites and get a feeling of what it is about. DO surveys yourself. . Get paid from them. That way, when you promote it, you can tell your referal exactly what to expect and what to do to make the most money possible from that particular online survey site. Remember, you want a , that enjoys making money taking surveys. The better you lay everything out and give good information, the more likely they are to jump right in and become a consistant money maker for months, or even years to come.

Join 5 or 6 of the highest converting survey sites on the web and spread your referrals between them. You will soon find out which ones are keeping your referrals interested, and you will be able to target a couple of your higher converting survey sites for your referals to join. Adam Woodham is an expert on Paid Surveys. He has extensive experience making money online with these unique survey websites and runs the web site http://www.surveyquickcash.com ]]> Are You Seeking Referrals For Your Services And Business? If Not, You Better! http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-seeking-referrals-for-your-services-and-business-if-not-you-better http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-seeking-referrals-for-your-services-and-business-if-not-you-better#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:20:00 +0000 referral ratewhatever your goalmarket presencereferral programcreative strategiesproduct offeringextra mile http://www.artwoo.com/article/are-you-seeking-referrals-for-your-services-and-business-if-not-you-better market presence. Referrals not only eliminate sales expenses and cut your prospecting time but it is a great pre sale mechanism as those that are referred tend to come with a "buy it now" mentality. In addition, referrals are proof that your customers are satisfied with your service or and that they'll too be back for more.

In order to get more referrals, you have to give more of yourself. That's right. You always have to be open and willing to go that for your clients. This means that you should always establish a "win-win" policy that benefits you and your clients. By doing this, your customers will be ecstatic to give you a referral because they appreciate your commitment to customer service and naturally want to recommend others which enhances the "win-win" policy you've established.

Second, you have to have set realistic and definite referral goals. For instance, do you want to get at least 2 new referrals every month or 1 a week? is, make sure that you write it down and act on it. By being crystal clear about your referral expectations, you will see an immediate increase in your which will not only increase morale but your bottom line as well.

Third, ask and you should be given. Never be afraid to ask satisfied customers for referrals. In fact, if you asked for 1 referral a week, you'd have 52 by the end of the year. Many business owners that by simply asking satisfied clients for help, they essentially open the referral floodgates.

Fourth, use to secure referrals. For instance, you can run a customer contest, give away prizes or even develop an iron clad that rewards those that give your referrals. Another great out-of-the-box strategy is to hire a referral someone that can research referral prospects and smooze them on your behalf. In return, you can pay them a set fee or pay them a commission for their efforts. Just be creative with your ideas and watch those referrals roll in.

Fifth, take on a joint venture partner. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. By taking on a joint venture partner, you'll have immediate access to their clients and they will have access to yours. As you might guess, this will instantly provide you with a hungry pool of prospects that may be interested in your services.

Sixth, follow up with all referees. After you receive a referral, make sure that you do something special for the person that referred you. For instance, you can give them a discount off your product or service or even send them a special gift that they can use. The key is to be appreciative for their referral.

In conclusion, referrals are extremely important to the success of your business endeavors. By giving more of yourself, setting realistic goals, trying creative referral strategies, and following up with referees, you can get more referrals than you ever dreamed of having. The key is to ask and you shall receive and watch those referrals come in. Srini Saripalli is a technologist, marketer and Success Coach. Referred by many as "Success Engineer", Srini specializes in Marketing and Sales Success. To download Your FREE E-Book titled "Offline Marketing for Online Marketers" visit http://www.srinisaripalli.com/Free-E-Book ]]> Important Leads And Referrals http://www.artwoo.com/article/important-leads-and-referrals http://www.artwoo.com/article/important-leads-and-referrals#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:25:00 +0000 insurance fieldbuying a new carinsurance agentinsurance businessbuilding a houseinsurance agentsexpanding your business http://www.artwoo.com/article/important-leads-and-referrals insurance business made online gets your business going. If you are an who have just started plotting what you really want to achieve in the next coming months, plus the approach that you are going to use in order to get leads, then, expect to be in business for even a longer period.

Who knows? Maybe after several more efforts and determination to manage your insurance business well, you'll be regarded as one of the most successful in the market.

Why are leads and referrals to other customers so important? Many business owners online continue to do this because of money. There are however the more "innovative" ones who have managed to establish and maintain their online success just by pursuing in getting leads and referrals =96 all year round.

The only reason an insurance agent needs to maintain high number of leads for his business is to stay being in business. Second, is to earn money (of course), then build credibility and expertise in the followed by goals of , , so forth and so on.

Dreaming big is also one factor but, each big dream has to have a strategic plan with it. You can't just certainly create something out of the top of your head and let it materialize right away. These are what we call stepping stones to success and what is success going to become if we don't have steps to land on.

To simply put it, an insurance agent can never get more leads or referrals if there is no uniqueness with the service that he gives his customers. Try to put yourself in the situation of a customer, if you don't receive anything "special" or that you seem not treated so well by a staff of an establishment, you'll realize soon that you're not getting a good service. You, then move on and find another better company and you make sure that none of your friends get ripped off by this same company.

Always think about the effect that it's going to do to your clients. Keep them informed; update them. This will make them feel that you are a good insurance agent who's doing a job so well and you will definitely be recommended to others. Shareen Aguilar is a writer for Insurance Leads Generation http://www.insuranceleadsgeneration.com which has information on generating Insurance Leads. ]]> Top 5 Tips To Choosing Your Real Estate And Mortgage Professional http://www.artwoo.com/article/top-5-tips-to-choosing-your-real-estate-and-mortgage-professional http://www.artwoo.com/article/top-5-tips-to-choosing-your-real-estate-and-mortgage-professional#comments Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:25:01 +0000 mortgage lenderlender referralsrealtor referralmortgage companybuy a homelender referralreal estate agent http://www.artwoo.com/article/top-5-tips-to-choosing-your-real-estate-and-mortgage-professional real estate agent and your . But where do you go to get good referrals for the professionals that are going to be helping you with buying your home?

Here are some people and places to check for realtor and mortgage s:

1) Family and close friends. You can be fairly certain that the people who love you aren't going to refer you to someone that they don't trust implicitly. Of course, you should take your knowledge of their particular quirks into consideration when listening to their suggestions. If you know that Uncle Bob hates everyone who works for him, you won't necessarily want to dismiss his wife's just because he has negative things to say. Likewise if one of your best friend's flaws is adoration of everyone, you'll want to think twice about taking her mortgage lender referral too seriously.

2) People you know in the industry. Perhaps you remember meeting a friend of a friend who worked at a . Or maybe you vaguely remember that your friend's sister does something with real estate. If you have some kind of "in" to the industry, you should call that person up. A simple, "hey remember me, hey I have a question" can gain you a wealth of information and some great referrals to professionals who can help you .

3) Anyone you know of who has recently bought or sold a home. These people have probably been working with professionals in the field, especially if they just bought a home. If they liked the people they worked with, they won't hesitate to tell you so. Referrals like that are priceless because they speak not only to the overall experience of the professionals but also to their recent track record.

4) Website forums and review sites. There are website forums and review sites dedicated to letting users tell you what they thought about different professionals. Find one for your area and get referrals there. Remember that sometimes professionals are paid to post positive reviews on those sites so read them with caution but they can be a good starting point for getting referrals.

5) Ask your realtor and mortgage lender for referrals. If you find one of these professionals before the other, ask for a professional referral to find the other one.

Of course, you should take all referrals of realtors and mortgage lenders with a grain of salt. You'll want to interview them yourself, make sure that your personalities mesh well together and look closely at the terms of working with them (especially in the case of the mortgage lender). But getting a referral is a very good start to making sure that you work with the professionals who can best help you find a new home." Kinan Beck is the Broker and co-owner of One Source Realty in Austin Texas. Visit Kinan's http://www.onesourcetulsa.com/ Tulsa Realtor Guide, visit his http://www.ericbramlett.com Austin Realtor website. ]]> A Tale Of Two Salesmen http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-tale-of-two-salesmen http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-tale-of-two-salesmen#comments Wed, 23 May 2007 18:34:53 +0000 born salesmanquality prospectsmidas touchreferralspersonalitycenter of attentionweeding http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-tale-of-two-salesmen born salesman!" at one time or another. The saying implies that there are some people that are more apt to being successful at sales than others. These people walk out the door, open their arms, and deals just fall out of the sky and into their arms because they have the . Without question, there are people that actually are born salesman. They have the , charisma, and confidence that it takes and people are naturally drawn to them. But can you only succeed in sales if you are one of these people?



The answer that that question is a resounding "NO!". The fact is that most people that are successful at sales don't fit this bill. Most people who are successful actually have many other things working for them rather than they are the and the life of the party when they show up. The truth is that a systematic salesman will beat a natural salesman, any day of the week.



A salesman with a system is more effective because if you break sales down into two parts, there are qualified prospects as well as converting those prospects into customers. Born salesman tend to be more of the 'fly by the seat of their pants' type and they largely live off from people that like doing business with them. Sure, many successful salesman ask for the referrals, but there is nothing systematic about it at all. They might bring it up, they might not. It depends on whether or not they remember. A salesman with a system actually has a process for everything so it's consistent. They excel at bringing into the funnel and working them down until they convert into customers. They have a process for out unqualified customers, putting prospects on follow-up campaigns based on the situation, and for asking and receiving referrals and testimonials. While the born salesman might win at converting more prospects into customers because of their winning personality, the systematic salesman will do a better job at bringing more leads into the sales funnel, staying consistent to turn them into customers, and then leveraging the new customers in a systematic way to ensure they can get more referrals from those customers.

So don't fret if you aren't as personable as the next guy. The key is to know what is the ideal way to convert prospects into buyers and to get referrals. It might be that it takes an average of 12 contacts to get a new customer. Most salespeople will stop at 2 because they can't remember when or who to call, but by setting up proper systems using CRM Software, you can be the person that gets to 12 and wins the customer. Sales is about numbers, no matter what sales trainer tells you. By knowing your metrics and knowing what the most efficient way to obtain a customer, you can setup your system so you always have a consistent and full pipeline. Why rely on your charm, when you can rely on your brain! Dave Roth coaches and trains salespeople to develop systems that converts prospects into customers and to free themselves from the pain of cold-calling. He runs and manages a website at http://www.elitecrmsoftware.com which reviews CRM Software and trains salespeople how to effectively leverage it. ]]> Tampa Schools Encouraged -- Student Referrals To County Disciplinary Panel Down http://www.artwoo.com/article/tampa-schools-encouraged-student-referrals-to-county-disciplinary-panel-down http://www.artwoo.com/article/tampa-schools-encouraged-student-referrals-to-county-disciplinary-panel-down#comments Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:27:11 +0000 hillsborough county school districthillsborough county schooltampareferrals311obviouslyweapons http://www.artwoo.com/article/tampa-schools-encouraged-student-referrals-to-county-disciplinary-panel-down Tampa schools are a member of the District, in which the Disciplinary Committee resides. The disciplinary panel deals with the troubled youth who commit serious offenses and policy violations at school. The panel imposes such measures as expulsion or reassignment to another school.

This past school year of 2005-2006 had the lowest number of to this disciplinary panel than any other since the 1998-1999 school year.

Tampa schools, along with the other school districts, have been trying harder to solve student problems in-school, before making referrals to the panel. This has increased the number of in-school suspensions over previous years; however, the Tampa schools believe their mission is to teach children -- and you cannot teach those who are not attending school. Tampa schools have cautioned their principals to be more patient and tolerant with problem students, when their offenses do not hold a danger to other students, educators and school employees. Additionally, Tampa schools educators have been educating students more aggressively on the district's zero tolerance of violent acts and other serious offenses, strongly stressing the consequences of such acts.

The Hillsborough County School District has about 191,000 students, many of which belong to the Tampa schools (the county seat). In the 2004-2005 school year, 1,602 students were referred to the panel for hearings. Those referrals decreased to 1,369 students in the 2005-2006 school year. These resulted in:

•183 students expelled; •660 recommended for change of school placement; •More than 400 were exceptional education students, who legally cannot be expelled and were recommended for change of school placement; and •113 received no expulsion or change of school placement.

The panel also saw a drop in referrals. In the 2004-2005 school years, there were 336 weapons offenses. In 2005-2006, they received weapons referrals, of which 19 percent were firearms. The surprising statistic is that more middle school students brought firearms to school than high school students, though this trend was seen in Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties, as well.

Principal Katie Hoffman, of the Tampa schools' Madison Middle School, believes that the psychological development and maturity level of this age group may have something to do with the high statistics. She believes that children at this age try to impress others at a higher rate than high school students, testing their limits and succumbing to peer pressure to prove themselves.

Unfortunately for the Tampa schools, their Chamberlain Senior High School had the most overall referrals with 49. Tampa schools' Blake High School came in second with 40. The Tampa schools' also led the way for elementary offense referrals with five for Cahoon Elementary. Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. For more on Tampa schools visit http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Florida/Tampa/index.html ]]> How To Ask For Referrals http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-ask-for-referrals http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-ask-for-referrals#comments Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:30:00 +0000 networking groupbusiness networkingt networkmarketing strategypatterbetter timeright time http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-ask-for-referrals business networking as a for your business it's important to master the art of generating referrals. Before I go further into picking the to ask for referrals let me make one thing clear; referrals do not come on a plate and do not come immediately. It's important when thinking abouing and as part of your marketing strategy to be patient, get to know like and trust your fellow networking colleagues, they will do the same about you and then the referrals will start to flow naturally and sometimes you'll wonder where they're all coming from.

Having said that there's still a right time and a wrong time to ask for a referral and get it wrong at your peril. Get it right and you'll be wondering why more people don't network, a wealth of free sales leads already warmed up and all for the relatively small cost of joining a .

So how do you know when it's the right time to ask? Read on and all will be revealed and for the sake of repetition, the first point is when you feel you trust your contact because it's most likely that when you arrive at this point, so have they.

Another good time is when someone has just experienced excellent service from you. They will thank you and praise your service, you've helped them so what is there to ask them to help you?

Another variation on this point is when you've helped someone. For sure they may ask how they can help you in return =96 do not waste this opportunity! To hammer the nail home make sure that you have your short, sharp and to the point.

A third variation on this same point is when you know someone is about to ask for help from you =96 how relieved they will be if you ask for help from them first knowing they then can freely ask you for help.

Great opportunities come at funny moments and one to be ready for is when someone is really happy or has just had some good news. Sometimes good news doesn't come often and here's the rub about being patient again so be prepared to wait for the right moment. Conversely, the absolute worst time to ask for a referral is when someone has just had bad news, clearly they are going to be focused on themselves and certainly not you.

Furthering this point about ensuring that someone is in the right frame of mind to be receptive to your needs think about this when making phone calls. Have you ever received a phone call from someone when you're in the middle of something urgent or when you are just clearing the desk for the weekend? How receptive are your to someone asking you for a favor?...exactly. I know that when it happens to me I'm really short with the caller and will focus on getting rid of them rather than understanding why they've called. If you're going to ask for something over the phone, take the time to find out a convenient time when you can have a good conversation.

Special offers are always a good one. It doesn't have to be much and if you're well established in a network then this is a great way to make it easy for people to refer you and your services. Louise Yates shares business networking tips and advice for word of mouth marketing, generating referrals and free sales leads (http://www.business-networking-techniques.com) together with executive coaching for your business performance, life and career development. (http://www.clear-perspectives.c ]]> A Freelancer's Guide To Meeting Project Deadlines http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-freelancers-guide-to-meeting-project-deadlines http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-freelancers-guide-to-meeting-project-deadlines#comments Mon, 27 Aug 2007 13:25:00 +0000 freelancerssubcontract workresumemore than anything elsee booktalent poolclient testimonials http://www.artwoo.com/article/a-freelancers-guide-to-meeting-project-deadlines freelancers.

Let's say you've been awarded a writing job to write an e-book on childcare with 10 chapters for $2,000 over a 45 day period of time. Bid out each chapter separately among 10 freelancers and allocate, say, $100 for each chapter over a 25 day period. This way you don't have to worry about the deadline because you've given yourself a 20-day buffer and you stand to earn $1,000 for your efforts.

If you are going to handle a project in this manner, then you must be able to rewrite the articles to make sure the entir "flows" seamlessly and that the same style and tone of voice is consistent throughout.

1. Cultivate a strong

In many cases, this is the most important asset you need to to others. Here are a few additional tips to help you out in this regard:

a) Know how to hire a good coder

There are four things you should look at when hiring a coder =96 their , their samples, their rating, and their .

The last two are critical because it is easy to prepare a bogus resume and samples, especially on the Internet.

If you look at those four things and feel you have found the person you are looking for, hire them.

b) Know how to keep them happy

A happy coder always delivers better work than an unhappy one, given the same skill level. You keep your freelancers happy by dealing in a polite and professional manner, paying them on time and understanding them when they fall or falter (and believe me, they will miss a deadline now and then). Give them respect and they will give you their best.

2. Nurture your current roster of clients

Here is the main reason why quality counts =96 it is quality, , that will make your customers come running back to you again and again. Always put a premium on quality. First-class work is sometimes hard to find, especially given a limited budget. If you consistently deliver first-class work, you assure yourself and your freelancers of a prosperous business well into the future.

There is a popular saying in sales which says that "It is eight times easier to get new business from your current clients than it is from cold calls." In other words, make sure you ask your clients for referrals from people they know or work with who may need the service you provide.

Some freelancers hesitate to ask for referrals because they feel it is unprofessional. They feel asking for referrals is like asking for a favor. That is not the case. If you have faith in your ability to deliver good work you are actually helping your client because of your willingness to provide quality work to their friends or business associates. That will reflect well on them too. It is a two-way street. Launch a freelance career today! Download Melissa Gallagher's free e-book, Creative Freelancing, at http://www.WritingCareer.com or visit her blog at http://creativefreelancing.blogspot.com/. ]]> 4 Ways To Build Lists For Your Internet Marketing Email Home Based Business http://www.artwoo.com/article/4-ways-to-build-lists-for-your-internet-marketing-email-home-based-business http://www.artwoo.com/article/4-ways-to-build-lists-for-your-internet-marketing-email-home-based-business#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:34:59 +0000 profitable internet marketinglevel referralshome base businessinternet marketerssuccessful internet marketingsavvy internettwenty four hours http://www.artwoo.com/article/4-ways-to-build-lists-for-your-internet-marketing-email-home-based-business successful Internet marketing email home based business needs another asset just as much. What is it?

If you have a mailing list of people who have purchased a product or provided a response to one of your ads, with verifiable email addresses, you are in possession of something that will make you the envy of many . But it will take a while for you to build it. What are your best methods for getting a list big enough to set you up with a email home based business?

1. Article Directories

If you want to build a list of email addresses genuinely interested in whatever your is selling, write, or pay to have written, articles on your product. Then submit hem to article directories, where you`ll be given a resource box at the end of each article. Use the resource box to include a newsletter signup, and if your article were good, you'll get the email addresses of readers who'd like to follow up.

2. Free Reports

Most people can't pass up a free offer related to something in which they are interested, so by writing and offering free reports about your products to those who join your mailing list you'll be following in the footsteps of some very entrepreneurs. Just make sure the information in your free reports is current and accurate, because they may be the first impression you give to potential customers. You certainly don't want them to be the last!

3. List Building Sites

List building sites are matrix programs which require you to refer people to join after you. The referrals of your referrals become your second , and you can send your mails to them and everyone whom they refer. It's typical matrix stuff, and works fine as long as you get in near the top and have referrals who are willing to share their lists of referrals.

Listbandit.com has a twist in that every twenty-four hours it randomly flips the positioning in the matrix so that some days you have a lot of email addresses to which you can send your mailings, and other days you're on the bottom of the list. You have to be prepared to do your mailings on the good days, and that's not the most efficient way to promote a business!

4. Become a Blogger

You almost have to have a blog if you want to succeed at marketing, because a blog gives you an opportunity to build real rapport with your prospective customers. You can place sign up forms for your free reports on each page of your blog, and if your readers are impressed with your blog's contents, they will probably sign up to learn more.

There are plenty of other ways to begin building a list for your Internet marketing email home based business, but whichever method you choose, it's key to build trust with your customers by keeping their information private and by making sure that you give them quality information! =A9 2007 http://www.Mat4.com | 4 Minute Internet Marketing Videos Grab Your Free Article Site Building tool, Blog Commenting Software and 90 Page SEO Book Now!! ]]> Collecting Your Money http://www.artwoo.com/article/collecting-your-money http://www.artwoo.com/article/collecting-your-money#comments Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:18:40 +0000 issue oneseveral waysbusiness ownerwhat this meansinternet searchreferralsmoney http://www.artwoo.com/article/collecting-your-money business owner is to collect your . There is often something that is hard to do. Collecting the money that people owe you is something that people often have troubles with. It can be something that is very uncomfortable for lots of people. When someone is trying to get out of paying money for you, or even when there is a problem with a payment that might be hard to deal with is an issue.

One of the best ways that you want to make sure you are able to get the money that is owed to you is to make sure that you are dealing with people who you can trust. is that you want to take a good look at the clients that you are considering taking on, and you want to be sure that you are looking at their history as clients before you take them on. It might be hard for you to deal with situations where you aren't taking all of the clients, but if you can be sure that the clients you take on are going to be paying you in the right manner, this is very important. You should be selective if you can when you are dealing with your clients.

There are that you can make sure you are getting clients that are going to be worth it. Even if you are just starting out, there are several things that you can do to make sure that you are having every chance to get good clients.

First, you can make sure that you are getting for the clients that you do take on. This is something that is hard for some people to do because they might not be sure that they are getting the right referrals. However, if you are going to be able to get some good referrals, you will see that in reality this is something that is quite easy.

Another way that you can make sure you are going with clients that are going to pay you is to do an on the people who might be your potential clients. If you can get some information on them this way ,you will be able to make sure that you are dealing with clients that are legit and that are going to pay you like they are supposed to.

The better business bureau is another way that you can make sure you are dealing with legit businesses. References is also something that you want to think about when you are dealing with clients. This is a great way to make sure that you are able to go with clients that are going to be reliable.

Another way that you want to be sure you are able to get in good with your clients is to make sure that you are able to avoid the clients that you can't trust. Making sure that you avoid clients who you don't think you can trust is a great way to make sure you always get your money. Dustin Cannon, of Next Level Enterprises, LLC is a successful Internet marketer working with top leaders in the home business and Internet marketing industry. For more information on a Marketing CoOp for your Coastal Vacations business visit: http://www.CoopForCoastal.com ]]> How to Hire a Real Estate Lawyer http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-hire-a-real-estate-lawyer http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-hire-a-real-estate-lawyer#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 05:29:27 +0000 real estate lawyerreal estate lawyersreal estate brokersrash decisionsreal estate brokertime home buyerfirst time home buyer http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-hire-a-real-estate-lawyer real estate lawyer that will be representing them from the time they sign on the dotted line to the closing of the deal itself.

If you are a first or seller, it is always a good idea to be safe with the paperwork and transaction. The safest way to make sure everything goes over smooth is to hire a real estate lawyer. They can handle a lot of the details for you and make sure that everything is taken care of properly. But do you know how to hire a real estate lawyer?

It is really a fairly simple process to hire a real estate lawyer. Before you do anything, it is always a good idea to talk with family, friends and neighbors for referrals. If you can get a good referral, you may be able to save yourself the hassle of searching for days for the right lawyer. But even after you get a referral, still make sure to research the lawyer before making any .

The next place to look is with local s. Real estate brokers are constantly associating with lawyers that deal with real estate. This is one of the many advantages you can get by hiring a real estate broker is the ability to find a quality lawyer. Therefore, talk to local brokers to see who they refer you to.

It is important that you understand you should keep all of your options open. The more referrals you can get the better. Then you can take the time to research and call all of the referrals you got to see who you think would be best for you.

Aside from getting referrals, you may also want to look in the yellow pages under Attorney: Real Estate. This will give you a list of local you can call and talk with. It can be a bit tedious looking in the yellow pages and calling up random numbers, but it is worth the time to find the right lawyer.

The next step toward how to hire a real estate lawyer is to prepare a list of questions that pertain to your situation. Typically, simple questions lawyers will answer over the phone allowing you to get a general idea of whether or not it is the right lawyer for you.

The last step before hiring a real estate lawyer is to ask how much each charge per hour and request a general timeframe of how long it will take to complete the tasks you require. This should include looking over contracts, handling disclosures and helping with the closing. After you have done all of this, choose the lawyer you feel will be best for your situation.Mary Anne Murphy is a real estate expert with a firm knowledge about real estate listings Whitby and information about the local real estate market for both buyers and sellers. If you are thinking about selling home in Ajax or Whitby Mary Anne will be happy to assist with all of your real estate needs.]]> Making Money Online Using Mylot http://www.artwoo.com/article/making-money-online-using-mylot http://www.artwoo.com/article/making-money-online-using-mylot#comments Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:51:32 +0000 earning extra moneymylotcurrent issuesrespondents http://www.artwoo.com/article/making-money-online-using-mylot earning extra money from the use of the internet. One of the best ways to start earning your extra money is by visiting .

Mylot is a website which offers the easiest way for you to get money. It is a blogging site which allows you to post as many topics or discussions as you want with other visitors. By posting the topics you are interested in, you may discuss and share the topics with those who have the same interest on the topic. The more topics posted, the more money you can make for every topic which is posted on mylot will aid you to get money.

In order to earn money from mylot, the first thing you have to do is generate the idea by thinking of the current and latest topics. Try to think of the topics or which may attract many people to be involved in the discussion. If you start a discussion of your own, you will be paid a couple of cents by mylot. Can you imagine how many cents you can make if you begin numbers of discussions per day? Thus, in order to begin your discussion, try to be more creative and alert to the issues which are interesting.

In addition, in order to get more money from mylot, make sure you leave comments to all responses which are given to your discussions. Do not forget to comment back each of the responses from your . Make your comments longer and do not just write comments which are short and simple. Write more and more words in order to answer varieties of questions given. You have to do a lot of reading to do this since you are the one who starts the topic. Therefore, you are expected by the respondents to know or master on the topic. They may ask a lot of questions which require you to explain more about the topic.

Besides, in order to maintain your income from mylot, make sure that you maintain the discussions. Add more information and varieties to the topics being discussed. When replying the post which is being posted by your respondents, write the minimum of four lines for each comment. Give the comments which are informative, comprehensive, and complete. Make them the quality comments which will show to the respondents that you really are knowledgeable about the topics. In addition, you can ask help from your friends in order to maintain the discussions. Ask them to help you in finding as many topics as they can to include in your discussions. In order to get extra money through mylot, at least ten topics need to be maintained for your discussions.

Apart from that, try to find and get the referrals who are good on mylot. The referrals must be good and knowledgeable in the same topic you are interested in. Find those referrals who constantly post countless of topics daily on mylot. You can double your income through mylot by having as many referrals as you can to be paid.

All in all, it is easy as ABC to get money through mylot. Thus, begin thinking of your own topics and post them on mylot to get yourself wealthy.To learn more ways to make money online from home, visit Work From Home Jobs and Work From Home Articles. Read out more about MyLot here.]]> Make Money Online With GPT Sites http://www.artwoo.com/article/make-money-online-with-gpt-sites http://www.artwoo.com/article/make-money-online-with-gpt-sites#comments Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:30:00 +0000 free email accountsreferral commissionreferral programsfree email addressesfinancial riskminimal numbernice thing http://www.artwoo.com/article/make-money-online-with-gpt-sites nice thing about these sites is they require no .

These websites are known as GPT sites(get paid to) and they compensate members for performing certain tasks such as get paid to read emails, get paid to take surveys, get paid to view online ads or try products and services for free.

The key to being able to make money online with GPT sites is that most of them have what is called . These programs enable members to recruit others to join the sites and receive compensation in the form of a percentage of their referrals earnings.

As an example if a site pays a 20% this means you will earn a bonus of .20 for every dollar one of your referrals earns on the site.

Being able to simple recruit a of referrals to any of the good GPT sites can increase your earnings very quickly.

Let's say you are able to recruit 100 referrals for one of the better GPT sites. I know this may seem like a large amount of people but the reality is once you learn how the process works you can easily recruit hundreds of people a month.

Back to our example of recruiting 100 people and let's say they each earn $50 a month on the site. That is a total of $5000. If the site offers you a 20% commission that would enable you to make $1000 for the month. That is not too bad for using free to join GPT sites. Even just 10 people could get you an extra $100 for free.

My favorite GPT sites are paid offer or survey sites because they offer the best earnings potential. A couple of keys to maximizing earnings on these types of sites are:

1. Use multiple in rotation while doing offers and surveys. Many offers are from the same companies and using a rotation of will help your earnings confirm faster. This is perfectly within the rules as long as they are email addresses that belong to you.

2. Check your email accounts for confirmation messages. Many offers and surveys send an email with a link you need to click to verify your email address before you can be credited for your earnings.

3. Clear the cookies from your computer after doing offers and surveys. Many of these companies place a tracking cookie on your computer when you do an offer or survey. This does not hurt your computer at all but allows the company to know you have done an offer. Clearing the cookies from your computer will allow you do do more offers and surveys.

4. Learn to use the GPT sites referral program. As stated earlier, recruiting referrals is the fastest way to increase your earnings.

The key is to remember these sites are completely free to use and any money you earn from them is just a little extra to help pay the bills, maybe buy the groceries or save up for a family vacation.

Whatever you decide to use the money for these sites are a fun and easy way to make some extra money online. With just a little understanding of how the Internet and search engines work you can easily use free resources available to anyone online to help in your referral recruiting efforts. The author is an experienced GPT site user and has helped many people learn how to increase their monthly earnings utilizing the free referral programs. You can visit his site about how to recruit referrals at: http://www.theaffiliatefreeway.com ]]> Unlock The Untapped Commissions In Your Client Database http://www.artwoo.com/article/unlock-the-untapped-commissions-in-your-client-database http://www.artwoo.com/article/unlock-the-untapped-commissions-in-your-client-database#comments Wed, 15 Nov 2006 22:27:05 +0000 quality referralquality referralsclient relationshipscontactrepstime actfirst met http://www.artwoo.com/article/unlock-the-untapped-commissions-in-your-client-database reps have a database of current and past clients whose potential referrals are worth several thousand additional commission dollars per month. Yet, this resource goes virtually untapped for most advisors.

Why? Simply because most reps have not learned how to successfully convert their into referral relationships. Acquiring referrals from clients is not as simple as "doing a good job" and then asking for referrals. Generating a large number of highly qualified referrals from a client is a process that starts from the moment the prospect is , not a one- after the sale has been completed. It requires an understanding of what a successful referral is based on, and how to exploit the referral to insure a successful with the referee.

Every referral involves the interaction of three people and four relationships among those three individuals. The strength or weakness of each of these interactions will influence the success or failure of the referral for the advisor:

1. The Advisor/Client relationship: In order for the client to be willing to give a , there must have been built a strong bond of trust between the rep and the client. A client may give a "referral" to someone they do not trust, but they will not give a referral to someone they know well and respect if they do not trust the salesperson. If there is only a weak bond of trust between the advisor and client, the "referral" the client is likely to give will be to someone the client either believes will not meet with the advisor or someone the client does not know well or respect.

2. The client's purchasing experience: Clients will not give high if their purchasing experience did not meet or exceed both their expectations and their priorities. All clients enter purchasing relationships with certain expectations and priorities. Expectations and priorities are not the same. A client may expect to be kept fully informed during the course of the sale and may have certain product or service functionality requirements as his top priority. In order to receive a large number of high quality referrals, the rep must make sure that they meet or exceed both the client's expectations and priorities. Despite the current parroting of the buzz phrase, "exceeding the customer's expectations," meeting and exceeding client expectations is seldom accomplished. Few people take the time and effort to discuss with their client what the client's expectations and priorities are--rather most reps, and companies, assume they know. At best, all they can knowingly accomplish is meeting or exceeding their expectations of what they think their client should expect.

3. The Client/Prospect relationship: The trust and respect relationship between client and referee are of great importance. The stronger the bond of trust and respect between the client and the prospect, the easier it will be for the advisor to set an appointment with and then sell the prospect. In referral selling, a great deal of the rep's credibility, or lack thereof, is built on the trust and respect the prospect has for the client who made the referral. If the client/prospect bond is strong enough, the rep is virtually guaranteed a sale. On the other hand, if the bond is particularly weak, the referral is little better than a cold call. Consequently, it is of utmost importance for the advisor to know as much as possible about the client's relationship, and likely bond of trust, with the prospect.

4. The advisor's initial contact with the referee: based on the client/prospect bond, the advisor must determine how best to contact the prospect to produce the greatest opportunity to acquire a meeting. The weaker the relationship between the client and the prospect, the stronger the contact method the rep should seek to employ. If the client/prospect relationship is extremely strong, virtually any contact method, including a phone call from the salesperson mentioning the client's name will suffice, but for a weak relationship, the rep must strive to use the strongest contact method possible. In descending order, from weakest to strongest, possible methods of contact include a phone call to the prospect from the advisor, an email from the client, a client letter, a client phone call, a client/prospect/advisor lunch meeting.

Fortunately, the advisor can control most of the above interactions. Only the client/prospect relationship is completely out of the rep's hands. Even then, the rep can compensate for a less than ideal client/prospect relationship through using a stronger initial contact method.

If you understand the foundation of a referral, you can quickly increase your referral-based business and begin to mine that gold mine in your client database. Nationally known author, trainer and leading authority on prospecting, Paul McCord's latest book Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income is avaiable throughout the US and Canada. He also offers a free ebook Understanding Referral Generation: A Primer at http://www.powerreferralselling.com ]]> The Best Way To Find A Legitimate Home Business Opportunity http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-best-way-to-find-a-legitimate-home-business-opportunity http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-best-way-to-find-a-legitimate-home-business-opportunity#comments Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:14:51 +0000 home business opportunitylegitimate home businesshome business opportunitieslegitimate home business opportunitymany different waysmultiple streams of residual incomereferral http://www.artwoo.com/article/the-best-way-to-find-a-legitimate-home-business-opportunity legitimate home business is through a . When someone refers a program to someone else they are vouching for the authenticity and reliability of the opportunity. It helps, too, that getting a referral from another person allows you to ask that person questions about the business and get more information before you invest.

Referrals can be found in . They can come from people you know or through people you meet while networking online. A referral is a very personal way to get into a business. It allows you to be able to find out what it is like to run the business before you ever even get started.

When it comes to finding a legitimate home business it is very important to avoid scams. Scams can cost you a lot of money and plenty of valuable time. By avoiding the scams and only going after the legitimate you will be able to get started in home business without a lot of headache and hassle.

Many times people will answer ads or do research on their own to find a legitimate . This is fine, but it is not the best way to do it. Using referrals is the only way to be really sure that the opportunity is a .



The possibility of getting scammed when you find an opportunity through a referral is small. Most of the time you will have some type of relationship with the person referring the opportunity and therefore there will be a sense of obligation to not provide you with information about a scam.



The best way to find a legitimate home business opportunity is always going to be through referrals. They help to cut out the questions and make everything clear so you can make an informed and responsible decision before investing. Laurie Raphael operates a website promoting . For online success, visit her site at: http://www.ProcessToSucceed.com For an established internet business: http://www.moreinfo247.com/9544633/FREE For a complete set of website building tools, visit: http://laurieraphael.profitmatic.com/ ]]> Create Referral Systems That Really Work http://www.artwoo.com/article/create-referral-systems-that-really-work http://www.artwoo.com/article/create-referral-systems-that-really-work#comments Mon, 23 Oct 2006 16:27:06 +0000 referralscontact listbusiness cardsrolodexbasicallytypical methodsvariation http://www.artwoo.com/article/create-referral-systems-that-really-work
Can it really be accomplished? Yes it can. In fact, I know a handful of professionals that not only grow their business by , but have SO many potential clients, they need to turn some away!

So the question is: If it really DOES work, why haven't most of us created a business which is filled by referrals? The answer lies in understanding several important issues. Generally, people don't know how to properly ask for referrals and don't put in enough effort to create a steady stream of them.

Learning How to Ask for Referrals How do most people ask for referrals? Most of the folks I know ask a of the question, "Who do you know...?" Here's how it comes out:

•Who do you know who could use my services? •Who do you know who'd like to lower their premiums? •Who do you know I could call on?

A variation of this is the "Thank You" letter that reads: "Thank you for your business... I've enclosed a couple of my . Please pass them along to anyone who could use..." You get the idea.

Or sometimes people will ask a client to take out their //Address Book and go through it with them, trolling for possible referrals.

My sense is that most everyone's experience with theses approaches is about the same. Not only do they not work very well, but they make us uncomfortable even asking for referrals. The result is that we stop asking. If we could come up with an effective, professional way to get referrals, we'd never stop asking for them.

Let me talk about why the don't work and then discuss a few methods that do work. Generally, the typical methods of asking for referrals don't work for one or more of six reasons. First of all, if you ask someone to think of a list of names, they can't. , you're asking them to recollect names plucked out of the universe. The pool of names is so great that they aren't able to focus on any particular ones. Secondly, most people don't think about their insurance very often and almost never DISCUSS it with others. When you ask a client, "Who do you know...", you're either asking them to name someone who recently mentioned insurance to them or you're asking them to make a judgment about whether someone they know has a need. The likelihood of someone mentioning insurance in a conversation is pretty slim. Also, I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want someone else making a judgment call as to whether a prospect needs my services or not.

A third reason that people generally won't offer up names is that they may not be sure of what you'll do with them or say to them. Most people have a certain level of caution when it comes to sharing the names of acquaintances. A fourth reason is that people are living in their own world. That's not to say that they're selfish, but rather that when they go about their day, they're generally thinking about their own tasks, needs and issues -- not yours. Asking someone to pass out your cards is unrealistic. It happens, but not too often. The fifth reason that asking for referrals usually doesn't produce results is that most people don't really know who your best client would be. Inotherwords, even if they're inclined to send prospects your way, they won't if they can't identify someone as an "ideal" candidate for you. The final reason that typical methods are ineffective is that most people don't really understand what you do and how you're different. Ever had a client say, "I didn't know you do that!"? That's a sure indication that you aren't effectively educating your clients and/or your network.

All this is well and good, but what will work? Actually there are a number of referrals approaches that overcome the shortcomings of the typical referrals methods. Effective referral generation methods must 1) not rely on the person to recall names, 2) educate the person as to who you are and what you do, and/or 3) build confidence and credibility.

Briefly, here are four proven methods that work.

1.Offer clients a list of neighbors or nearby businesses to identify names from. As part of the process, have a follow-up process in place that allows clients to see how you'll be contacting those people. 2.Start sending a monthly "Tips" letter out to a select group of existing clients. It should be useful, informative, not be focused solely on insurance, and should remind them about sending you referrals. 3.Develop a large (100 person) network of other business people to stay in touch with on a regular basis. Send out a monthly mailing to help everyone get to know one another, and highlight yourself each time as well. 4.Develop one or more "neighborhood" newsletters (similar to the ones real estate agents do) and build awareness and credibility with an ever-widening population.

Put in Enough Effort Each of the above referral systems work. The challenge is to implement them effectively and to use them long enough to see results. The first method will start producing results right away, but takes some groundwork and some follow-through each time to do properly. The other methods also require some strategy to be effective and, more importantly, require time and diligence to produce consistent results. Each method obviously requires more detail than this article can address, but you should be able to get a sense of the various strategies of effective referral generation.

You CAN generate a steady stream of referrals for whatever you do by taking the time to understand human nature and then consistently apply methods that work. The more people you help, the more success you'll have! Written by Michael Beck, "The Insurance and Advisor Coach". Michael, an Executive Coach and Recruiting Activist, helps insurance and financial professionals succeed faster and easier. He can be reached at 866-385-8751 or mbeck@theinsurancecoach.com Visit http://www.TheInsuranceCoach.com to learn more. Permission to reprint with full attribution. © 2006 Exceptional Leadership, Inc. ]]> Knowing Who Your Client Knows http://www.artwoo.com/article/knowing-who-your-client-knows http://www.artwoo.com/article/knowing-who-your-client-knows#comments Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:27:07 +0000 quality referralsbumper stickershomeworkreferralacquisitionmembership directorieslions club http://www.artwoo.com/article/knowing-who-your-client-knows referrals" rel="tag">quality referrals is, of course, getting quality referrals, as opposed to just getting names and phone numbers. But at times, despite our best efforts to get agreement from our clients that they will provide us with 5 or more referrals to people or companies that meet our requirements, we find when we sit down at the referral meeting after the sale that they aren't prepared with any referrals.

How can you salvage this meeting and come away with the number and quality of referrals you want and expect?

In order make sure we get the referrals we want--and to increase the number of referrals the client gives us--we must do our own well before we meet the client at the referral acquisition meeting. Homework simply consists of putting together a list of people we have good reason to believe our client knows and to whom we would like our client to refer us.

How do we create this list? Knowing our client is the first step. During the course of the sale you need to be aware of everything you discover about your client. Does he or she have signs of membership in organizations in their office or home? Are there on their car? Photographs that might indicate involvement in organizations or clubs? Has the client referred to a meeting or some other indicator of involvement? Can you gather information about past employment, other vendors or customers?

All of the above are relatively easy ways you can investigate who you client might know. Lets look in detail at some of these possibilities:

Memberships: If you meet your client in their office or home office you will often have the opportunity to discover their memberships by simply looking around the room. Do they have plaques from the or Chamber of Commerce? from an industry association on their bookshelf? Photos of them with a vendor or customer?

Bumper stickers: Some people advertise their political or social associations on their car. Though not a guarantee, if you notice a bumper sticker it is often a sign that they have a commitment to the organization or movement represented by the sticker.

Vendors/Customers: Simply investigating who the individual deals with can give you great insight into whom the client might be able to refer you to. Does he or she or their company sell to or buy from someone you are interested in getting in front of?

Awards: Are you aware of any awards your client has received from any group, association, client, or vendor?

Emails: Some clients will put you on their social email list where they send copies of articles, jokes, etc. that they think are of interest. Often these lists are sent to a large number of individuals and all of the recipients names are in your email header. Most people will simply delete these emails without a thought. Don't! Examine the names of the other people the email was sent to--sometimes you'll find some amazing names. I've received emails with the personal email address of nationally known sports, political, entertainment and business figures. Most of the time I have no reason to ask to be referred to these people, but if I ever want to be referred to Emmett Smith, Bill Bradley, Kobe Bryant, Terry Bradshaw, Tom Kite, Barbara Walters or any of dozens more high profile people, I know who to go to ask for the referral--and I already have their email address in my database.

Family: Are there photos of their kids playing sports? What school or team do they play for? Has your client mentioned anything about their spouse having to do something with an organization or association? Who does their spouse work for?

Past employers: This can be a particularly lucrative area to investigate. Most people have worked for several companies during their lifetime and often they will still have contacts at their past employers. If your client has worked in a capacity where they had the contacts you want, take note.

If you take the time and effort to do a little investigation, you should have at least a few areas to investigate further. Once you have your list of associations, vendors, past employers, etc., explore those organizations to determine who within the organization you would like to be referred to by your client.

If they are members of the chamber, make a list of several chamber members you'd want to meet. If they are a member of an industry association, what other companies would you like to sell? Who in that organization do you need to be referred to in order to have the best shot at selling them? Are any of your client's past employers of interest? How about your client's spouse's employer?

You will need to investigate each of the organizations, companies, associations, etc. to discover who you want to meet. You'll need to come to the referral acquisition meeting with a list of 15 to 25 names to insure that your client will know at least a few of the people and will be comfortable refer ring you to them.

During the referral acquisition meeting, go over your client's referrals first. If, after your client has finished with his list, there are individuals on your list that your client has not mentioned, take a few brief minutes and ask your client about each person on your list.

Of course, you want more referrals from your client in the future. Start preparing for your future referrals during your client acquisition meeting. Note during the meeting how your client reacts to each of the people your bring up on your list. If, for example, you have three people each from three different organizations, but your client really doesn't know or is not comfortable referring you to any of the people from two of the organizations, but is willing to refer you to all three of the people from the third organization, make a note to approach you client about more individuals from the third organization at some point in the future. Also note where the referrals your client had prepared came from. Were they all family and friends? All business acquaintances your client only knows casually? Are they all vendors? All people within his company? Who your client refers you to will give you a strong indication of both how well he trusts you and where you might be able to make future suggestions about people you would like to be referred to.

Do not under any circumstances contact any of the people on your list by using your client's name without his or her explicit permission. Trying to manufacture referrals is a surefire way to lose credibility with both your client and your prospect. If you contact someone on your list your client has not referred you to, it is OK to mention you have done work for your client. Mentioning a name they know is fine as long as you do not imply in any manner that the client has referred you.

If you discover the personal email address of someone you recognize or would like to be referred to from one of the "friends lists" emails that you may receive from an client, do not under any circumstances use that address without explicit permission--even if you don't reveal where you got the email address. You may be tempted to send an email to that sports figure you admire or that politician or reporter you can't stand, but you can't. That address is their personal address and you came by it by accident. It isn't yours to use without permission from your client and then only to the extent your client has given you permission to use it. Again, the address isn't yours to use--its real value is in letting you know that if you ever have cause to want to be referred to that person, you know someone who might be able to refer you to them. Author and trainer, Paul McCord is a leading authority on prospecting, referral selling, and personal marketing. His book, Creating a Million Dollar a Year Sales Income (John Wiley and Sons) teaches the strategies the million dollars a year sales superstars use. http://www.powerreferralselling.com ]]> How To Get A Free Laptop - Without Referrals! http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-get-a-free-laptop-without-referrals http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-get-a-free-laptop-without-referrals#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2007 21:19:59 +0000 free laptoplaptop systemnbcreferralswin winadvertiserlifetime customers http://www.artwoo.com/article/how-to-get-a-free-laptop-without-referrals
Certain of these sites require you to complete different offers and have from 3 to 5 people () who would also complete the offers =96 only that you get your .

Recently interviewed the owner of one of the "Get a Free Laptop" sites. It was confirmed that you can get a free laptop through the site =96 without having to refer anyone else. The site offers you two (2) options;

1. You complete 2 silver offers, 2 gold offers and 6 platinum offers =96 you get a free laptop.

2. You complete 2 silver offers, 2 gold offers and get 20 offers completed by other people (referrals) =96 you get a free laptop.

So how does the whole "Get a Free Laptop" system works?

The owner of the website offering you a free laptop gets paid a decent amount of money by every time you complete an offer. Users do complete the offers because most of them are FREE trials, some cost you a dollar or two, all these offers could be canceled at any time =96 so you aren't stuck paying for a membership you do not like to find useful. Advertisers pay a big buck for every sign up because they gain a potential , some of the offers are so great that you wouldn't want to cancel.

It is a win-win-win situation for everyone. You get a free laptop and most of the time you don't cancel your subscription to the offers since you find them to be very useful and at a great value. The advertiser is happy because he gained another customer, who might be referring the product/service to other people, of course if he's happy with it. The website owner is happy because he got paid for you signing up, sent you a free laptop and now enjoys his profit =96 which is usually over 400$ per customer.

As stated in NBC interview, more and more people sign up for the free laptop. How to get a free laptop without referrals has in fact became a newest and hottest trend in the USA. As people want to be more mobile, personal computers lose their popularity and customers have a bigger appetite for laptops and notebooks, especially when they can get it at absolutely no cost, or almost.

You have to be cautious about these websites though, many of them are pure scam.

You will complete the offers and never hear from the site again. When signing up to one of these sites, make sure they provide the means of getting in touch with them for any possible inquiries on your part as well as a "Gift Status" tool, so you could verify that all the required offers are completed and your laptop is on its way. A sure way of getting a free laptop is signing up to verified websites, the ones you see on TV. NBC and CNN reviewed some of these offers and confirmed a few sites that are legit and do live up to their promises. Alexandre Sol is a writer who loves to review different programs available on the internet. Feel free to check out some of his most popular pages; http://www.GetFreeLaptop.info and http://www.review-list.info ]]>