Posted by Joe Mazur on Mon, Jun 07, 2010 @ 10:49 AM
When was the last time you opened the yellow pages to find out the best place to get your car worked on? Chances are you either asked someone about their experience with an auto mechanic, or you looked on the internet for a mechanic that had good reviews. The majority of people would prefer to get a recommendation that is going to lead to good work on your car and not being over charged for a johnson rod and a new distributor cap. It's much easier to talk with someone who has experience with what you're looking for. They should be able to find the best solution quickly and effectively.
If you have ever asked someone for their opinion on where to go, who to use, what to buy, how their experience was, would they go back, etc; you have networked. Everyone networks every day, they may not know it but they do, either on a personal or a professional level. The sooner you realize you are surrounded by a massive network, the sooner you realize the yellow pages are dead.
From a business stand point, doesn't it make sense to have the best lawyer, CPA, life/health/p&c insurance rep, IT guru , SEO pro, etc available for your needs as opposed to looking someone up? From a residential standpoint, it makes sense to talk with your friends or neighbors to find out about a good contractor, plumber, electrical, HVAC, etc. On a personal level, have you ever talked with your friends or family about the best options for vacations, places to eat, bike trails to ride, music venues, tv's to buy, runs to ski, etc? Having a big network is a good thing, but a strong network is even better. So, where are you going to look the next you need your car worked on? A friend? Or a book that is printed twice a year that could result in getting over charged for bumper fluid?
Where are you finding your advertising dollars to be most productive?
photo credit: Lars Plougmann
Posted by Matt Roberge on Sun, Apr 18, 2010 @ 08:10 AM
Since January I have been going to 2-3 networking events per week. I have learned a lot and still have a long way to go. One thing I have certainly learned is how to listen carefully and how to give a quality referral. I have also learned how to effectively ask for a referral.
Last week in a fairly casual networking event I was intently listening to a business owner tell me about what he does in detail. When he was done I asked him: “Who would be an ideal referral for you?” His response: “Basically anybody that needs his service” (kept industry confidential to keep from embarrassing him). When he said that do you know who I thought of? Nobody.
When asking for a referral do not use the word anybody because I think of nobody.
I will run through an example with my business.
“I am Matt Roberge from Salt Lake City Bookkeeping. Today I am looking for any business owner that needs ongoing bookkeeping support.” Did you think of anybody? Maybe you did but I doubt you thought of anyone specific.
How about this:
“Good morning my name is Matt Roberge and I am the owner of Salt Lake City Bookkeeping. We are Certified QuickBooks Pro Advisors that provide bookkeeping services to small businesses of up to 100 employees. Today I am looking for a business owner that is struggling to get their 2009 accounting records to their CPA. We just completed an entire year’s worth of bookkeeping for a client that had over 10,000 transactions in 2009 and all the work got done in two days. I am specifically looking to add another restaurant as a client as I have over eight years of restaurant bookkeeping experience.”
For me this is even a little long winded and I would probably do this as two separate pitches. Anyway you probably get the idea. When asking for a referral be specific and don’t use the word anybody because those who are actually listening with think of nobody.
I’m no sales guru so did I miss something?
Does anybody know a business owner that is struggling to get their accounting records to their CPA? April 15th is getting awful close. Have them email me.