Referral Partners

When you’re doing network marketing, you might hear the phrase “giver’s gain” being thrown around. Basically, this is the idea that people will respond to your referrals and goodwill in kind by sending you referrals. There’s a lot of truth to it, and it’s definitely something I believe in.

But what happens when you have nothing to give?

There’s nothing worse than running into a hot new referral partner who services your target market and has excellent potential to bring you business when you have nothing to offer them. Sure, you might have something for them down the road, but we all know that the longer you go without “making a sale” (e.g. securing the new partnership), the less chance you have of developing a long term relationship with them.

This used to happen to me a lot. I’d meet a new referral partner (not a prospect, but someone who was in a position to send me some business). We’d hit it off and would talk about what kind of business we could refer to each other, shake hands, and leave. I’d go back to the office and desperately look through my contact list hoping I could scrounge up an introduction for my new partner so that I didn’t lose their interest. Most of the time, my search came up cold and the referral partner was never heard from again.

Nowadays, I have a different strategy. I got together with a close friend in a similar but non-competing business. We discussed the situation and agreed to be each other’s “guaranteed referral”. Essentially, we would refer each other whenever we needed to score points with a new relationship. This would put us in good graces with the new partner while we found some more legitimate prospects for them.

So far, the new strategy has worked out well! Having a guaranteed referral in my pocket when I meet with a potential partner gives me the window of opportunity I need to keep my name in front of them while I dig up some legitimate leads and secure a mutually beneficial and profitable relationship.

What You Focus On, Happens

So, focus on negative sh**, and the bad crap and all the terrible things going on in the news or your life, and you’ll ONLY get more of it… you MUST focus on the future, where you need to be, where your familiy need to be… you’ve made some recent screw-ups, so what? That’s life… when you have no more problems you’ll know it, because you’ll be DEAD… to live is a challenge, to live is to have daily problems, sure they exist, sure they occur, deal with it and move on! If you FOCUS on all the CRAP, you’ll ONLY get more crap… the little problems in life are just that “life”… understand and fully ACCEPT that and open your eyes to this beautiful world we are living in…

Getting OUT of that Rut!

I can say that Buddha’s light is shining bright on me right now!… I have not felt this good in a long, long time… mentally and physically. A good part of getting me out of the rut I was in, was of course cutting ties to Houston, and moving to Las Vegas. The new surroundings have done well for me… it was a HUGE challenge, to step into a NEW city, virtually knowing know one… and find a job, a new apt, a new car, new friends… and be without my much loved Friends & Family! Not to mention my new plan the past 2 months of eating right and kickboxing — my new boxing coach is THE bomb… he trains from a “holistic” approach to everything… Ive had many trainers in the past 10 years, but NONE like him… he completely changed my eating habits, cleaned and detoxed my system, and now has me on certain supplements and only chicken and vegetables daily. He also has me on this cool product called Vibe… its all your daily needed vitamins minerals and other natural supplements… gives you energy and helps clear your head. And… I listen to Anthony Robbins almost DAILY to keep me on track! The Anthony Robbins CDs have helped change my life around for the better… love life is stronger than ever too… not sure where that’s going, but it feels good.

The BIGGEST Risk in Life, is NOT taking one

And one last gem for the day, you may have heard this, but read and re-read this one, because we have all been faced with this, and have often times felt guilty about it later for letting it control us… ready for this dandy quote? “The BIGGEST Risk in Life, is NOT taking one!” Read that again! The last thing you want to be doing years from now is saying to yourself, I should have done this, or I should have done that, or if only I had done that… Just like NIKE has said for years and years, JUST DO IT!

Relentless Determination!

“Relentless Determination!” You must REPEAT THIS OVER, AND OVER AND OVER TO SUCCEED in today’s business climate. Whether you are in a start-up phase, 5 years into your business, or more… without it, you’ll die! You MUST have it! Further, another quote to go along with this is short, simple and right to the point, STAY Relentless! You must go over, around, or through the obstacle in front of you to succeed. As I like to say, if at first I knock on the door of a new prospect, or face a new problem and don’t succeed , then I MUST go over it, around it, under it… or if all else fails, BLOW IT UP!

The Shortest Rule in Sales

The Shortest Rule in Sales is just 4 words: “SHUT UP AND LISTEN!” Often we show up to a new prospects office or make a call to a new customer and verbally throw up on them! When in reality, IF WE HAD JUST kept our mouths shut and LISTENED, we would have let THEM make the sale themselves! EVERYONE wants to be heard right? Every wants someone to listen to them right? When you go to that new prospects office, or take or make that phone call to a new customer you must remember they are human… and often they want someone or anyone to hear them out! Because, their girlfriend or wife doesn’t listen to them, their boss won’t listen to them, their kids for sure don’t listen to them… and now you come along with your new service or widget to sell them and you TOO won’t listen to them! So, REMEMBER, TRY TO be quiet when the prospect or new customer starts talking… EVEN IF THEY TALK ON AND ON… let them talk. By doing this, YOU gain and create a BOND that no other rep/vendor/distributor [or whatever you are] has with them. Ultimately, they will tell YOU why THEY want and need your new product or service!