How to get good referrals

Picture: incredibly good looking man from Wisconsin

10 Tips to Getting Referrals

Getting referrals is not as hard as you think. It is actually very easy and can increase your business by 80%.

1. Make Your Customers Happy: Unhappy customers will not refer you. Deliver a superb product or service on time. Don't make promises you can't keep, in fact promise very little so that you can over-deliver. Incorporate a Quality Assurance Program into your business to track and improve customer satisfaction.

2. Keep Your Customers Informed: If your customers are updated periodically about your company, products and specials, they will be more likely to buy from you again when they are ready and refer you to others.

3. Make It Profitable For Them To Refer You: Why should they refer you? Because they can get a new car! No really, maybe not a new car, but perhaps a commission or a coffee mug. Make it worth their while to refer you.

4. Be Giving: If you are not right for a customer but you know another company that is, send that customer their way and let them know you did. This will be remembered by the customer who will tell others how unselfish and wonderful you are. And the other company may do the same for you.

5. Turn Your Customers into Business Partners: If you are able to add an affiliate program to your company, convert your customers into affiliates.

6. Get Your Customers Involved In Your Company: Invite your top customers to join a Customer Advisory Board at your company. This will give you insight into the minds of your customers and your participating customers will rave about you because they will feel like they are part of your company.

7. Get Your Employees Involved: Offer bonuses and contests for employees that bring you more business through referrals.

8. Ask Your Vendors and Suppliers for Referrals: They will know others in your industry who may be of need of your services.

9. Socialize in Real Life As Well As Virtually: Take your customers to lunch, go to networking events, and throw a Christmas party. But don't forget to ask for referrals while you are having fun.

10. Ask For The Referral: Before you make the sale, during the sale and after the sale you should be asking for a referral. While making the contract ask if they know anyone else who can use your services. After the deliver of the service or product ask for a testimonial. You won't get it if you don't ask.

See, getting referrals is easy. You just have to do what you should already be doing plus ask. But remember; be prepared to handle all the new business or you may end up with unhappy new customers.

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Interview with Kimberly Palmer - money editor at US News & World Report

20 Ways To Make $100 A Day Online

Introduction

Kimberly Palmer is a senior editor in Money & Business at US News & World Report. Kimberly writes the AlphaConsumer blog and personal finance stories Kimberly said, "My goal is to help people make smart money decisions. I especially love writing and learning about how money can affect key life decisions, such as when (and whether) to get married, to have kids, to buy a house, or to switch careers. I hope to provide tools to help people with those decisions."


Q & A

Q: How important to U.S. News & World Report is online social media networking?

A: Definitely a high priority. Our blogs are all connected to Facebook - friend me and Twitter -follow me. I love that social networking lets me find other people with similar interests -- there are so many great blogs and websites out there.

Q: Certainly not everyone is sold on social networking for your company. What are the concerns of those who are not on board with it?

A: The main concerns are how much time they can take up! Sometimes it feels hard to be a full-time reporter when you also want to blog, twitter, and log onto Facebook. Our priority still has to be reporting and uncovering interesting stories; that's the service we provide to people. My problem is that since twittering and blogging offer more instant gratification, it can be difficult to pull myself away. So I try to set aside chunks of time each day for reporting-only.

Q: Which social network sites do you have a presence in? Which of those are more important to you?

A: I'm most addicted to Twitter, and then Facebook. I think Twitter is so great because it's so simple -- you have a thought, and you share it. And you can keep track of what others are doing and thinking, too. With blogs, you have to put a bit more thought into it -- at least I try to.


Q: Please explain the US News situation. Will the company be sending out a print newsletter? Will it take paid subscriptions for the web magazine?

A: Our magazine will be coming out monthly starting in 2009, so subscribers will continue to get the magazine, just a bit less frequently. Our website has always been free, so no change there. So come visit us at www.usnews.com


Q: What are the demographics of your readers?

A: My readers are pretty diverse -- I hear from grad students as well as retirees -- but the people who visit most often seem just like me: Interesting in saving money, avoiding debt, and being a smart consumer, which isn't always easy. Marketing and company outreach has gotten so complicated -- even retailers twitter, so it can take some effort to understand what's going on. There's a big push right now among retailers to customize products for example, which can end up costing more, but sometimes it's worth it. That's just not aomething our parents' generation was faced with. All of the enticing offerings can make it easier to spend money and go into debt.


Q: Have you found any case studies that show how social networking improved the bottom line for a large company?

A: I think Starbucks is a great example of this. They are really plugged in and respond individually to consumers via their twitter feed. So if I had a complaint I could tweet the company directly and would probably get a response -- I don't know how that's affected their bottom line, but I am pretty impressed by it.


Q: If you had to sell your boss to lay out some money for social networking, what would say?

A: Luckily, I wouldn't need to, because my boss is all for social networking. He writes one of our most popular blogs But if I had a different kind of boss, I would make the point that social networking is really part of the future of journalism -- it helps us stay connected to our audience, which is essential for survival.


Q: How do you use videos in your networking? Do you like the results of videos?

A: I definitely need to do more of this. I have taken a flip camera with me on some assignments, including when I interviewed Sen. Wyden earlier this year; you can see the results here It adds a fun dimension to the reporting experience but I obviously need to improve my filming skills.

Thank you, Kimberly, for taking the time to help us understand how social networking can work for large companies.


Greg Cryns
http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
Scentsy: http://www.scentsy.com/16684
http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/calgreg

Interview - Direct Sales expert Nancy Sutherland

20 Ways To Make $100 A Day Online


Interview with Nancy Sutherland Direct Sales Marketing Coach

Nancy is an Independent Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics. She received top honors and prizes in her career. You can read about her interesting journey to the top on her blog. Nancy now also coaches direct sales people and gives them the benefit of her experience.

Nancy's blog: http://www.directsalesmarketingqueen.com/

Q: You started your career with Mary Kay in 1986. You earned your first Career Car in 1987 and your first Pink Car in 1988. That is very fast success. How did you make it happen?

A: I really started my career to enjoy some time with other women while spending time with my children at home. I immediately fell in love with the business and discovered what it had to offer me and my family. When my youngest son started school, I made a commitment to work towards a leadership position in the Company. By setting a goal that had a reason behind it followed by a plan of action, you can achieve success!

Q: Your personal story on your website certainly is inspiring. Do you think you would have been just as successful if you did not have your personal problems?

A: I believe that everyone has challenges in their life. It’s a choice that each and every one of us makes that is whether the drama is going to make us bitter or better. I have always made the choice to be a victor rather than a victim. By being transparent in sharing the difficulties in my life, I hope to inspire and encourage other women.

Q: I talked with another successful direct sales consultant recently. She told me that in her experience people going into a direct sales business must have a love of the product and the need to make money. Do you agree?

A: I agree that the love of the product is crucial. That part has always been easy for me. The need to make money is not always a motivator in a direct sales business. Some people can’t handle the financial pressure in the beginning if they don’t work another part time job until they get their business off the ground.

Q: We always hear about the people who make a lot of money in direct sales. We also know that most people do not earn anything close to six figures. What does it take for a person to make an honest living, say $40,000 per year, in direct sales?

A I will tell you that it is simple, but not always easy. It really takes consistent effort, each and every week. In my business, that would be just a commitment to hold two appointments a week because of the advantage of the great reorder business. In addition, it is necessary to stay in constant contact with your customers in whatever manner that they prefer, phone, email, work, etc.

Q: You started with Mary Kay in 1986 before the Internet began. How did you manage to become successful without the Internet?

A: The internet is a great tool, but what you are doing is building relationships, one at a time. Word of mouth is the easiest way to grow any business. I have found that it works online, but we have been doing the same thing before the Internet.

Q: Direct sales have a high dropout rate. Do you think it is too easy for people to start their own business since the advent of the Internet? In other words, are there too many people who probably should not be in their own business because entry fees are relatively low?

A: I have always felt that it is better to try and fail than to fail to try. You never know if it right for you unless you try. When a new consultant comes into my unit, I ask her to give it a year of honest effort before she decides if it is for her. Because of that commitment, I have women in my unit for over a decade, and a few since the very beginning of my business!

Q: in today's marketplace, what single marketing method is most important to promoting your direct sales business? Second place?

A: I believe that face-to-face marketing is the single biggest business builder followed by superior customer service. That creates loyal customers.

Q: Some people just want to sell products and not build a team. Do you think this is a good model for profits?

A: Many people want to just sell products. I would say about 80-90% of the women in my unit fall into that category. Having a strong leader to teach them the skills to grow their personal sales is crucial. That is what I have always strived to do.

Q: What is the biggest road bump for direct sales people?

A: The biggest obstacle for most women in any business, especially direct sales, is handling their emotions. The fear of rejection is probably the most common, but you can learn to overcome this with a great leader.

Q: You now focus on coaching people in direct sales. Do you think people in Internet Marketing or other areas can benefit from your coaching?

A: Yes, absolutely! I have teamed with Carrie Wilkerson, the Barefoot Executive and others to help get the word out. Carrie has put together a Barefoot Boot Camp that starts this week. I will be one of the teachers in this telesummit. (http://tinyurl.com/5fgghc)

Q: Are you still active in Mary Kay?

A: Yes, as a matter of fact, last year I coached one of my consultants to first runner up in the National Court of Personal Sales! I am in qualification now for my tenth career car and still have a very strong personal sales business. I will be in this business for life!

Q: Generally speaking, why should a direct sales person seek your coaching help?

A: I believe that there are many people who have the desire to make it in direct sales and not the resources to learn how to be successful. Having a good mentor who is active in the field TODAY makes all the difference in the world.

Q: What can a good coach do for a person who is lucky enough to have a helpful, experienced leadership in their direct sales company?

A: A good coach can provide more specific training on the skills necessary to build a solid business for life with practical, relevant applications.

Q: I am glad we met on Twitter. But social networking is still in its infancy. How important is social marketing on sites like Twitter, Facebook and others in your coaching business? How can direct sales people benefit from social networking as well? Is it worth the time and effort you need to put into it?

A: Social networking has been extremely helpful for me to build new relationships and very successful collaborations. There must be a balance in the time that you spend building your business online through social networking and out in public.

Q: Would you recommend blogging to direct sales people? Why?

A: Blogging is a very popular way to become transparent and share with others gaining visibility along the way. As always, people want to do business with those that they know, like and trust. If this is another way that you can do this, it will benefit your business. Not everyone likes to write, but it is fun for those of us who do!

Q: Most of us have heard about The Secret. Do you think "positive attitude" gets too much hype?

A: There is no real secret. The harder you work, the luckier you get! But having a negative attitude or allowing yourself to spend time with those who are negative will definitely hold you back..

Q: Please explain about "list building." Do you think a direct sales person would benefit from this activity?

A: List building is a way of being compliant with the CAN-SPAM regulations. It is a tool to allow your potential customers to get your up to date newsletters and sales offers. I don’t have much experience with this. My company provides the tool for my customers to opt-in to regular news.

Q: If you had not found Mary Kay and the coaching business that resulted, what do you think you would you be doing to make a living now.

A: I would probably still be teaching cosmetology students

Q: What are your plans and goals for the future?

A: My plans for the future are to continue to enrich women’s lives.. I plan to continue to do this through my direct sales business. I also plan on holding seminars, workshops, speaking engagements and conferences. My husband Alex and I would like to retire in Texas in 10-15 years.

Thank you, Nancy, for spending time with us. I am sure many will benefit from your experience.

Greg Cryns
http://www.wahmsearchengine.com
http://www.workathomeprofiles.com
How did Michael Phelps get his start?