Relationships + Referrals = Revenuestring(35) "Relationships + Referrals = Revenue"

February 3, 2022
, , Givers Gain, Referrals, Relationships, Revenue 2

Successful business networking is based on developing relationships with the people in our networks. When people get to know, like and trust each other, they are willing to make introductions and referrals to contacts in their other networks. Those referrals can turn into new customers and clients, adding new sales for our business. That is how Relationships + Referrals = Revenue.

Relationships

To create success and harmony in our lives, it is important to build and maintain our  relationships – in our home, in our work, and in our community.

HOME
We get busy with day-to-day life, especially if we are working from home, and sometimes we take our family for granted. Remember to:
      – Be grateful. Tell the people in our homelife how much we appreciate them. Be specific, be sincere, and tell them often.
      – Show gratitude in a way that means something to them. We often treat others the way we like to be treated. Understanding behavior styles and recognizing the preferences of the people in our lives allows us to share our gratitude in a more meaningful way.  

WORK
Whether we are an entrepreneur or an employee, we spend a lot of time at work. We have business relationships with our team and co-workers.
Remember to:
      – Say thank you. YOU know how much you appreciate them, let them hear it.
      – Be helpful – ask, “How can I help you?” to create beneficial teamwork.
      – Avoid the “it’s not my job” attitude. Expect that everyone contributes in whatever way is needed to achieve success for all.

COMMUNITY
We are part of the community that we live in, whether it is small or large. Our community pulls together when times get tough and celebrates together when things go well.
Remember to:
      – Get involved with a service organization or a service project in your community.
      – Commit to regular attendance and participation with the groups you are part of.
      – Contribute your time, treasure, or talent to help others.

Referrals

We know that it takes time for others to have the confidence in us to get referrals from our network. When we have invested the time to establish strong relationships, and have given referrals to our networking partners, we move from visibility to credibility in the VCP Process®.  Remember to:
      – Actively listen and look for potential referrals for members of your network.
      – Follow up with networking partners to learn how the referrals you gave turned out.
      – Thank your referral partners for connecting with and taking care of the people you referred to them.

Revenue

We can only move to the “P” in the VCP Process – Profitability, after we have obtained credibility with our referral partners. This is after we have built strong and deep relationships, asked others how we can help them, and given referrals to them. That is when we begin to receive referrals for our business, and the revenue comes naturally as a result. Those referrals may come directly from people we gave referrals to, however, they often come from other indirect sources. When we give to others, in our home, our work, our community, it comes back to us in a variety of ways.

In BNI, we call this Givers Gain® and it is our principal Core Value. It is based on the age-old concept of what goes around comes around. Our relationships bring us referrals, which lead to revenue. When you help others, and they help you, everyone does better.

Voicemail Email Messages

Tips on How to Return Voicemail and Email Messagesstring(50) "Tips on How to Return Voicemail and Email Messages"

November 30, 2017
, , , , , Behavioral Styles, Conversation, Follow up, Guest Video, Tiffanie Kellog 1

Tiffanie Kellog and Jason Avery discuss how behavioral styles affect how we respond to voicemail and email messages.

So you received a message and you do not know exactly how to return it. Based on the book, Room Full Of Referrals, it depends on how people want to be treated, their behavioral style.

Behavioral styles are affecting your referability. When you receive a voicemail or email message, pay attention to the length and pace of that message.  Was the message long, detailed and full of information, or was it short and to the point? Know how to respond based on the behavioral style of the person who SENT the message. There are little clues in their message to identify what is the behavioral style of the person you are communicating with.

Go-Getter

“Hey it’s Tiffanie, call me”. The person leaves a short message that is very direct and to the point or only a few sentences. They are a fast-paced busy-busy person without a whole lot of time and they expect the same from you. When you call them or reply to their email, start with “I am sure you are very busy, I only need a moment of your time. Here is what I got for you”. Get straight to the point with the relevant information listed in bullet points.

Promoter

The message is upbeat and enthusiastic. The person is talking about having a good time. They are the “Fun Loving” people. They use in their message ALL CAPS, emojis and lots of exclamation points !!!!!! When you call them or reply to their email, use words such as  “Super, Great, Fantastic, or Awesome”.

Examiner

The Message is very detailed with page numbers, questions and full of details. They want all the information. If they give you a long list, do not reply with just one or two short sentences. They might become offended and question your credibility. When you call them or reply to their email, start with “I am tied up at the moment but I will get to all these questions and I will respond by this date with all the information you requested”. Be specific.

Nurturer

The message has indecisiveness. They need more options to compare before making a decision or they want to consult with someone else first. When you call them or reply to their email, start with “Here is what you need to know about the impact on their business, family or community”.

Once you know their style, you can adapt. Mirroring is a good way to start. You behave the way that they are behaving and they will appreciate you. Another option is to have four different employees representing each of these four behavioral styles to reply to the various messages based on the sender’s behavioral style. 

Four Behavior Styles

The Four Behavioral Styles (the video)string(38) "The Four Behavioral Styles (the video)"

March 16, 2017
, , , , , , , , Behavioral Styles, Characteristics, Ivan Misner, Networking Tactics, Relationships, Video Blog 4

There are Four Behavioral Styles you will find in others when you are networking. Do you know your behavioral style? Please watch this video to learn about these different styles.

In the book Room Full of Referrals which I co-wrote with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons, we offer insight into the following four different behavioral styles:

Go-Getters: (Driven, Bold, Decisive, Strong Desire to Lead)

Promoters:   (Energetic, Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Positive, Talkative)

Nurturers:   (Patient, Helpful, Understanding, Sentimental, Reserved)

Examiners:   (Effective, Efficient, Thorough, Research-Oriented)

If you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics of others, you will improve how you communicate with them effectively by adapting to their style.

Behavioral Profiles

Understanding Behavioral Profilesstring(33) "Understanding Behavioral Profiles"

March 10, 2017
, , , , , , , , Behavioral Styles, Book, Networking, Networking Tactics, Referrals, Relationships

I’m looking forward to presenting “Behavioral Styles in Networking” next week on Tuesday, March 14, 2017 from Noon to 1pm EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME as part of @BNI – The World’s Leading Referral Organization’s #BusinessBuilders webinar series.

Register here:

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8829787935322540548

Understanding behavioral profiles is essentially about understanding the four different styles of behavior when looking at individuals.  It  is an excellent way to gain knowledge about how to craft your sales and reporting program to the style of communication most comfortable to the client as well as how to best connect with your fellow networkers.  All customers and all networkers like to be communicated with in a manner that is most familiar to them, and knowing their personality profiles/behavioral styles helps you customize a sales or networking approach for each unique individual.

RFORBlog

In the book Room Full of Referrals which I co-wrote with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons, we offer insight into the following four different behavioral styles:

Go-Getters: (Driven, Bold, Decisive, Strong Desire to Lead)

Promoters:   (Energetic, Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Positive, Talkative)

Nurturers:   (Patient, Helpful, Understanding, Sentimental, Reserved)

Examiners:   (Effective, Efficient, Thorough, Research-Oriented)

If you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics of others, you will improve how you communicate with them effectively by adapting to their style.

Join me on my webinar next week to learn more about these traits.

 

Understanding Behavioral Profilesstring(33) "Understanding Behavioral Profiles"

July 22, 2013
, , , , , , , Behavioral Styles, Book, Business, Connections, Marketing/Sales, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Sales 2

A couple of weeks back, I posted a blog outlining some tactics for tapping into the customer’s perspective in order to increase sales in your business.  In that blog post, I promised I would write more in a future blog about behavioral profiles and today I am following through with that promise.

Understanding behavioral profiles is essentially about understanding the four different styles of behavior when looking at individuals.  It  is an excellent way to gain knowledge about how to craft your sales and reporting program to the style of communication most comfortable to the client as well as how to best connect with your fellow networkers.  All customers and all networkers like to be communicated with in a manner that is most familiar to them, and knowing their personality profiles/behavioral styles helps you customize a sales or networking approach for each unique individual.

RFORBlog

In the book Room Full of Referrals which I co-wrote with Dr. Tony Alessandra and Dawn Lyons, we offer insight into the four different behavioral styles and I have listed the character traits for each style below (I’ve also included information on how to best communicate with each style) in order to help you identify someone, adapt to their style, help them feel comfortable, and make them feel good so you can better connect with your customers as well as those you network with.

Go-Getters

Characteristics: Driven, Bold, Opinionated, Decisive, Direct, Strong Desire to Win, Strong Desire to Lead, Like to be in Charge, Love Control, Goal-Oriented, Have a “Get It Done Now” Attitude

How to Communicate With Them: Be Direct, Ask Only for a Short Amount of Time to Start–Say 30 Minutes Or So, Say You Will Come to Them–Makes It More Convenient for Them, Remind Them of What You Think You MIGHT Be Able to Do For Them But Don’t Commit to It Without Knowing More about Them (Networking), You May Be Able to Agree on a Date on the Spot–Do So, State That You Will Confirm Everything Via E-mail or Text (Whichever They Prefer) and Send Them a Reminder E-mail One Day Before–Do Not Call Them, Make Sure to Do What You Say

Promoters

Characteristics: Energetic, Outgoing, Fun-Loving, Positive, Talkative, Love Recognition, Dislike Details, Love to be the Center of Attention, Enjoy Simple Uncomplicated Things, Tend to Have a Large Social Network

How to Communicate With Them: Keep Your Energy Up and Smile, Let Them Know You Are Having a Great Time With Them (Networking), Describe a Bit About How You Think You Can Connect Them to Other People Who Could Be Very Interesting to Them (Networking), Say Something About a New Hot Spot That Just Opened or a Cool Place to Meet and See If They Can Fit You into Their Busy Schedule (Networking)–Makes Them Feel Important, If They Have Their Calendar Available Select a Date to Meet for About an Hour–You Will Need It As You May Not Get Down to Business Quickly, Let Them Know You Will Call Them to Reconfirm Everything, End by Saying Something About the Possibilities that Might Result From the Two of You Working Together–Describe the Vision and Have Them Buy into It

Nurturers

Characteristics: Patient, Helpful, Understanding, Sentimental, Reserved, Careful, Pleasing, Have a Difficult Time Saying “No,” Have Deep Relationships, Are Focused on Helping Others

How to Communicate With Them: Make Sure to Really Have Them Talk and You Listen, Share With Them How You Think the Two of You Would Be Really Compatible and How You Need to Understand More About Who They Are and How They Work With Their Clients (Networking), Tell Them You Would Love to Spend More Time With Them and See What Could Develop Over the Long-Term (Networking), Do an Option Close (an option close is when you give someone two options that you are okay with, so whichever one they choose you are already fine with and can move forward) on the Appointment and Ask, “Would it be possible to look at our schedule and see if we might have some time to spend together in the next week or so OR would you like me to call you next week and go from there?”–They Tend to Make a Quicker Decision When You Do an Option Close, Whichever Selection They Make Be Sure to Follow Up, Ask If It Would Be Okay If the Location Was a Bit Quiet So You Could Really Be Present With Each Other (Networking), Book out 1.5 Hours Just to Be Safe (Networking), Make It Clear That You Really Want to Get to Know Who They Are in Business Because You Truly Think You Can Help Them (Networking), Ask If It Is Okay to Call Them to Confirm the Appointment, Call to Confirm and Spend Several Minutes on the Phone with Them at That Time

Examiners

Characteristics: Effective, Efficient, Thorough, Research-Oriented, Avoid Risks, Loyal, Knowledge-Seeking, Analyze Everything, May Take a Long Time to Develop Trust, Make Calculated Decisions, Enjoy Strategies and Processes

How to Communicate With Them: Remember That You Will Need to Ask Them Lots of Questions as They May Not Give Information Out Freely, Ask Them If They Are Looking for Ways to Be More Effective in Their Networking (Networking), Talk To Them About Why the Two of You Could Be Effective Together (Networking), Ask If It Would Make Sense for the Two of You to Spend More Time Together to Figure Out the Details of How You Could Work Together (Networking), Ask If a Meeting at Their Office Would Be Appropriate–Makes It More Convenient for Them and They Don’t Waste Time Traveling Somewhere, Do an Option Close on the Appointment and Ask, “Would it make sense to book an appointment now or would you like me to e-mail you?”–Again They Usually Make a Quick Decision When You Do an Option Close, Based on the Answer Complete That Task, See If an E-mail or Text Is the Preferable Way for You to Confirm the Appointment, Show Up Early to the Appointment and Be Fully Prepared With an Agenda and Lots of Questions for Them

If you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics your customers and fellow networkers exhibit, you’ll get better and better at pinpointing which of the four behavioral style categories they fall into and you will be much more capable of communicating with them effectively by speaking their language and adapting to their style.  When you’re able to communicate at the highest level of effectiveness with your customers and those with whom you network, your sales will increase and your business will grow.

After reading through the lists of behavior characteristics above, start by pinpointing which style you are and if you have any additional ideas about how to effectively communicate and connect with others that share your same behavioral style, please share your suggestions in the comment forum below–I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

Lollipop Entrepreneurstring(21) "Lollipop Entrepreneur"

January 7, 2013
, , , Announcement, Author, Business, Entrepreneur, Marketing/Sales, Networking, Referrals, Uncategorized 3

Understanding your behavioral style and how it relates to your networking is extremely valuable.  Most importantly, learning how to identify behavioral styles in others and learning how to adapt your own approach to those different styles can really make a difference in your referability.

Often times your behavioral style can be observed at a fairly young age.  When I was 11 years old, I missed the bus to school one day. The school was only a little over two miles away and I had time, so I started walking.

Along the way I passed a gas station that had a small store attached to it. My eye caught some awesome looking lollipops – big, red, strawberry-flavored suckers. They only cost a nickel so I bought four or five of them and headed on to school. A friend saw what I had and asked if he could buy one. I said sure – for a dime. He bought it right away! That day I sold all the lollipops except the one I kept for myself . . . and I saw a great business opportunity.

The next day I walked to school again, this time buying a dozen lollipops. I sold them all before school let out for the day. I did this the next day, and the next . . . for almost a month, very happy with my margin and the money that I was starting to see growing from my lollipop enterprise.

That was my first experience in business, and it was obvious from that early time in my life that I was a “Go-Getter” behavioral style.  I am pleased to share with you that I have just released a new book with co-authors Tony Alessandra (one of the world’s leading experts on behavioral profiles) and Dawn Lyons (probably the world’s leading expert on how behavioral profiles relate to referral marketing).

How has your behavioral approach to networking and referral marketing helped or hurt your efforts.   I’d love to hear your story.

For more information on the newly-released book I mention above, please go to one of the links below.

Room Full of Referrals – Digital Version

Room Full of Referrals – Soft Cover Version

 

How Do Cultural Differences Play into Global Networking?string(56) "How Do Cultural Differences Play into Global Networking?"

May 7, 2012
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Building Relationships, Business, Connections, Global Business, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Travel, Word of Mouth 2

Understanding cultural differences when doing business around the world is  becoming more important in a global society.  Even within large countries like the United States, there are definitely differences from one region to another.  When you go beyond that and look at one country vs. another, the differences become even more impactful on business.

When we concentrate on similarities with each other in business, the differences aren’t that important.  Problems arise when the differences appear to be all there are.  When entrepreneurs focus on the perceived differences between each other in business, these differences can become stumbling blocks to developing a strong relationship, which is, after all, the ultimate goal of networking.  When you factor in differences in communication and behavioral styles it exacerbates the perceived differences.

Although many networking basics are universal, if you can factor in these and other cultural nuances you will definitely get a leg up when doing business in other countries.  Your networking etiquette will be greatly appreciated as your business increasingly takes you into other countries, especially if you can learn a few words or commonly practiced traditions of that country.  Showing this kind of respect will go a long way in making a smoother connection with the local business people you are trying to work with.

The old saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans” is very appropriate.  However, one thing I’d strongly suggest–don’t just “do as the Romans,” take the time to actually “ask a few Romans.”  I have had amazing suggestions from local business people I knew in other countries who thoroughly prepped me for the cultural differences in networking prior to my arrival in their country.  Their counseling and coaching made a huge difference in my ability to connect in an appropriate way throughout many of the countries I have visited.

Be sure to come back next week where I’ll be sharing some valuable tips I’ve picked up about doing business and networking within the Asian market.  In the meantime, if you have any useful tips or bits of advice for successfully networking in a certain country or region of the globe, please–by all means–share this information in the comments section.  You never know who you could be helping!

 

Your Behavioral Style IS Affecting Your Referrabilitystring(53) "Your Behavioral Style IS Affecting Your Referrability"

June 30, 2011
, , Behavioral Styles, Connections, Educational Resources, Networking, Networking Prep, Referral Institute, Referrals, Video Blog 5

As a networker, there’s no question about whether or not your behavioral style is affecting your referrability–it IS.  The question is, how can you learn to effectively communicate with a diverse array of other behavioral styles while maintaining your own style for an optimum outcome?

In this video, Dawn Lyons (whom I consider to be one of the world’s leading experts on behavioral styles/profiles and referral networking), my partner in the Referral Institute, talks with me about how behavioral styles affect networking results and referrability. She discusses behavior profiling programs that help networkers adapt to and accommodate a variety of behavioral styles for maximum referrability.

After watching the video, I highly encourage you to visit the link Dawn mentions (www.ReferralsForLife.com) and watch the educational videos to get more information about behavioral styles (CLICK HERE to go directly to the videos).

What’s your behavioral style?  After watching some of the videos on ReferralsForLife.com, come back and leave your thoughts on what you’ve learned about your own behavioral style or other behavioral styles and how you can use this new information as you network.