Follow The Platinum Rule for Networking Successstring(47) "Follow The Platinum Rule for Networking Success"

Most people have heard of The Golden Rule, commonly known as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” While it is a good principle to live by, it does not necessarily help you in business networking or referral marketing.

Instead, I recommend that you consider implementing what Dr. Tony Alessandra calls The Platinum Rule® in your networking efforts.
Treat Others the Way THEY Want to Be Treated.

It is unwise to assume that people are just like us and want to be treated in the same way we prefer. Referral marketing relies on strong relationships, and what better way to develop a relationship then adapting how you treat someone to their wants and needs? To network effectively, you need to use the Platinum Rule with your referral partners, AND with the people they refer to you.

 

Three People Involved in a Referral

There are three people involved in a referral and all three need to be considered when deciding how to implement the Platinum Rule.

  1. You. How do you work best? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Have you identified your own behavioral style? Understanding your style will help you adapt your approach with others.
  2. The referral source. How does this person communicate best, and how do they like to be communicated with? How do they like to be treated? If you want someone to pass a referral to you, you must communicate with them in a way that they appreciate and are receptive to.
  3. The prospect. What is the potential client’s preferred method of communication? What sales techniques are most effective with this person? If you expect to get closed business from the referrals you receive, you must be willing and able to communicate effectively with the prospects in the way they prefer.

What it comes down to is that a networker’s greatest asset is their ability to be adaptable. You must always be willing to accommodate the people you are striving to develop relationships with – their comfort is much more important than yours.

Understanding Behavioral Styles

Understanding the four different styles of behavior is an excellent way to gain knowledge about how to adjust your sales and marketing program to the style of communication most comfortable to the customer. It is also beneficial to determine how to best connect with your fellow networkers. All clients and all networkers prefer communication in a manner that is most familiar to them. Knowing their personal behavioral styles helps you customize a sales or networking approach for each unique individual.

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

When you pay careful attention to the behavioral characteristics of others, you will improve how you communicate with them by effectively adapting to their style. Strive to accommodate the behavioral style of your referral source when you’re working them, and of your prospect when you connect with them. If you seek to find out how people want to be treated and then treat them that way, you can establish a smooth-running referral relationship that can help your business grow. 

Exceptional Performance is Not Achieved by Looking for Exceptionsstring(65) "Exceptional Performance is Not Achieved by Looking for Exceptions"

Throughout my business career I have been reminded countless times that exceptional performance is not achieved by looking for exceptions. There are numerous people who want “great” results but don’t want to put in “great” effort. I truly think that if people spent half as much time focusing on the fundamentals of success in the areas they are interested in – they would get twice the results that they are currently getting. Instead, I see way too many people searching for ideas and then arguing with people about what works (especially with people who have already achieved success in that area).

Taking Exception

I once read an article by a friend of mine who was talking about Tony Alessandra’s Platinum Rule (treat people the way ‘they’ want to be treated, not the way ‘you’ want to be treated). The piece was well written about Tony’s material. Then I saw that some guy posted a comment saying this was a horrible idea because people don’t always know what’s best for them. Really? That seemed crazy to me but in case I was overreacting, I checked out some of this guy’s other writings. I looked at his comments on other people’s posts and he was ALWAYS the guy taking an opposing position. He disagreed with virtually everyone about virtually everything. I then looked at his original posts and discovered he was a total loser! He clearly jumped from business to business and didn’t appear to be successful at anything. The best thing this guy seemed to do was argue about everything; he seemed to be an expert at taking exception to other’s views.

Results Without Effort?

Shortly after I read my friend’s article about the Platinum Rule, I received an email from a person who had visited some BNI® networking groups. They wrote me to say:

“I am interested in how I can provide my extensive list of contacts to a local networking group without having to attend the weekly meetings… we can [only] attend once a month to a meeting… but we still [want to] adopt the group’s ethos and principles of such a well-structured program.”

That request got me to thinking…
I’d like to win the Tour De France, but I don’t like all that peddling.
I’ve always thought it would be amazing to win an Olympic medal but come on, is all that conditioning really necessary?
I would have liked to become a medical doctor but, can I do it without all the blood and internal organ stuff?
I would love, really love, to be a military General – but boot camp? Seriously, do I have to do boot camp?
And most coveted of all – a Nobel Peace prize. That would be so amazing! But must I change the world in some important way? Surely, there must be something less I can do and still get the same results – right?

If only wishing made it so. But it doesn’t. 

Looking for exceptions to what’s been proven to work seems to be the norm for many people. However, those who are constantly searching for exceptions to validate their reasons why the disciplined hard work that has made others successful won’t work for them, will, in my experience, only find one overriding truth–the exceptional people who have achieved success through consistent, disciplined action are, in fact, the only real exceptions to the norm.

I’d like to know your thoughts. Feel free to share your comments below.

 

 

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follow up tips with Tiffanie

guest blog: Follow-up Tips with Tiffanie Kellogstring(47) "guest blog: Follow-up Tips with Tiffanie Kellog"

After networking, you often walk away with a handful of business cards and may be wondering, what is the best way to follow up? In this video, Tiffanie Kellog, author of 4 1/2 Networking Mistakes and consultant for Asentiv, explores the best way to follow up after a networking event.

The “Platinum Rule” is a registered trademark of Tony Alessandra. www.TonyAlessandra.com

https://youtu.be/tEnx5iCvq0M

About Tiffanie Kell0g

For more information on Tiffanie Kellog, please visit her website at tiffaniekellog.com/

Tiffanie Kellog is a professional speaker, coach, and trainer with Asentiv, and is co-owner of a business with her husband.  Therefore, Tiffanie has helped entrepreneurs over the years make more money while saving time. Thus they can have more fun. She is dedicated to helping others make more money in less time.

To contact Tiffanie, call her at 813-263-9690 or email at referrals@tiffaniekellog.com

Why You Shouldn’t Always Follow the Golden Rulestring(49) "Why You Shouldn’t Always Follow the Golden Rule"

ID-10040850What I’m about to tell you will seem counter-intuitive at first, but bear with me.

The Golden Rule is not the best way to ensure success in referral marketing. For those unfamiliar with this philosophy, it is commonly known as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” While it is a good principle to live by, a great one even, this doesn’t help you in networking or referral marketing.

Instead, you should consider implementing the Platinum Rule in your networking efforts. This, put simply, is treating others the way they would like to be treated. Referral marketing is closely linked with relationships, and what better way to develop a relationship than adjusting how you treat someone to their wants and needs?

There are three people involved in a referral: You, the referral source, and the prospective referral. All three of these people come into play when you consider how to implement the Platinum Rule.

You. How do you work best? What are your strengths and weaknesses?

The referral source. How does the person communicate best, or like to be communicated with? How do they like to be treated? If you expect someone to pass a referral to you, you must communicate with them in a way that they appreciate and in a way that works well for them.

The prospect. How does the prospect like to be communicated with? What sales tactics work on the prospect? If you expect to close on the referral passed to you, you must be willing and able to communicate effectively with the prospect.

In the end, a networker’s greatest asset is their ability to be adaptable. You must always be willing to accommodate the people you are striving to develop relationships with – your comfort is not nearly as important as theirs.

What is an example of the Platinum Rule at work in your relationships? Let me know in the comments below.