How To Mine Your Natural Market

I talk about how to tap into your spheres of influence to garner referrals.

Nothing beats your own niche market and your own contacts as a source of referrals.

See my materials on Mining Your Natural Market at the catalog page.

But, here’s a quick tip to get some referrals that you can incorporate in what you are already doing.

Every time you write new business (no matter how large or small) send a snail-mail note.

I send a short note and always include the following:

“I’ve included two cards. 
Feel free to share me with a friend or relative”

How hard is it to include a note with every purchase?  And, by the way, I send the note the following day.  Don’t wait.  Get it done fast.

Every morning I spend 30 minutes writing notes.  Check out my post on time-blocking.

Implementing a simple step into your selling process will help you get more referrals with almost no effort.

Happy Selling!

David…

P.S.  Check out the catalog page for more materials on how to sell pre-need.

P.P.S.  There are a few Whole Enchilada Packages still available.  I’ve offered the package of everything I’ve got including the kitchen sink to all Subscribers first.  Subscribing has privledges.  But, because I only have a few left I’m not going to extend the offer to regular readers.  If you want the very best I have you’ll need to subscribe and I’ll send the special link in the “Welcome” email I send you.  If you are a regular subscriber the link’s in the latest email I sent.

Don’t dilly dally around.  I’m serious.  Once they’re all gone I’m taking the link down.  When you invest in your  SELF and get the package it will instantly be available to you through the membership page.  I’ll email everything to you including instructions once the transaction is complete.

So, what are you waiting for?  No one can take your experience or knowledge.  No One.  Only you have the ability to make things happen.  No one else will do it for you so get on with it and invest in your SELF.  Do it now!

Go on…

The subscribe button is on the top right of the page….

That’s right…  Subscribe and get the package… 

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The question more or less was what’s the downside to doubling your sales in half the time?

Let me give you three quick problems with getting too much business without some preparation.

First Problem:

Let’s say the stars and the moon line up perfectly and everything you’re doing all of sudden nets you more sales and presentations than you can keep up with.

One of the biggest downsides to spending all of your time presenting and selling is you forget to continue your prospecting program.

One day you’ll wake up and realize there’s no one to meet.  The reason there’s no one to meet is you quit prospecting/marketing for new business.

Believe you me it can happen!

The solution is to treat your prospecting like a faucet and turn it down a little but don’t shut it off completely because if you do you just might wake up one morning with no one to see.

Second Problem

Spending all of your time making presentations.  See my posted articles on time.

It’s really important to time block your schedule and even more important to balance your day with other activities besides closing.

I realize the goal is to close sales but see my first problem above.

Spend your time wisely and always do something that brings you closer to a sale besides getting the sale.

Third Problem

It can make you lazy about getting referrals.  Now, if you tell me you’re getting referrals from all of those presentations/sales you’ll hear me tell you. “YES”.

Way to go.

But, don’t develop bad habits.  Remember to continue to get referrals. 

You’ve got to continue to bring in new leads.

Fourth Problem

Infrastructure.  Recently, I’ve been so focused on prospecting I’ve gotten behind in sending my notes.

I send a note to every new customer.  And, ask for referrals in that note.

In fact, I spend the first 30 minutes every day working on paper work, including notes. 

Yesterday I spent several hours on notes because I allowed my schedule to get out of whack.  I’ve been spending more time meeting with prospects and blew off the paperwork portion of my time-block. 

All of a sudden I found myself behind on my note writing.  I ended up getting up a couple of hours earlier than normal to make up for it.

Getting a lot of sales in a short time can mess up your routine and overwhelm your production infrastructure.

Finally, remember what got you there.

When things are clicking and everything’s working great stick with your time schedule, 

Stay disciplined.

Continue doing the things that get you in front of prospects but don’t ignore everything else because you’re on a presentation roll or you just might wake up one day and discover you’ve got no one to  see.

Happy Selling!

David….

P.S.  Be sure and take a look at the catalog as I continually add new items.  If you’re a member hang in there as I’m updating some new stuff and will email you a note when its ready.

For the rest of you….click here

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Anytime you get an advocate for you and your product you’ve got an excellent opportunity to get massive referrals.

Many times an advocate will turn into a Champion Endorser®.

A Champion Endorser® can introduce you to a very large niche group of people.  You should always be searching for an individual who can introduce you to a group of people.  It can be an association, small group, any formalized group of people who meet for a common cause.  Your Champion has lots of leverage and can introduce you several ways to many Prospects.

Treat your Referrers well and you’ll get more referrals as they become advocates for you and ultimately Champion Endorsers®.

We’ve been talking about referrals all week.

We’ve talked about developing

• “referral mindset”
• a system of asking for referrals from beginning to end
• getting testimonials
• referrers becoming advocates
• referrers becoming Champion Endorsers®
• the best place to get referrals
• incorporating asking for referrals in all your correspondence, presentation, Profile

The next step is for you to internalize the referral mindset and incorporate it in all aspects of your Prospecting system and begin NOW to ask for referrals.  Don’t be shy!  Once you get used to asking it becomes easier and easier as time goes on.

An easy strategy to get you started tapping into your own spheres of influence is to Mine Your Natural Market.  Tapping into your spheres of influence is an easy system you can do to add to or launch your pre-need sales.  For more info on How To Mine Your Natural Market click here.

Happy Selling!

David…

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Many times you’ll never be questioned about your educational background but what your customers think about working with you is critical to your success.

You’ve got to get testimonials and they are very easy to get.

Most of the time you’ll end up writing them yourself and getting a signature but a hand-written note from your customer can be one sentence or pages and pages.

You can toot your own horn all day and all night and no one will care.

But, when someone else toots your horn, well, that’ll get you some incredible mileage.

Now for the action plan.

Get three testimonials right now.  Call previous customers, do what you have to do but get those testimonials.

Next, incorporate those testimonials into all of your correspondence.

Finally, continue asking for testimonials.  I have to admit I’ve gotten lazy myself because I have so many testimonials.  I should be asking for more testimonials myself.

You should be updating your correspondence with fresh testimonials and the more you have the easier it is to add the most relevant to your newsletters, stay-in-touch, referral, notes, and follow-up programs.

Happy Selling!

David

P.S.  DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT fake testimonials.  They must be real and for Pete’s sake don’t use initials.  Make sure you include the person’s name and town they are from on your testimonial.

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We seem to think that time is on our side and if we treat our customers well they’ll think of us and give some referrals.

It is way better to ask for referrals from the beginning, middle, and end or the process.  This is a referral mindset.

But, what’s overlooked?

Before you begin asking for referrals, and you should, you might want to look at it from your Prospect’s perspective.

Obviously, it is important for you to get referrals but why is it important to your Prospect?

Your Prospect has a lot to lose by referring a friend, especially if you screw up, or do something that disappoints your referral.  Also, the act of referring someone such as a Doctor, or a Tailor, implies you need psychiatric help or better clothes.  We, as a society, are reluctant to do things that might insult our friends.

I suggest you make it easy for your Prospect to refer.  Make it real easy.  Also, consider WIIFM (what’s in it for me?) the ‘me’ being the Prospect referring.

In earlier posts I talk about using tools such as a Planning Guide. 

Getting Prospects to refer friends to you to get a planning guide will seem much less intrusive.

Rewarding your Prospects who refer is important.  It doesn’t have to be a monetary reward.  The reward can be a note or some other acknowledgement.

Finally, picture yourself as a person who refers.  What type of recognition would encourage you to refer more?  What would encourage you might also help move your Prospects to refer family and friends.

Think about what’s important to you when you refer folks.  Now, go out and ask for some referrals.  You never know, you just might get a few.

Happy Selling!

David…

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