Change & Referrals

How Do YOU Change?

"How do YOU Change?
"What do you do to make change stick?"
"How do you embrace change?"
"When did change work for you?"

These are the questions that I have been asking at meetings of peers and friends the last few weeks. I have pages of ideas on what has worked for others. The one word that came up several times is "shift" instead of change. One definition of "shift" is to move very slightly, transfer. . . baby steps!

Change is often seen as hard and many will say near impossible. But every now and then we see the person that has made a huge change - lost weight, controlled an addiction, or changed careers. Learning from these people and talking with others I see a multi-step process.

1. Set a desired outcome and post it where you will see it at least 2 times a day
2. Know the reason for the change. Does it bring you energy and is it aligned with your core values?
3. Build a written plan that is time sensitive and realistic.
4. At the end of the day, identify the Strategic Next Action you will do tomorrow - Ah - this is the SHIFT!

Whether you are changing your business or your own personal issues, simple shifts with a clear vision of the desired outcome are going to make a difference.

Now, the last thing I heard repeatedly was the activity needs to be done anywhere from 21 to 30 days before it becomes a habit! That may seem hard, but how many days have already gone by waiting for a shift?

"If you take a shift, you'll feel better" - Tracy Swartz

Copyright 2010 Linda Fayerweather
Changing Lanes LLC
419-897-0528
http://www.changinglanes.biz/


Building Your Referral Dream Team
A valuable lesson that I learned long ago is that a top notch referral marketing education does NOT guarantee success. However, applying a top notch referral marketing education to top notch referral partners can produce desirable results. Sarah Owen, Master Franchisee with Referral Institute in the UK, took me through an exercise to help me begin to identify my Referral Dream Team.

Here is a similar exercise with a few personal touches:

1. Write down the names of all the people that have either attempted or successfully referred you in the last 12 weeks.

2. Ask yourself the following questions:
Are they INSPIRED to help you?
Do they have the TIME to invest in you?
Are they coachable and TRAINABLE as referral partners?
Do they have the RESOURCES to connect you to your target market?
Is it the "right" time in your RELATIONSHIP?
Are they REFERRABLE?

3. Isolate the people that meet all of the criteria and ask yourself a few more important questions:
Are you in a position to reciprocate?
From their point of view, do YOU meet all of the above criteria?
Save the best for last...Do you like them?

Developing profitable referral relationships is about doing the right things with the right people at the right time in the relationship. This exercise should help you focus on the people in your network that are already trying to refer you and further identify those that are prime candidates for your Referral Dream Team.

Now what??? You must properly educate and empower them with your carefully crafted word-of-mouth message. Stay tuned...

Copyright 2010 by Paula Frazier who is a referral marketing expert for Referral Institute and has helped thousands of business people create millions of dollars in qualified referrals for nearly 10 years! She is part of an exclusive team of international Master Trainers and collaborates with the leaders in her industry to continually develop cutting edge referral marketing concepts for the organization. As a published author she's also acknowledged in the New York Times best seller, Truth or Delusion - Busting Networking's Biggest Myths. Check out #33, Delusion with a twist! Paula can be contacted at paula@referralinstitute-va.com