Week 30

WEEK THIRTY Welcome to Week Thirty of the Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. We hope you are having a great week and are ready for this week's journey. We've been discussing Referrals and Networking this month. As I reviewed Jim's and Chris' lessons this week, I was struck by the point that Chris made about asking. It reminded me of the book, "The Aladdin Factor" by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. We all go through periods in our life where we yearn for something--it might be a better relationship with our spouse, a promotion or raise at our job, more customers, better health, an appointment with a particular person/prospect or a loan to begin a business venture. There are steps we must take in order to bring those desires to fruition, and it's not likely to happen by simply wishing for it. One of the first steps you must take is to plant a seed. We must give before we receive. Know what you want to reap before you sow, because whatever you plant is what you will get. This applies to not only the tangibles in life, but also your attitude towards other people. The investments we make in people determine the outcome of our desires. We might be surprised at how different some of our outcomes would be if we simply asked for what we wanted--not what we thought we could get, or what is likely, or what we thought the other party wanted to give. We must believe that we are worthy of receiving what we want. I've heard it said that the most important opinion we have is the opinion we have of ourselves. We must continually raise that opinion, and we can do that by standing strong in our convictions, developing our skills, sowing seeds and living in our values. Enjoy this week's lesson and have a fantastic week! Kyle

“It isn't so important that YOU know 250 people. What's important is that everyone you MEET knows 250 people. That means, in essence, that every time you develop a strong relationship with someone new, you've potentially expanded your personal sphere of influence by 250 people every... single... time.” –- Bob Burg

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N NEET TW WO OR RK KIIN NG GA AN ND DR REEFFEER RR RA ALLSS Jim Rohn's Seventh Pillar of Success: Networking and Referrals, Part Four – Getting the Referral Hi, Jim Rohn here. Jim Rohn's Seventh Pillar of Success: Networking and Referrals, Part Four – Getting the Referral Hi, Jim Rohn here! This month we have been covering the topic of Networking and Referrals: 1. Developing the Attitude for Networking (and life). The old saying is true that your "attitude determines your altitude." You will only go as far as your attitude will carry you. We looked at the kind of attitudes that enable you to successfully expand your network and make your life all that it can be. There are certain attitudes you must have toward circumstances, and those that you must have toward yourself and others. Your attitude also governs the process of what takes place when you are networking. We discussed attitude three weeks ago. 2. Becoming a Person of Influence. The ability to attract and influence others is paramount to being a successful networker. We covered the principles of influence and what motivates others to follow your lead, which in turn builds your network. We also discussed how to expand your Rolodex with people who want to go with you to greater heights. We covered this in detail two weeks ago. 3. Working your Network. It takes a certain skill to search for and gain new referrals in order to expand your business. We showed you how to develop your network and grow your business--what to do before the meeting, during the meeting and after the meeting, all designed to help you grow your business through an expanding network of people. We covered this in last week's edition. 4. Getting the Referral. The success of your business depends on keeping your current customers satisfied while at the same time gaining new customers. The key to getting new customers is getting the referral. In this week's edition, we will discuss a technique for this and also cover the in's and out's of working with people in such a way that they help you find others to grow your business. And they will gladly refer you! This week, under the topic of “Getting the Referral,” I want to talk about what you have to offer as the person asking for the referral and the mindset of the person giving it. Let’s think through this situation. You have worked to develop a relationship with a person and have now arrived at the moment of truth: Will they give you the referral? Chris is going to talk about some specific techniques for getting the referral below, but I want to draw our attention to something we may not think about often enough – the mindset of the person who has been asked for the referral. If you can understand how this Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004

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person is thinking, what his or her fears are, you will be able to negotiate and bring them to the point where they readily give you the referral. So, what exactly are people thinking – either consciously or unconsciously – when they are asked to give a referral? Here are a few things to keep in mind: The person they are referring you to. One of the things they think about is the person who you are asking to be referred to. For example, you may ask to be referred to a very high level executive and the person’s first reaction may be, knowing the person you are asking for, that person does not like to be referred to. That may be a deal killer right there. It may not have anything to do with you. (However, even those high level people can be referred to if you provide enough value). This is the next point. Value. The person you are speaking with is going to decide whether or not you provide value. Are you valuable to them first and foremost, and will you be valuable to the person they would refer you to? The more valuable you have been to them, the more likely you are to be to the referral. And this is key. The last thing they want to do is send you to someone and have them say, “What did you think this guy was going to do for me?” You want to create so much value in their mind that they know you will provide value to the person they would send you to. Safety. The way you interact with people will create either a safe or unsafe atmosphere. If they had to go round and round with you in negotiations, or if you made them feel uncomfortable, then they will not refer you to another person. You see, people hold their contacts closely. Those contacts represent business, relationships and income to people. They will not refer you to someone if they think you will cause that person to feel uncomfortable. The best thing you can do is to create an atmosphere where the people you work with feel at ease, with no pressure to make decisions that will be a win for both sides. What’s in it for me? Ultimately everybody wants to know what’s in it for them. This may not be money, but at the very least people want to know that they are going to look good to the person who is being referred to. If they recommend you, they want to be sure that the response from the other person is going to be something along the lines of, “Jim, thanks so much for giving my name to Tom. He was really helpful and I think we are going to do some work together. I appreciate it.” See what that referring person gets? They look good in their contact’s eyes. Basically, in order to be good at getting referrals, you must understand the relationship a person has with the person you are trying to get to: They are gatekeepers. They are willing to only let the best through their gate. They want to protect both that person and their own future relationship with that person. If you can create those kinds of situations, and build your own relationships in such a way that they are open to you and what you do, you will be well on your way to getting what Bob Burg calls “Endless Referrals.” Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004

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In the next section Chris is going to give you some specific techniques on getting the referral. After that, he will give you some questions for reflection and some action points for the week. Until next week, let's do something remarkable! Jim Rohn

“Your first words set the tone. All encounters with customers and prospects are yours to control. What word and tone choices are you making?” -- Jeffrey Gitomer

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Hi there, Chris Widener here. This week I want to give you some specific thoughts on “getting the referral.” As I mentioned last week, this is Networking 101. If you want to make sure that when you ask you receive, then follow the tips I've outlined below! Seven Practical Tips Guaranteed to Get You the Referral 1. Sow the seed. The referral is really secured (or lost) long before you ask for it. What you do in the preliminary stages is what will determine what happens when you ask. Jim has so much excellent material from the last few weeks on what kind of people we need to be in order to get the referrals and build our networks. Remember, you sow the seeds of referrals by being a good person, showing great skills, providing value, behaving professionally, having high integrity and the like. These are the kinds of things that “till the soil,” so to speak. One other specific thing you can do to sow the seed is to drop a couple of references throughout the relationship that tips your hand that you will be asking for referrals. A good way I have found is to say something like, “Eventually, I am going to ask you if you would help me find a couple of others who may be interested in this kind of thing,” or something similar. This just lets them know it’s coming – but you better deliver the goods or it won’t matter anyway! 2. Give them something first. This is what persuasion and influence expert Robert Cialdini calls the Law of Reciprocity. If you want to influence and persuade someone, a very important thing to do is to give them something. This makes them “in your debt,” so to speak. Now, I am not suggesting that you do this simply as an act of manipulation, but just as something that will help both you and the other party, and solidify the mutually beneficial relationship. For example, let’s say that you sell insurance and you are working with a person who is looking to add to their term life insurance. Let’s say they sell yellow page advertising. Do you know anyone in a small business who may be interested in yellow pages advertising? Then give them that referral! So you might say at your first meeting something like this: “You know, before I tell you about the insurance, I have a friend who is opening a little restaurant in town. He is going to need a Yellow Pages ad. You should call him. His name is Fred and his number is 555-2626. Give him a call and tell him I sent you.” Now, when it is your turn to ask for the referral, what do you think the yellow pages guy is going to do? He is going to give something back to you. 3. Ask. My wife says that the one saying of Jesus I have heeded better than any other is, “You have not because you ask not.” In other words, the main reason you don’t have it is because you haven’t asked for it!! This may seem basic, but many people just never ask. They do the deal and say, “Thanks,” and walk away. If you want to get referrals, you will need to be sure to build the “ask” into the process. Believe me. I ask everyone! A mentor of mine, the former CEO of one of America’s most well-known companies, told me something when I was 25 years old that has stuck with me ever since. He said, “Chris, if you ever need anything, just ask. If I can help you, I will. If not, I’ll just say ‘No.’ There is never any harm in asking.” This is great advice and words that I have utilized ever since. Copyright Jim Rohn International 2002-2004

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4. Be bold. Most of the time you will get to the moment of “ask” and you will just have to reach down deep within yourself and find your guts. You will have to be bold. Most people who know me consider me one of the boldest people they know. But the fact remains that I regularly have to stop for a moment and take time to “suck it up.” Then, it is a matter of picking up the phone and dialing or looking them in the eye and saying the words with conviction. I am not sure it ever changes or gets easier. I think we always have to remind ourselves to “be bold.” 5. Make it easy. You want the referral process to be as easy as it can for the person who is giving you the referral. Don’t ask them to spend an hour writing down names. Don’t ask them to call you. Don’t ask general questions like, “Do you know anyone who…” As Bob Burg suggests, make it simple by saying something like, “Would any of your Monday afternoon golf partners be interested in…” or “Would any of your siblings like to…” This gives them a small field to think through and makes it easy for them. The question you want to answer is this: How much work am I asking them for? 6. Ensure safety. As Jim mentioned above, they are looking for safety, both for themselves and the other person. They are protecting their contacts, their time, and their reputations. Do you ensure safety? One way to do so, is to assure them of that (this assumes you have already shown them that in your own dealings). Here is a sample of what you might say: “I know you have a lot of contacts and value them a lot. I would like to contact a few of them with your permission. I know they are busy and important people. I would like to call them and see if they have any interest. Obviously, I would treat them with respect and be sensitive to their time. I assure you I would in no way hard sell them. Now…” And then comes the “ask.” If you have been safe with them and tell them you will do the same with their contacts, they will be more likely to give you the referral. 7. Be thankful. Be sure to say thanks immediately upon getting the referral. Be sure to send a thank you card or call them a few days later and say thanks. Be sure to keep them posted when you finally do business with their referral. If it is appropriate, send them a gift of thanks when the deal goes through. I must admit, there have been times when I have referred people up to $100,000 in business per year and I never get a “thanks” for it. Do I stop? No, not yet, but I am aware of it. On the other hand, I once brokered a last minute deal for someone in the neighborhood of about $40,000 and as I did so, I assured the one party that I would receive nothing in return, but I just thought it was a good fit. A friend of mine found himself in a tight situation and he had $40,000 to solve it. The problem was the other party's fee was $70,000 for solving those kinds of problems. But I wiggled them together! When I called my friend to tell him it was done, he offered to fly me anywhere in the U.S. to meet me there and take me to any restaurant I wanted. Remembering my promise to the other party about not getting anything out of the deal, I declined the offer. Nevertheless, two days later Fed Ex delivered a beautiful gift to me that now sits on a hutch in our living room with a very nice “Thank You” note from my friend. Which person do you think I am most likely to go to bat for in the future? Yep, the one who knows how to say “thanks”!

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You know, when it comes right down to it, getting referrals is just about people skills and human nature. If you study it and play by the rules of human nature, you will get all the referrals you can handle! Have a great week! Review of Brian Tracy’s Success Mastery Academy CD 1 Be sure to take some time to review and think through the tons of great information Brian shared on this first CD. The key to application is to make sure you take action as soon as possible after you have heard and learned the lessons. This solidifies it in your life. So get to it! •

The study of millionaires

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Why are some people more successful?

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Success is psychological

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Achievers are ambitious

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The top ten percent

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Courage and commitment

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Professional and prepared

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You are responsible

See you next week, Chris Widener

“Get around the right people. Associate with positive, goal-oriented people who encourage and inspire you.” -– Brian Tracy

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Q Qu ueessttiioon nss ffoorr R Reefflleeccttiioon n:: Q. Do you give much thought to the people you are asking to be referred to? How so? Do you make sure they are a good fit or do you use the shotgun approach?

Q. Would people consider you a “safe” referral? Why or why not? Is there anything you do that may be considered “unsafe?” Write comments here.

Q. What value do you bring to others? Do other people see you that way? Have you done a good job making sure people understand that? How so?

Q. When people ask, “What’s in it for me?” about your request for a referral, what answer do they come up with? In other words, what do you do or provide for the person who is giving you the referral?

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A Accttiioon n SStteep pss T Th hiiss W Weeeekk:: 1. Think through Jim’s points this week and commit to becoming the kind of person he talks about, particularly one who is safe and one who provides value. Do something specific that shows others this is the kind of person you are. Write it here.

2. Sow some seeds this week in your relationships. Let people know that you need referrals to keep your business growing and that you are going to talk to them about it soon. Write comments here.

3. Give something to everyone you come in contact with--anything from a gift, to a piece of advice, to encouragement, to a referral. Think of ways and act on them, in which you can help others.

4. Ask. Simple. Get in front of them or call on the phone. Reach deep down inside, find your “boldness,” and ask!

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A A LLooookk FFoorrw waarrd d:: This week we will be listening to CD 2 of Brian Tracy’s Success Mastery Academy.

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You are what you think

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You see what you believe

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Self-concept, ideal, image and esteem

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Self-talk

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Striving for excellence

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Becoming unstoppable

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And More!

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