How do we develop business relationships? Part 2

h.      Another way we develop business relationships is doing some things for nothing, that’s right give of yourself. Truly giving to give.  Giving for the sake of giving.  This is truly one of the most important concepts that I can talk about tonight. You must give with the true intent to give not because you feel some obligation to give and you have to give without expecting anything in return. And then you will be surprised what you get in return.

i.         Another way we develop relationships is  to stay in action  - Do one thing on this list daily

j.        Social media is another way– Give endorsements to others on LinkedIn.  You can endorse all of the people in your LinkedIn network.  This is a great way to strengthen relationships as every time you endorse someone you are giving them a vote of confidence.  By the way, when you do this people begin to endorse you as well!  With respect to other social networking activities they are good, but ration your time – you need to be careful here, spend no more than 30 minutes a day at the most. Don’t get hooked here!

k.       Another way we develop business relationships is to become a connector of people.  Become a hub.  What does being a hub mean?  You are a hub when people call you, because you know so many people that they assume you are bound to know someone who can help them. This is Very very powerful! People call me out of the blue because they know I know people and when they need something they call me to see if I can recommend someone. 

l.         You need to leverage all these tools and strategies.  

m.   Please keep this in mind - Business Relationship building is a process.  It's a journey, it is not a final destination.   There is no end to it.

Pam Patrone
Building Business Relationships
508-942-9307
pamela284@yahoo.com

Michael Barbarita
Next Step CFO
Relationship Marketing
781-326-3822
yourcfo@nextstepcfo.net

How do we develop business relationships? Part 1

a.       One way we develop business relationships is getting together on a One to One basis – It could be someone in your sphere group, it could be a potential customer or it could be a chicken. Take them out for coffee - Take them to lunch or breakfast.  Not too many people refuse a free lunch or breakfast!

b.      Another way we develop business relationships is frequently meeting – this is the most violated covenant.  Developing business relationships is not a one shot deal! If you are going to develop relationships you have to get together with people at least every 3 months and if they are in your contact sphere much more frequently at least once per month.

c.       Another way we develop business relationships is giving people ideas to help them in their business – this is a great relationship building strategy!

d.      Another way we develop business relationships is sending them greeting cards and gifts to maintain the connection

e.      Another way we develop business relationships is Sending chickens

f.        Another way we develop relationships is of course sending referrals

g.       By Doing favors for people is another way we develop business relationships

Pam Patrone
Building Business Relationships
508-942-9307
pamela284@yahoo.com

Michael Barbarita
Next Step CFO
Relationship Marketing
781-326-3822
yourcfo@nextstepcfo.net

Who do we develop business relationships with? (Part 2)

So one group you need to develop relationships with is your contact sphere! 

You must figure out who your contact sphere is!

b.      Of course we have to develop relationships with potential customers

c.       You have to develop relationships with people outside of sphere group who are potential customers

d.      You don’t need thousands of people

Let me explain what I mean by that. Successful networking doesn’t mean running all over town connecting with anyone who happens to be in the room. That’s an exhausting way to acquire customers. A successful business creates a network that is an inch wide and a mile deep, not a mile wide and an inch deep. You can be just as successful knowing 50 people real real well as you can knowing 1000’s of people just a little .   If you get to know 50 people who are mostly in your contact sphere and you develop really strong relationships with these people.  I mean you really get to know them,  you give them referrals, give them chickens, know everything about them, trust them as business professionals. They trust you as a business professional.  You can be phenomenally successful!


Pam Patrone
Building Business Relationships
508-942-9307
pamela284@yahoo.com

Michael Barbarita
Next Step CFO
Relationship Marketing
781-326-3822
yourcfo@nextstepcfo.net

Who do we develop business relationships with?

 We develop relationships with people in our contact sphere groups – What is a contact sphere group?  A contact sphere group is a group of business people who have a symbiotic relationship. They are compatible, noncompetitive professions, such as a lawyer, a CPA, a financial planner and a banker. If you put those four people in a room for an hour or two, they're going to figure out how to do business together. Each one is working with clients that have similar needs but require different services. Hence, they're working that symbiotic relationship.

Think about some of these examples of a contact sphere:

1.       a caterer, a florist, a photographer and the travel agent. This can be called a "wedding mafia"! Because if one gets a referral to a wedding, then they all get a referral to the wedding. These professions, more than most, have truly learned how to work their contact sphere.

2.       Business services sphere: printers, graphic artists, specialty advertising agents and marketing consultants.

3.       Real estate services sphere: residential and commercial real estate agents, a real estate attorney, a moving company and a mortgage brokers.

4.       Contractors Sphere: painters, carpenters, plumbers, landscapers, electricians and interior designers.

5.       Here is another one, a medical sphere, chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists and nutritionists. 

Pam Patrone
Building Business Relationships
508-942-9307
pamela284@yahoo.com

Michael Barbarita
Next Step CFO
Relationship Marketing
781-326-3822
yourcfo@nextstepcfo.net

      

Why Network? What's the Point?

Are you struggling to get customers?  

Do you understand the value of profitable business relationships but don’t know how to go about building those relationships? 

Do you avoid networking because you don’t know what to say to people?  

Do you have problems networking because you feel like every time you go to a networking function everybody is trying to sell you something and no one is interested in buying? 

Do you need a relationship building plan you can follow that will lead to more sales and increased income? 

And if you already have a network, do you want better ways to connect and stay connected to your network?  

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions then you’re in the right place.   Because over the next 45 minutes you will learn the relationship building strategies that I employed over the last 3 years that have helped me generate over 65% of my sales of my six figure business.

Hello everyone, my name is Michael Barbarita on behalf of Pam Patrone.  The name of my company is Next Step CFO.  I am a contracted Chief Financial Officer which means I work with small companies who cannot afford or do not require the services of a full time Chief Financial Officer.  I have referred over a quarter of a million dollars of business to my relationship partners in the last 2 years.  As a result I have achieved a six figure business through networking and building relationships.  I will show you what I did and how I did it in this 45 minute live webinar.  By the way, I didn’t create what I am about to tell you.  In other words, I take no credit for what I am about to tell you.  I saw other people do it successfully and I was motivated by it.

Let me give you a hint of what this webinar is about:

 

I used to think that the harder I worked the luckier I got, what I learned is that the more I give the more I receive.

 

"There is something distinctive that happens when givers succeed. It spreads and cascades. When takers win, there's usually someone else who loses. Research shows that people tend to look for ways to knock down successful takers. In contrast, when givers win, people are rooting for them and supporting them rather than gunning for them."

 

Business relationships start with Networking so I ask the question…

Why Network – What’s the point?

 

 

How can we help others in their businesses

So How can we help others in their businesses?

 

a.       One way we can help others in their business is sharing ideas to help them in their business – So you don’t have to always make referrals to people to help them in their business.  You can impart some personal knowledge that you have about their business or maybe you know someone in the same industry as the person you are speaking with and the person you know in that industry, did something that was really successful that you can share.

 

b.      Another way we can help others in their business is learning about what makes a great referral to them.  Simply ask them, what is a great referral for you?

 

c.       Another way we can help others in their business is of course making direct referrals to them

 

d.      This next one takes time to develop, but always be thinking of who you can refer when someone you know asks about a product or service that they need or that they are looking for. 

 

e.      Another way we can help others is creating opportunities for others – Let me give you example.  A residential mortgage broker I know does not do construction loans.  This mortgage broker who does not do construction loans got a call from a prospect who wanted a construction loan.  Instead of saying he was sorry and that he does not do construction loans and then hang up like most people do, his first comment was a question.  Have you chosen a contractor yet?  The answer was no and it resulted in a $700,000 referral to a contractor. That is what I mean by having a giving mindset and creating opportunities for others!

 

f.        Another way we can help others is finding them chickens  - What are chickens?   Chickens are not direct referrals for the person you are trying to help but are contacts that you have that could result in referrals for the person you are trying to help.   Let me give you an example.  A Real estate attorney frequently gets referrals from a real estate broker.  You’re speaking with that Real estate attorney and you know a real estate broker.  You then refer the real estate broker that you know to the Real estate attorney.  The real estate broker that you know is a chicken (a potential source of referrals for others) and in this case a potential source of referrals for the Real Estate Attorney.

When Networking, Where Should the Focus Be?

When Networking, Where Should the Focus Be?

 

•       Our primary efforts should be on giving referrals to others and helping others with their businesses.  You must have, or at least start to develop this mindset.  It works!

 

•       We should be focusing on Givers Gain!  Now what is Givers Gain?  Givers Gain is a philosophy taken after that old adage what goes around comes around.  If you give, there will be a reciprocal event that takes place at some point in time.  It may not happen right away.  You may not even get something from the person who you gave the referral to.  Many times I have given referrals to let’s say a CPA and all of a sudden out of the blue a get a referral from a lawyer.  I look at this as simply a law of nature.

 

•       Another area we should focus on is being interested in others. Everyone else is being a seller and selling their wares.  We stand out when we are interested in others and interested in their business.  In any Networking meeting, whether it is a Chamber of commerce or a rotary club or whatever it is.  Most people at the meeting are selling something.  We really stand out if we are authentically interested in another person’s business and helping others in their business. 

•       By focusing on helping others, givers gain, and being truly interested in others,  people will get to know and trust you.  When people know and trust you then you will get referrals.