This post is a response to a question that came in from Joe H. in Tempe, AZ, after listening to the telephone seminar, “Becoming Wealthy During Turbulent Economic Times”. Feel free to share your comments on my answer below.
On Tuesday November 25th, 621 small business owners, sales professionals and entrepreneurs tuned in to an 84 minute, information packed, no B.S. telephone seminar on both how to think AND behave in order to maximize their ability to thrive in any economy.
QUESTION: How do I turn my value giving efforts to help others, into measurable referrals, profits, and more customers?
“Jon, I’ve been running my local print shop for the past 13 years, and have prided myself on how far I go out of my way to solve problems for others, especially with our services (as opposed to solving problems with other peoples services, which I like how you talked about on the call).
The problem that I have – which you have already helped me solve - but I want clarity on, is that I often solve problems for others, yet don’t feel like I have a good method for turning it into referrals, more profit, more customers, etc… any thoughts?”
Joe H. Tempe, AZ
ANSWER: Jon Berghoff
Joe, at the end of the call, I touched on the concept of making sure you are well aware of your entire “sales funnel”. I would encourage you to ask yourself how you can make sure your good will that is currently helping so many businesses gets engineered into your sales process.
For example, when you help one person, I would encourage you to document every case, and publish the solutions you create as part of your regular newsletter (you mentioned in your email that you publish one).
Do not be afraid to publicize your giving ways. You might actually solve other business owner’s problems in doing so. Most importantly, by making sure you broadcast your efforts to your sphere of influence, you are creating maximum exposure value out of each problem that you solve.
Related, yet in a slightly different light, include into every bit of your marketing material, advertisements, business correspondence, and sales presentation, these same examples of how you are helping others to solve their problems.
Lastly, make sure you are aggressively asking for referrals every time you solve one person’s problem. Aggressive – not in how you ask – but in how diligently you police yourself to make it a routine.
Joe, you are in the perfect business to model much of what I talked about at the end of the call, under the topic of giving out valuable information.
Hope this helps.
Jon Berghoff
Jon Berghoff is the founder of Global Empowerment Connection. GEC has a history of creating sales, leadership, and entrepreneurial success through ‘harmonic influence’ over ourselves, others and the world. Subscribe to Insights on Influence, our free e-zine at www.geconnection.com.
