SuccessNet
BNI: The Business Referral Organization
August 2008


Art of Networking
Across the Globe
From the Founder
BNI in the News
To the Next Level
My BNI Story
Breaking News
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Words of Wisdom



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Art of Networking
Referral Multiplier in Business Networking


How does a Referral Multiplier work in a referral-based business networking group?

You may remember the multiplier and its effect from your study of economics at college. It simply refers to the idea that an initial spending increase can lead to an even greater increase in overall income. The extent of the multiplier effect is, in its simplest form, the amount of times money spent is circulated through a country's economy.

Within the context of a networking group, the Referral Multiplier's effect will depend on the number of businesses that benefit from a single referral; the more business transactions created from an initial piece of business, the greater the effect. The effect can even go beyond one's networking group.

If you are growing your business in a referral business group like BNI, the Referral Multiplier will take effect when you practice the following:

1. Adopt the "Givers Gain" approach

According to BNI Founder Dr. Ivan Misner, the law of reciprocity sets in motion in-kind responses of individuals based on the actions of others. He uses the old adage "Give and you shall receive." It means taking the focus off what you stand to gain from the networking relationship. Doing so creates bonds based on trust and friendship. By maintaining strong relationships, you retain customers and increase your business.

2. Activate the VCP Process™

VCP stands for visibility, credibility, and profitability. What you need to do in order to be visible, credible and profitable takes a certain skill set.

Make yourself "visible" by participating in networking events hosted by your local chamber of commerce, writing a regular column in your local newspaper, or involving yourself in local community work. As you become increasingly visible in your business community, you will develop credibility. People will recognize that you are here for the long haul, and you will begin to receive quality referrals.

3. Build a personal network of trust

"Credibility" means providing a high level of service in your professional field and keeping a strong line of accountability with your referrers and clients. Observe the Code of Ethics of your networking group as well as those in your own professional field. Doing so helps you build a good personal network of trust, which makes you highly referable. Any breaches in professional ethics will cost you your credibility. This will affect referral flow and slows down the multiplier; opportunities will slip away to your competitors outside your networking group.

4. Create a 'Power Team' that multiplies business opportunities

When like-minded professionals get together, more business opportunities are likely to arise and bear fruit. To see these opportunities multiply three, four, or more times will depend on whom you team up with.

Power-teaming your group is a great catalyst for the Referral Multiplier. A good example is a group comprised of an event planner, photographer, travel agent, paper products supplier, caterer, beautician, florist, and printer. When a referral to a soon-to wed couple is received by one in the group, the couple is mostly likely to be referred to others in the group.

In conclusion, the Referral Multiplier can only work efficiently and effectively if everyone in the group makes it a personal goal to harness the power of relationship marketing. It is highly dependent on the level of commitment and the strength of your networking group.

From the Founder
The Hard Path is Easier!


I am writing this column from beautiful Vail, Colorado, while attending a meeting of the Transformational Leadership Council. TLC is a group put together by Jack Canfield (co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series) and is comprised of trainers and "thought leaders" helping to transform people's lives in various ways.

During the five days of seminars and meetings, I had an opportunity to sit in on a presentation by Steve D'Annunzio that I felt compelled to write about. Steve spoke of many things, but what really resonated with me was his discussion of taking the easy path or the hard path in the decisions that we make throughout life.

He said, "Taking the hard path often makes life easier and taking the easy path often makes life harder!"

I sat there and thought about how much that truly applies to BNI. I've seen some groups that take the easy path. They don't hold members accountable for attendance, quality referrals, following the system, or general support of the group. Many of these things are, in fact, hard to maintain. The real tragedy is that they may go down this path for a very long time, unwilling to take the necessary hard steps to build a successful BNI group. The results are inevitable—the chapter struggles.

On the other hand, I see some groups that work hard to maintain attendance, generate quality referrals, follow the system, and cultivate a positive attitude. This is incredibly difficult to do consistently. These chapters tend to be much more successful.

In BNI, taking the hard path often makes business and life much easier, and taking the easy path can make business and life much harder.

Steve ended his presentation by asking, "Are you practicing hard/easy or are you practicing easy/hard in your life?"

This is a powerful question for every BNI chapter to ask. It might make a great discussion with your fellow members. Is your group taking the hard path to success? If not, what can you do, right now, today, to help move the chapter forward on the hard path to make your life easier?

Called the father of modern networking by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the founder and chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. His latest New York Times best selling book, Masters of Sales, can be viewed at www.MastersBooks.com. Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company. He can be reached at misner@bni.com.



BNI in the News

The Art of Giving

BNI was featured in Times of India, India's main newspaper, on June 18, 2008.

This all came about when a BNI member in Bangalore, Sandeep Nanu, invited a friend to a BNI meeting. He also just happened to be a regular columnist with the newspaper. We had no idea that he would do a story. Our BNI meeting dazzled him!

The moral of the story is this: Treat every visitor as a VIP because you never know whom they may be!

Click here to read the article.

Submitted by Niiraj R Shah, National Director - BNI India



My BNI Day: One BNI Member's Blog on BNI Experiences

David Wimblett, a marketing managing director from Teddington, UK, hosts a popular blog, entitled My BNI Day, which has grabbed the attention of many, including BNI Founder and Chairman Dr. Ivan Misner.

While all of David's experiences and provocative writing style catch your attention, the June 24th entry, "What Have You Been Doing for the Last 10 Years," will really throw you for a loop!

Click here to read the article.



Business by Mouth

A select group of Maitland businesses have shared in $1 million in trade as part of a global networking organisation.

The Maitland Chapter of BNI became the first of six branches in the Hunter Region and Central Coast to break $1 million in referred business.

The chapter is now looking towards its second million.

Click here to read the article.



Time Spent Networking Is Time Well-Spent

Most people who attend mortgage conferences, conventions, and seminars plan to garner information from these events. Many people, however, often overlook the prime networking opportunities they offer.

When you recognize that any chance you have to make new contacts or to get your name out there is valuable, you can use these events to learn new information and to network for business growth.

Click here to read the article.


I Refuse To Participate in a Recession

Triple whammy: house prices fall; jobs cut; and, interest rates held.

Then there's the credit crunch, recession, food price rises, fuel price rises. On and on and on it goes …

I wonder if I should get out my hard hat, put on my gas mask, search out my grandad's old ration book, build an Anderson shelter in the back garden, and dig in. Or maybe walk round with a sandwich board declaring the end of the world is nigh!

So why are some BNI members wearing badges stating, "I refuse to participate in a recession"? Are we mad? Are we burying our heads in the sand?

Click here to read the article.


To The Next Level
The 10-Minute Presentation Formula


A well-delivered 10-Minute Presentation is key to BNI member success.

Seasoned members know that those who spend the time and energy to put together an excellent presentation come out of the experience with increased trust, energy, and, most importantly, more referrals. Members who deliver an ill-prepared presentation to their sales team usually receive a proportionately diminished return on their investment of time.

When we attend Member Success Program (MSP) training, we learn that moving up the trust/referral curve is also critical to member success. The faster we move up the curve, the better the referrals become in both quantity and quality.

Many regions also offer advanced training workshops on 10-Minute Presentations. Most new members come away from these training sessions with the realization that a 10-Minute is not a high school speech. There is a formula to making your presentation effective and memorable.

Famed Green Bay Packer coach Vince Lombardi was known for starting each season with a team meeting. With rookies and veterans alike standing around him, he would say: "Gentlemen, this is a football."

Even professional football players must be reminded that success is in the fundamentals. The successful execution of the fundamentals, especially in complicated plays, can determine the outcome of the play or the game. The same idea applies to our businesses.

Fundamentally, in business we need to consider what we want as our desired outcome. Our business/marketing plan as well as our day-to-day actions must align with our outcome goals. Applying the same business philosophy to the 10-Minute should cause a member to ask, "What is the purpose for delivering a 10-Minute Presentation?"

Fundamentals of the 10-Minute
Consider if your purpose is to educate, motivate, or train. If the desired outcome is for increased referrals, obviously the presentation should be oriented that way. If we deliver a training presentation and expect referrals, we generally come away disappointed.

When scripting a presentation, think about your business as it applies to your BNI category. Consider the question: "What kind of business do I want to develop in BNI?" Then ask, "What are the most important or most profitable parts of my business?"

These aspects of your business are known as Least Common Denominators (LCDs). In MSP, attendees are instructed to come up with at least three of them. LCDs are the keystone to the development of your 10-Minute Presentation. For your presentation, look at using two or three LCDs, and then develop two or three minutes of material around each one.

The next part of the 10-Minute is "The Ask." This is where you actually inform your BNI teammates about the "who, what, where, why and how" of an excellent referral for you. (As a side note, don't be afraid to ask for the one referral that could dramatically change the course of your business for the best. Because in BNI, you never know who knows who.)

Your "ask" should be directly related to your presentation LCDs. For instance, you know that the most important part of you business is the sales of widgets. The most prolific consumer of widgets in your market is Empire Company. Empire Company is not a customer of yours. You know that the purchasing agent for widgets at Empire Company is Bonnie Barnes. You've been unable to get past Bonnie's gatekeeper to speak with Bonnie directly. One of your LCDs would be about widgets. One of your "asks" would be a request for a personal introduction to Bonnie Barnes.

Once you have developed two or three LCDs and the "asks" associated with them, the rest is easy. Here's the formula:

Introduction: (30 seconds) Include your name, your company name, and your BNI category. (I'm Jim Smith from Health Associates. I'm this chapter's health insurance specialist).

Qualifications: (15 seconds) For instance, you could say, "I have 18 years of experience as an insurance agent, five as a health insurance claims representative, and a degree in Insurance from Upper Wabash University."

LCD 1. (2 minutes)
LCD 2. (2 minutes)
LCD 3. (2 minutes)

Ask 1 (30 seconds)
Ask 2 (30 seconds)
Ask 3 (30 seconds)

Close: (15 seconds) "I'm Jim Jones of Health Associates—your health insurance specialist—helping my clients, like you, save money and time on health insurance."

Print out your presentation in long form and rehearse it over a three-day period. Once it's a smooth delivery, transfer your key points to an index card. Practice the presentation using the index card.

Have handouts available. But unless they are interactive, such as a fill-in-the-blank sheet, put them on your chapter's literature table. Handouts can actually be a distraction if not used appropriately. You won't need a handout for every chapter member because many will be left behind or thrown away.

If you are using technology, have a back-up plan. A technical partner can be a big help in advancing the presentation and passing out materials.

This formula will give you the structure to give a great 10-Minute Presentation.

Kevin Jarchow is an industry expert on the subject of network marketing. Kevin is the Founder, Lead Wealth Advisor and Managing Member of West Michigan Wealth Management, LLC. West Michigan Wealth is dedicated to assisting individuals and small business owners in the accumulation, growth, protection and legacy planning of capital assets. His e-mail address is kj2602@yahoo.com.

My BNI Story

B&B Referral Pays Dues in Full

As a B&B owner, my job is supporting our guests during their stay. This often involves connecting them through referrals with the resources they need while they stay with us here at Mayor Lord's House Bed and Breakfast.

I was recently pleasantly surprised to be on the other side of a referral when a fellow BNI member, Steve Pyne from Starn Technologies, referred two guests from outside the country for two separate rooms for 5 days.

To put this referral into perspective, this was my first referral received, and it pays for my BNI membership for two years!

Submitted by Sherry Vardaro, BNI Eagles Chapter, Western Pennsylvania


Connections to Success

How do I find a 5x7 photo of myself in the business section of the state's largest newspaper, featured in an article on my most exciting business venture ever? It's all due to one motivating question by a fellow BNI member.

Seven years ago, the writer in my BNI chapter approached me and asked: "Ted, why don't you write articles for your trade magazines? You have so much to offer with your experience." She saw potential and opportunity I had not considered—up until that moment.

That comment motivated me to write and submit an article for publication focused on my BNI experience and how it can be used as a successful marketing plan for others in the industry. While the article did not get selected for publication, it did open up a connection. I was requested to present a workshop on marketing at an industry trade show for the region. It began my business as Your Salon Coach.

The class met with such success that it was requested the following year. My reputation as Your Salon Coach connected me to continual educational events and coaching clients. I continued writing articles, and many were selected for publications in the national trade magazine. With the aid of the graphic artist in my chapter, magazine ads were the next step, along with a CD label featuring a new coaching tool: "Coach in Your Car."

With each endeavor I undertook there was support and connections through BNI. I have used my coaching business with my BNI experience and connections to grow the project, which is now being nationally recognized.

To look back and think a fellow BNI member saw potential and prompted me to action makes me continue to keep my ears open to listen. I'm also motivated to pay it forward by prompting other BNI members to see their potential and go for it.

Ted Halone, South Metro Chapter, Richfield, Minnesota


Race Car Referrals

I'm a sales support assistant, but in my spare time I am a technical inspector for amateur car racing in Ontario. I had a race car at the beginning of the 2008 race season that was non-compliant with our rulebook, but would pass a certification from an engineer. The owner of the car was unable to find a qualified engineer to do the certification for him.

I contacted the South-Western Ontario BNI Director—Bruce Elliot—and asked him if we had any structural engineers in Ontario BNI Chapters that had experience doing load certifications on race cars. I figured that what I was looking for was so specialized that there wasn't much chance of finding one. But a slim chance was better than no chance at all.

Within 48 hours of my sending Bruce the email, I was on the phone talking with a structural engineer who works on and is familiar with race car roll cages. He understood the problem and what was required right away. Twenty-four hours later, he was in touch with the race car owner.

I've concluded that there's absolutely nothing you can't find someone to do for you in BNI. That's the true power of referral networking—I can find a way to refer businesses, even those that arise out of my personal hobbies and interests.

Colene Allen, BNI Twin-Cities Chapter, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario


Orlando Conference a Hit

I would like to comment on the wonderful conference that BNI held in Orlando, Florida in May, 2008.

I have attended many insurance conferences when my husband was an employee of a large insurance company, and I can say from past experiences that the BNI conference was very professional, educational, and entertaining.

The highlight of the conference was personally meeting Dr. Misner and having my photo taken with him. He was a very charming, unintimidating man, and it was my pleasure meeting him.

The picture is our group from Sarasota, Florida: Area Director Mark Stough, Sondra Conk, Sharon Cirillo, Michelle Donovan, Dr. Ivan Misner, Linda McConnell, and Andrea Page.

Sharon M. Cirillo, Vice President - BNI Referrals in Paradise Chapter


A Referral with Family Ties

After standing in front of Tonbridge Chapter, giving my first-ever BNI 10-minute presentation, I received a referral from a chapter member to contact an accountant (I am a bookkeeper).

The accountant and I had a very pleasant conversation, and I hoped he would help me develop business. It just so happened that he had a client in need of a bookkeeper.

He told me the client's name. When seeing my face, he asked, "Do you know her?"

"Goodness yes! She's my cousin!"

At first I wondered why my cousin never came to me, but I understood that most people are skeptical about mixing business with pleasure. All she needed, however, was a call from the accountant. Soon I was walking to her office, thinking about how my first local, high street client was family!

Jacqueline Brown, Tonbridge Chapter


29% Solution Testimonial

During these tough times, BNI chapters are truly "Islands of Prosperity in a Sea of Recession."

The 29% Solution is a great read.

Gordie Allen


What Would Dick Do?

Dick Rasmussen of Juice Plus was an amazing BNI member. People are still getting referrals from him. People he spoke to before he passed away are contacting BNI members. He truly is an inspiration to us all.

We lost Dick very unexpectedly. Our chapter now finds ourselves striving harder to do all the things that Dick would do in order to make up for his absence.

Dick was a simple guy who used common sense and applied common knowledge in uncommon ways to go out of his way to give to others. I know if he were here he would tell you himself how blessed he was both in life and in business because of it.

Arriving early before every meeting, Dick met us at the front door of the building. He opened the door with a smile and an exuberant greeting—not just for the BNI members but for all the guests arriving at the hotel. He invited people he met at the door to join our meeting.

If a fellow member needed a ride, a package delivered, a phone number, or just a friendly ear, he was there to help.

Dick invited people to BNI meetings all over the state. His focus was not just to increase the membership in his own chapter, but to truly help other chapters succeed. He knew BNI could help them grow their business. He brought in the most new members to our organization in the entire state of Minnesota. He did not worry solely about the success of his own chapter, or of himself.

It will take all of us to bring in the results that Dick did and make up for the lost referrals. So, with this brief statement we remind ourselves to think in every situation, with every choice we make … What would Dick do?

"Love what you do and add value to people's lives." —Dick Rasmussen

We will miss you!

Submitted by LuAnn Buechler, Assistant Director, Southern Minnesota BNI


Breaking News

Always a BNI Director


Lt. Colonel Edward Bean, Staff Judge Advocate for the 311th ESC (Army), is based in West Los Angeles. He is also BNI Executive Director for BNI Riverside & San Bernardino Counties, CA.

Ed is currently serving a one-year deployment to Kuwait and Iraq, but that hasn't stopped him from keeping up on the latest BNI book release from the seat of a Blackhawk helicopter!

Ed is looking forward to his retirement from the U.S. Army in September, 2009, and devoting himself to the BNI region he and his wife, Susan Bean, oversee.

Submitted by Susan M. Bean, Executive Director, BNI Riverside & San Bernardino Counties


BNI Foundation Funds Chemistry Lab for Secondary School Students in Mexico

Thanks to a generous contribution from the BNI Foundation, 60 secondary school students in Ometepec, Mexico, will soon be able to study chemistry and conduct hands-on experiments in their school's own chemistry lab!

The BNI Foundation's $5,000 (USD) donation was used to buy the steel and tops needed to construct lab tables, Bunsen burners, faucets, plumbing for water and gas, chemistry equipment, books, and chemicals. The lab will be operational by fall of 2008 and the students, along with the school's headmaster, Eliel Galindo, are extremely grateful to BNI for their new lab, which they are calling the BNI Chemistry Lab.

Beth Misner, BNI Foundation Administrator, received a letter of thanks to the BNI Foundation for enabling the school to continue to be a light to the surrounding community by providing local youth the opportunity of an excellent education.


BNI Bike Ride

Following his dream, our executive director, Sam Schwartz, just completed a cross-country motorcycle ride to raise money for the fight against cancer. The BNI Bikers Unite Ride 2008 began June 27th in Virginia and ended at BNI HQ in California on July 7th with a nice reception by the entire staff and Ivan. Several riders joined the bike ride along the way, especially at the start and the end. I had the pleasure of "chasing" Sam in a cargo van, which we used to return to Virginia with the bike inside. Sam has a personal interest in fighting cancer since his father and stepfather died of cancer.

Along the way we appreciated America and its great people, scenery, and vastness. At most stops we were greeted by a networking event organized by the local directors; they were great fun. We also collected many small donations along the way and through the sales of our t-shirts and pins. The reception we got from BNI members and the public was great! People told us stories about their BNI experiences, their connection with cancer, and their part of the country. Sam and I feel like we really experienced this great country in a way you can't when you just fly into a city.

All of our pictures from the trip are on: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=180hu3ga.4wzxgfi2&x=0&y=v8tdl0&localeid=en_US.

One sweet older woman told us about her motorcycle (and pronounced it "sickle") and how she loved it. She told us a very touching story about how her son was killed on the bike, but that she still had to ride. Then she wrote us a $10 check for the cause.

There were several stories like this, but one of the best was when someone knocked over Sam's bike in a parking lot on the very first stop, Columbus, OH. The young man was very sorry about the damage (which was only cosmetic); when his mother showed up, she said she was going to smack him! Sam talked with her and found out that she had a business and didn't know about BNI. So he introduced her to the local director, Natalie Paz-Storey. She promised to attend a meeting. She also told us she was from Hungary (where Sam is also the National Director), so they discussed her contacts there. And she shared how her best friend died of cancer just two weeks earlier. In tears from that, she wrote us a $200 check for the cause, and we exchanged contact info.

We had events before the ride in our region that raised some money for the fight against cancer, and we will have a large festival on September 14th to celebrate the drive. During that celebration, we will present a check (large, hopefully) to the American Cancer Society. Donations are still being accepted at www.bnibikersunite.org, or you can send them to the BNI-Misner Charitable Foundation (www.bni.org ) with a note saying that it is for this Bikers Unite Ride.

Sam is considering doing other rides like this in coming years, maybe in a different format. We loved this trip and recommend it to anyone. Our BNI region has benefited from this ride and we hope the other BNI members we met did too.

Submitted by Dave Boyd, Area Director, BNI-NOVA (Northern Virginia)
Words of Wisdom From Brian Tracy

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Brilliant on the Basics - Leading Your Field


There are seven key result areas in selling. Your weakest key skill sets the limit on your sales and determines the height of your income. Fortunately, all sales skills are learnable. You can learn any skill you need to achieve any level of sales and income that you desire.

Last month, we discussed giving yourself a score of 1 to 10 in each of these key areas. We covered the first three skills of Prospecting, Establishing Rapport and Trust, and Identifying Needs Accurately. Now, give yourself a grade on the next four skills.

4. The fourth key result area of selling is presentation. In reality, the presentation is where the sale is made to a qualified prospect. Every part of your presentation must be thought through and planned in advance. Nothing must be left to chance. You must make every effort to make sure that your presentation is effective, believable, and persuasive.

A score of 10 in presenting skills means that you have carefully thought through and prepared and practiced your presentation. You move smoothly from one step to the other, asking questions, showing how your product or service works, and how the prospect can most benefit from owning and enjoying what you sell. At the end of your presentation, if you are a good salesperson, the prospect will be completely convinced and ready to buy, even without asking the price.

A 1 in presentation skills means that you walk into sales meetings unprepared and say whatever occurs to you. You do little or no preparation and are more concerned with talking faster and louder in a vain attempt to convince the prospect that he should buy than you are with following a professional sales process. At the end of your conversation, the prospect looks at you with some confusion, shakes his head, and says, "Well, it sounds very interesting. Let me think it over."

However, the fact is that nobody thinks it over. Nobody thinks about your product after you leave. The words, "I want to think it over" is a polite way of asking you to leave. As soon as you are out of sight, the prospect forgets that you ever lived. The first thing he does after you leave his presence is to throw your sales materials in his wastebasket.

5. The fifth key result area of selling is answering objections effectively. As it happens, there are no sales without objections. Objections indicate interest. All top salespeople have carefully thought through every objection that a qualified prospect is likely to give them as a reason for not buying at this time. They have then developed a powerful, practical, and persuasive answer to that objection.

On a scale from 1 to 10, you would earn a 10 in answering objections if your pre-prepared answers were so clear and focused that as soon as you gave your answer, the prospect immediately dropped his opposition and was open to buying.

A score of 1 in this area would mean that you have given little or no thought to the objections you might receive, and whatever the prospect says, as part of natural sales resistance, causes you to become angry and defensive. Sometimes you get red faced and argue with the prospect. Sometimes you start to question your own quality or ability and wonder whether your product or service is any good in the first place. If you get too many objections, you would probably think about quitting. The feelings of rejection triggered by objections are the primary reason why people drop out of the selling profession each year.

6. The sixth key result area of selling is closing the sale. In golf they say, "You drive for show, but you putt for dough."

A score of 10 in closing the sale means that you have carefully thought through how to ask for the order in a variety of different ways. You know how to assure that the prospect knows you and likes you, that the prospect wants, needs and can afford your product or service, that the prospect has no further objections, and you know how to ask the proper question at the correct time.

A score of 1 in closing the sale means that when you reach the end of the sale, you start to go into a state of semi-panic. Your heart rate increases. You begin to perspire. You feel nervous and uneasy. You feel like a trapped rat unable to go forward or backward.

The customer senses your level of stress and unease, and begins to wonder if something terrible is about to happen. As a result the customer tenses up as well, folds his arms, and goes into a defensive position. He is ready to protect his wallet against your request, whenever it comes. Finally, you say something like, "Well, what would you like to do now?" and the customer says, "Well, let me to think about it." And we all know what that means.

7. The seventh key result area of selling is getting resales and referrals. For you to move into the top 10 percent of your field, you must develop the skill of generating resales and eliciting referrals to a high level.

Fortunately, this is a learnable skill as well. All the highest paid sales people, in every field, have become artists at getting their customers to buy from them again and again, and getting qualified referrals from satisfied customers.

A score of 10 in getting resales and referrals means that you have what is called a "Golden Chain" of referrals from happy customers. Because you take such good care of your customers, and continually ask them for the names of other people that may be interested in what you sell, people are opening doors, making telephone calls, and introducing you to prospective customers day after day.

If you have a score of 10, you are so busy calling on referrals that you no longer have any time to prospect. You have so many referrals that you probably need a sales assistant to keep your appointment book straight. You have a waiting list of customers who want to buy from you, if you have an opening. From morning to night, you are calling on qualified people who are eager to buy and are just waiting for you to give them the number to fill in on the check. That's a ten.

A score of 1 in this area means that you seldom get a resale or a referral. Once you have sold to someone, you quickly forget about them, throw their name over your shoulder to the company, and go on finding new customers.

You don't know how to ask for referrals, and you are terrified of rejection so at the very most, you will say, "Do you know anyone else who may be interested in my product?" Because of this phrasing, the prospect or customer says, "No, not right now" or "Let me think about it."

Wherever you have given yourself the lowest score is also your greatest opportunity for rapid improvement in your sales results. No matter how nervous you are, no matter how much fear you have of failure or rejection in this particular skill area, remember that it is learnable. As you learn and master this skill, all your fears will go away and be replaced by confidence, courage, and a feeling of personal power.

Resolve today to make the next year the very best and highest paid year of your life. Resolve today to fulfill your potential in selling, and become all that you are capable of becoming. Resolve today that you are going to become "Brilliant on the basics" and never stop improving.

In subsequent columns, I will share with you the very best methods and techniques used by the highest paid salespeople to achieve extraordinary results in each of the seven key result areas of selling.

About Brian Tracy:

Brian Tracy is one of the top sales experts and trainers in the world. He has taught more than 2,000,000 sales people in 46 countries. He is the president of Brian Tracy University of Sales and Entrepreneurship online, committed to teaching ambitious individuals how to rapidly increase their sales, income and profits. For a free one-hour CD, "How to Become a Sales Superstar," click on briantracyu.com/success.


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