I want you to consider where you are currently getting your referrals from and if you have people in your circle that are consistently sending qualified leads to you.
- Do you know in your heart that you are awesome at what you do, but wonder why you’re not getting more referrals than you actually are?
- How many of the referrals that you get are unqualified, leaving you wondering if the person that did the referring even understands what it is that you do?
- How many of the referrals that you get are from people that aren’t ready to engage with your services…right now?
Common referrals are typically a waste of time. Almost all are unqualified, not ready to buy, and unpredictable.
I want to share with you the best way to build your tribe of unpaid marketers to get qualified, consistent and purchase-ready referrals. Let’s call these folks Champions.
It’s tough to build business completely on your own, right? There are only so many ways you can generate leads one at a time, and only so many networking events, coffee dates and speaking engagements you can do before you max out on your time, energy and resources. Empowering and activating others to clearly and correctly support your business development activities will build your bottom line faster than doing it alone.
Champions are an educated, unpaid sales and marketing force that screen potential prospects and introduce them to you. Activating champions streamlines your visibility and credibility process and over time can replace a lot of your prospecting activities.
Champions are not referral sources – they are actually the first line of ‘prospecting’ in your business. They will qualify the right prospects, and screen out those that won’t fit your business model. If you want double-digit success, don’t do it alone – empower others to support you.
Typically, you’ll want to start with 5-10 Champions and then build to 50. The faster you build your tribe of Champions, the more qualified prospects you’ll be able to get into your sales funnel, which will exponentially increase your bottom line.
3 steps for building your tribe of unpaid marketers:
- Identify the right Champions. There are different types of Champions available to you, all with a different purpose. From Marketers (who spread the word about you) to Connectors (who connect you to other service providers, alliances) and Qualifiers (who flush out ideal prospects and send them your way). Some likely places to find champions include current clients, family, friends, social contacts, service providers or other professionals in your business network.
- Activate Champions. Once you’ve identified your list of Champions, now it’s time to empower them to act on your behalf. (Remember that you are building relationships with your champions, so you are giving as much as you are receiving.) Explain what a Champion is and the role you see them playing. Ask them what you can do for them before they start championing you, educate them and keep them in your circle.
- Educate Champions. Before you start building Champions you have to become clear on what your ideal client looks like. If you can’t clearly state what you are looking for, your Champions can’t bring them to you. They need to be clear on what you do, why what you do is important to the people you do it for, the niche markets you serve, the different services you offer, and how you charge. You’ll also need to be able to articulate what makes you stand out from your competition and any notable success stories.
A well-trained, activated Champion is more powerful than a full-time, paid marketer.
Invest your time in this strategy and you’ll see exponential results.
If you are struggling to build business quickly and don’t have a system in place to capture, nurture and close opportunities, then I’d like to offer you a complimentary 45 min business strategy session. In our session together you will get crystal clear on what is holding you back from attracting the clients you want, and you’ll learn exactly what it will take for you to up level your game. Are you ready to stop tolerating slow business growth? I can help. Contact me.