Here are five steps you can take to effectively leverage the relationships you have with your strategic alliances.
3 min read
Leveraging Strategic Alliances to Get More Referrals
By Ernie Halal on 9/25/14 2:08 PM
Topics: Sales Referrals Grow Your Business
3 min read
The Delicate Art of Approaching Friends and Family for Referrals
By Ernie Halal on 4/3/14 11:58 AM
Demonstrate your value by telling stories of client success.
Work is frequent fodder for conversation between friends and family alike. When the topic comes up in your social circle, how do you describe the work you do? When you describe your practice to friends and family, be mindful of the fact that the words you choose may actually align with the art of gaining referrals. Friends and family are great prospects, and even if they are not likely to become customers in the near future, you can still gain referrals from them.
Topics: Referrals Grow Your Business
2 min read
Learning to "Celebritize Yourself" in Business
By Ernie Halal on 1/28/14 2:58 PM
The digital age has brought with it limitless sources of information and the chance to become noticed through the loudspeaker that is the Internet. But in an ever-increasing crowd, it's essential to know how to stand out.
That's what Marsha Friedman's book, "Celebritize Yourself: The Three Step Method to Increase Your Visibility and Explode Your Business," is about—creating a strong brand that transforms you into an industry celebrity.
"The term celebrity isn't just reserved for the stars we read about in the tabloids, but rather, it also refers to experts who are known for being at the top of their chosen fields, many times removed from movie and TV stars," Friedman says. "Whether you're a doctor, financial advisor, real estate broker or even a waiter, you can celebritize yourself."
Friedman focuses on three steps to accomplish this mission:
- Write. Many celebrity experts, including Zig Ziglar and Suze Orman, started out as authors. Even if you do not consider yourself as a writer, Friedman suggests turning your ideas into a book to define yourself as an expert. There are many professionals that can assist you in the process, including ghostwriters, co-authors and copywriters. These services aren't always cheap, but they can propel your credibility to the next level.
- Speak. It's also vital to spread the word about your industry knowledge, Friedman says. Use Internet platforms as well as real-life opportunities, such as speaking engagements, radio and TV interviews, to get your message out to anyone that will listen.
- Sell. Achieving "celebrity status" makes selling your brand—and thusyourself—an easier task. But not all media pitches are the same. It's key to consistently evaluate and improve your pitch so that it stands a chance of being noticed, Friedman says. Ask yourself if your pitch would perk your owninterest.
When you have become your brand and people trust what you say, people will become anxious for the opportunity to talk about your message.
"Celebrity is a powerful commodity; doors that were once closed can suddenly open," Friedman says. "People listen to what they ignored before. New business and money flows to you—not away from you. Most of all, people thank you for sharing your wisdom."
For more information and tips on this subject, visit www.celebritizeyourself.com.
Topics: Sales Referrals Grow Your Business leadership
3 min read
Upgrade Your Referrals
By Ernie Halal on 2/28/13 11:43 AM
When it comes to referrals, focus on quality instead of quantity
Whether you've asked for a referral or one has been volunteered, what do you usually do with it? Do you just say, "Thanks, I'll let you know what happens." Or do you linger a little longer to learn more about your new prospect? I always advocate quality over quantity. Coming away from a meeting with 12 referrals all at once doesn’t usually yield the kind of results you’d like, because the quality of the referral is usually not very good.
Topics: Sales Referrals Grow Your Business
3 min read
Five Ways to Get Referrals Without Asking
By Ernie Halal on 1/17/13 9:20 AM
It's possible to get referrals from clients and prospects without even asking. Here are 5 different ways to plant powerful referral seeds with prospects and clients:
Topics: Sales Referrals Grow Your Business
3 min read
The Right Time to Ask for a Referral
By Ernie Halal on 7/19/12 2:05 PM
When should you a ask a prospect for referrals—on the first appointment, on the second or a year into the relationship? It depends. When determining the right time to ask for referrals, consider that value must be provided and recognized by both the prospects and clients. You also must consider the personality of the referral-giving candidate.
Topics: Sales Referrals Grow Your Business
4 min read
Using Social Prospecting to Grow Your Business
By Ernie Halal on 5/8/12 9:20 AM
In this era of harder-to-reach prospects, especially the affluent and the wealthy, social prospecting has become the business-building model of choice for many successful agents. Social prospecting is the use of social environments to identify, meet, and grow relationships with qualified prospects.
