rainmaking part 1 by wearecloudberry com for andycollyer com

more available at wearecloudberry.com

RainmakingDeveloping your approach to creating more business

© 2010 wearecloudberry.com


What do we know?• We get an as yet uncalculated % of our business by referral• We have referrers in our broader network of alliances• We have clients who make referrals• We don’t know much more than that right now• Getting referrals is too hard or an unknown science

Rainmaking


What should we know? What is the value of a client per annum? Do we have any advocates? What do people say about us / our brand? What is the future lifetime value of a clients? What does it cost us to get a new client? What does it cost us if we lose a client? Who are our best clients and why?

Rainmaking


What do we do?

Rainmaking


Some wise words… Make it easy for someone to bring up what you do (by

changing the nature of the service or product). Give your best customers something of real value to offer to

their friends (a secret menu, a significant gift certificate). Once you do that, not giving that gift to a friend feels selfish.

Paying me to refer you rarely works, because you're not just asking for a minute of my time, you're asking me to put my credibility on the line.

Understand that low-risk referrals happen more often than high-risk ones, and either figure out how to become a low-risk referral or embrace the fact that you have to be truly amazing in order to earn one.

Rainmaking


And Importantly…Be worthy. Not just in the work you do, but in your status in the marketplace. I'm far more likely to refer someone with a back story, someone who's an underdog, or relatively unknown. That's why saying "thank you" in deeds (not so much in words) goes such a long way.

Wise words courtesy of seth godin

Rainmaking


Rainmaking

OK – what do we do next?

Associates Clients


Your BusinessThere are 2 referral engines outside of your team of people - Business AssociatesClient Advocates

The former seeks to enhance their credibility my making a referral to my business in turn trusts my business to look after the referral

The client seeks to assist a contact in their private network and is able to tell their own story to support the referral

These are 2 unique groups and the same approach does not work.

Our “forum” will need to have 2 different sets of questions.

Rainmaking


AssociatesApproach –

1.Define the professions that should be included in the network

2.Identify the number of past and existing clients referred to the practice by these professions

3.Clearly demonstrate the mutual value that an association with my business can generate.

4.Abide by the less is more principal

5.Allow for 1 hour per month of contact with this associate – coffee, phone call, golf or a quick hand written note.

6.Learn as much about them as you can – personally and professionally.

7.Who is their target client?

8.Create the wiring diagram

Rainmaking


ClientsApproach –

1.Define the champion clients in your database

2.Identify the number of past and existing clients referred to the practice by these champions

3.Clearly demonstrate the value proposition of my business to these clients.

4.Abide by the less is more principal

5.Allow for 1 hour per month of contact with this client – coffee, phone call, golf or a quick hand written note.

6.Learn as much about them as you can – personally and professionally.

7.Create the wiring diagram

Rainmaking


The forum

Rainmaking


Rainmaking

90 Minute FormatAssociates

1.Location

2.Facilitator

3.A forum of 6

4.Introduction

5.20 Questions

6.Summary

7.Follow Up

8.Specific media (newsletter)

9.Clear value proposition

10.Referral ‘code’

Clients

1.Location

2.Facilitator

3.A forum of 6

4.Introduction

5.20 Questions

6.Summary

7.Reward

8.Client newsletter

9.Testimonials

10.Referral ‘code’


Rainmaking

Your QuestionsAssociates

1.Open

2.Searching

3.Blunt

4.Do they know me?

5.Competitors

Clients

1.Open

2.Value based

3.What do we get wrong?

4.What doe we stand for?

5.Lifetime customer?

This is your chance to ask the questions that you’ve always wanted to and is a ring fenced environment and with a purpose.

Be prepared to listen, learn and change


This service was designed by wearecloudberry.comIf you would like to know more about how this approach could benefit your professional services practice, contact us through our website at:

wearecloudberry.com

Rainmaking

rainmaking part 1 by wearecloudberry com for andycollyer com

Documents