Real Deal REInvestor Network

Easy Referral Marketing Strategic Alliances

   What I really like about referral marketing strategic alliances is that it is a joint venture in its simplest form. What do I mean by that? You're typically asking someone to refer to you as you refer to them. How does that work? For example, let's say you're a landscaper and you want to get more clients for your business. You think to yourself okay, who is it that is servicing my potential and perfect client prior to me providing service to that perfect and potential client? 

   Next, you ask who is providing service to my perfect and potential client after I provide service to my perfect and potential client? You find the people that service your perfect client before you do, before they need you. Then you find the people who service them after you do typically, and after they need you, so you form an easy alliance of referral marketing with each of those people. 

   For example, for a landscaper, who would that be? Typically, a landscaper is going to have a homeowner for a client, not an apartment owner. How do we find out who the new home owners are? Who services the home owner today typically in today's real estate market before that person would need landscaping by purchasing a home? A lot of times it could be a realtor. 

   Could you arrange referral marketing strategic alliances with a couple of realtors where you refer business to each other? Perhaps one of your accounts as a landscaper you happen to know is thinking about selling their house and the reason you know that’s very simple; they stopped paying you landscaping. It's very simple. 

   You call Mr. Realtor and you say Mr. Realtor, I have an opportunity to list this house. I know that they're thinking about selling it and in fact, they stopped even paying me for landscaping. They no longer want to keep up their property in such a way, I think they need to sell it, you should give them a call. Please, Mr. Realtor, do me a favor; the next time that you service a new client and you place them in a new home, feel free to let them know about Harry's Landscaping. It can be as simple as that.  

   What happens if you are a realtor for example and you have a two and 10 closing ratio? Let's say you do have a two and 10 closing ratio of people you meet with that want to list and sell their house with you. What happens to those other eight prospects that do have a house to sell and yet for whatever reason, whether it was a conflict of personality, whether they didn't like you, you had bad breath - whatever it is - they did not list their house with you to sell? 

   There are eight other clients there. Is there a possibility that you can form an alliance with another realtor who may also have a two and ten closing ratio and swap those clients via referral marketing? Are there some ethical considerations there? Probably. Is there a way to do it without occluding the entire structure of ethical considerations? Absolutely!  

   It's sitting down with your client, actually calling another realtor while you're in their house after they've turned down your listing presentation. I hear some of you saying oh my God, that sounds crazy why would I do that? Why would I give business to my competitors?  

   The bottom line is your time is better spent with new prospects in that game a lot of times than it is following up with presentations you made with people you didn't connect with. Am I basing that on theory or hocus pocus? No, I'm basing that on the sold and solid facts of real estate marketing agents that I trained.  

   And they found, if they instituted this one simple little technique with one realtor, now they find that instead of closing two out of ten they're still closing two out of ten, but now they have eight more fresh prospects to deal with because they were referred to them by Betty, for example. 

   John closed two out of 10, Betty referred them eight more, they got 20% of that which is 1.6, there's really not a 0.6 of a person but you get the point, now their entire volume of business went up 80% and it didn't cost them a dime. Do the math. From two to 3.6 or from four to 7.2 or what have you. 

   Of course, the metrics will depend on your particular business and there is nothing to say you can't start an alliance with seven to ten realtors, instead of just one so keep that in mind, that's a huge issue. 

   Does this easy referral marketing strategic alliances strategy only work for realtors and lanscapers? Of course, not don't be ridiculous, that's just an example, but I hope that this article has given you some ideas of how you can use referral marketing in your own business or career.

Let me share with you, investors and entrepreneurs...WHY it pays to connect with like-minded folks in your local area, on the internet and on RealDealCommunity.com, and WHY it pays to connect them with other valuable referrals, and WHY it pays to add value to their life and business at every turn.

WHY CONNECT AND ADD VALUE TO OTHERS?

1. I do a lot of value-add stuff through social networking. Happy-Birthday. Let me know how I can help. Check out this resource. You should meet person X. ETC

A quarter (at least 1/4) of our team joining our most recent MMMChallenge.com Apprenticeship Program came via Facebook posts - it's how they heard about the program when they weren't yet on our databases and you'll find that it was videos, Facebook or one of our JV partners emailing about the program (without them getting paid a dime I might add, since we charge our Apprentice students NOTHING, and certainly couldn;t give them a "referral commission"). Nuff said.

2. Just because something needs to be done (a task) does not always mean YOU personally have to do it to make sure it gets DONE. Guess what? #1 was accomplished while my partner and fellow MMM mentor Rick Melero and I worked on our real businesses, and someone we paid a few hundred bucks did all that Facebook stuff thru our accounts.

We just devised the strategy and knew it should be done, then managed the process to outcome. Rick and I do a lot of this kind of thing...our RELATIONSHIPS are more important (and valuable) than almost anything else.

3. If you have yet to learn how to delegate and create value and do what you're good at in help of others so they want to do things for you in return, affordably, in a "barter of time and services" or even free...you might want to make an effort to learn. You know...I am not a father so will not presume to put a "tip for parents" but I will tell you this: my children will learn business from an early age doing things to help Dad, same as I've slowly been training my sister in small ways with small repetitive tasks that she could complete while learning things that can benefit her later.

4. Less important than who you know in my opinion is WHO KNOWS YOU. And how often you are on their mind, doing little things that add value to their lives. Want a fuller explanation of how the very exercise we're doing is part of a process that can put more LIFE in your business and CASH in your pocket? Read the sections on "pinging" in Keith Ferrazi's book "Never Eat Alone", it's awesome.

5. If you have strong enough relationships that are more CONNECTIONS than acquaintances, you can pick up the phone and reach just about anyone who has a certain specialty knowledge or expertise you need (example: hard money lender, SEO professional, social media consultant, top-notch handyman ETC) in a few hours, even if you don;t already know that person-- just by working contacts you've turned into CONNECTIONS and asking for a referral.

6. I do more business with contacts who I turn into connections that have the possibility of becoming FRIENDS...than I do with strangers. It's more powerful, cheaper, less hassle, and more fun. Plus, you're less likely to have someone breach your trust and 'screw you' if you work closely with people who you've carefully cultivated a relationship with.

7. I get thank you notes in the mail all the time. Why? Well first of all, I send them. Second of all, people are always looking to RECIPROCATE for the value I pour into their life and business with ideas, referrals, connections and buying their products and services.

8. Here are some emails I received TODAY, in response to my pinging and value-creation efforts to connect with people who were referred to me via email. Keep in mind, this person I met and was impressed with, a social media trainer who in a 30 minute consult gave me an idea that with less than 4 hours of my work should add 1-2,000 dollars revenue per month to our company bottom line, perpetually and passively. At the end of our call, she refused to let me pay her (perhaps because of how much value I gave her back?), and said in effect "Let me know how I can make YOU money or help your students in ANY way".

Instead of asking for a thing for me...I immediately connected her with 4 people who can help her grow her business (high-level entrepreneurs).

Here's what she said in return...

Hi Danny and Trevor,

Danny…..what a SUPERSTAR you are.  Thanks so much for introducing me to your favorites!!

Trevor – I would love to learn more about what you are doing and how I might add value, referrals, ideas, resources, etc.

I will give you a call in just a few minutes to see if we can schedule a convenient time to talk.

Big hugs to both of you…..and thanks again Danny…..

Sabrina

Sabrina Gibson, CEO
Smart and Sticky Marketing

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Hi Danny,

I LOVE Chris Cooper (I believe I am one of his top fans) and we are working together.  In fact, Chris spoke on the stage with me and Les Brown. 

How cool that the two of you know each other?  Danny…makes me like you even more!!

Thanks so much for the introduction.  You are right on target….Chris is a perfect match for what I am doing. 

You ROCK!

Big hugs,

Sabrina

 Sabrina Gibson, CEO

Smart and Sticky Marketing

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Hi Danny,

 WOW! You are simply amazing. I totally dig your style as you just “get it” on a much higher level.  Thank you so much for the introduction. 

Dustin, they say birds of a feather flock together.  I would love to talk about how we might collaborate. 

 Would you have 30 minutes to talk on the phone?  What would be the best way to connect with you?  I will call you after this email.

 Thanks again Danny….look forward to working with you as well.

Big hugs,

Sabrina

Sabrina Gibson, CEO
Smart and Sticky Marketing

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Keep this in mind: I met and talked to Sabrina for the first time YESTERDAY.

SOW SEEDS of VALUE for OTHERS.

You WILL Reap HARVESTS in return.

This stuff works.

Danny Welsh
CMO of HIS Real Estate Network
Managing Member of Real Deal Community

P.S. If you're looking to learn more about social media and how to effectively leverage new technologies and ideas to grow your influence and your business, I highly recommend you check out Sabrina Gibson's websites at http://www.smartandsticky.com as well as a cool tool she's developed to find out if you can get the same "branded" username on all your favorite social media website profiles at http://www.checkyourusername.com