My time gaining tip in the words of Jeff Olson “is easy to do, it is also easy not to do” and it involves building and developing your referral strategy.
I meet very few business owners that are looking for fewer clients. They spend time attending numerous networking groups and some will even go to the opening of an envelope if there is the remotest possibility it will lead to more business.
Instead of constantly investing your precious time looking for new contacts, why not nurture the relationships with people you already know?
I would like you to build a list of between 60-90 people that can become real advocates for you and your business. You may wonder why choose that amount? Well, I based those figures on an action you will find beneficial to you and your business.
For anyone reading this, that doesn’t run their own business, you will see as I share this idea, that there are still time saving benefits to be gained from this approach.
From your list, you will contact 3 people per day, and this is where you choose whether to do this Monday to Friday, or seven days a week, hence why I suggest 60-90 contacts.
I want you to ask your contact list questions about themselves, about their lives, their family, where they are going on holiday and what they like to do in their spare time.
You will set up whatever system works for you personally, and this will most likely be some sort of CRM system.
Keep brief notes of conversations, and make contact once a month. The impact on your business/and or client relationships will be massive, it does of course often take time to see the rewards, however, this approach is more time efficient than attending numerous networking groups.
By adopting this approach of being a farmer, rather than a hunter, you will set yourself apart from so much of your competition.
People love talking about themselves and their families, and by showing a real interest in others your stock will rise and the other bonus will be that friendships develop and you suddenly find you have more in common with others than you realise.
My clients often come up with a list of objections about adopting this principal, and the most common objections would be, “Where will I find the time for this?”
“How long would it take to touch base with 3 people in this manner?”
I am not telling you by which method you should make contact, it could be as simple as sending a text asking how an event such as running a marathon went, or instead you might just pick up the phone. One thing is certain if you show interest in others, they will start taking more interest in you. All of a sudden you will find yourself in the right place at the right time more often.
Imagine being top of mind when they are talking to someone who is in the market for your product or service. Sow, cultivate and nurture, you will then reap your harvest much quicker and gain more time.
By Darren Housley, The Hypnotherapy Guy in Acaster Malbis, York, UK
