Scott is a published author, international kung-fu medalist and prolific speaker and seasoned interviewer. He is currently the CEO of Maj3.com and has done a Tedx talk on sustainability.
The highest accolade you can give someone in business is a referral, the ultimate symbol of trust and integrity.
I’ve had more breakfasts than Tiffany. I learned the hard way that one hardly ever gets business directly from networking. The trick is to attend often and, by doing so, the regulars get to know and trust you. Then they refer you naturally.
In 2001 I came up with the line “Referral is the Highest Form of Flattery” and that one line landed me a speaking gig in Miami in front of a thousand people. I wrote the book “The Captivating One-liner,” produced countless videos and I’ve spoken at events across the world.
So my quest to find the perfect referral methodology began, from one side of the world to the other. Finally I found The Connect Collaborative which is on track to become that very Holy Grail I seek.
This idea of guilt based referrals is whole heartedly rejected by The Connect Collaborative, a networking organisation which is not sales driven, but collaboration driven. The output of effective collaboration is sales and this is why it works.
Over the years I have scrutinised, distilled and sciencified (that’s a word!) referrals right down to their core essence. I learned that R=Tr/Rr. That means the Ratio (R) of your referrals is calculated by the take-up rate (Tr) divided by your referral rate (Rr).
Is that equation useful to you? Of course not! You see the science of referrals is irrelevant because only one base element actually matters...
If you trust someone you are likely to refer to them. Over time the Members of Connect Collaborative learn to trust you. Each time you meet someone new, there is no fear that a hidden sales agenda lurks just underneath the conversation.
Now many of us use social media to grow our trusted network, but social media is the antithesis of trust. LinkedIn and Facebook are, in fact, defined by distrust: your default setting with every message and every new connection is “I don’t trust you. Prove to me why I should.”
Social media must amplify offline, real world relationships. Without the real world connection, those 5000 LinkedIn connections you are so proud of will never crystalise into business.
Now let’s break it down and start with the one thing that must be avoided at all costs:
That dreaded feeling... it’s been a whole week and, once again, you haven’t hit your referral quota. Do you fake it and offer up your father-in-law for a fourth time?
The Connect Collaborative does not carry this stigma. If you can’t attend a meeting, your place at the table does not sit deliberately empty while a lonely name tag shrouds your name in shame.
A grudge referral is a bad referral. So in my quest for the ultimate referral system, I realised that we need to get rid of the grudge referral. We need to feel good, proud and honoured to refer.
This is why The Connect Collaborative attracts business leaders of such high calibre. They teach collaboration in the true sense of the word and there is no agenda. This means when a referral comes together, it’s a quality referral.
The cornerstone of any networking model is the “Think of Me” approach. “Think of me” if you meet someone who needs a painter. “Think of me” if you come across someone who wants car insurance.
This approach helps networking groups thrive, but it can be painstakingly slow. We need to turbo boost this thinking, but still retain the sanctity and authenticity of the referral process.
Most businesses don’t have a referral strategy in place so The Connect Collaborative becomes their referral strategy. But networking events need time and work, so members often turn to LinkedIn to supplement their networking efforts. LinkedIn is the best place to go, but we all have thousands of connections and we don’t know or trust 99% of them. It’s LinkedIn that needs the turbocharge.
I see the light! My quest for the perfect referral system has made it all the way to this one key gem of wisdom…
Getting referrals should be proactive, not reactive!
Connect Collaborative is on track to becoming the perfect referral network because instead of waiting for a referral to come to us, we enhance the networking events experience and go to those referrals! We bring the mountain of referrals to Mohamad. It is done carefully and with respect using LInkedIn, online events, workshops and of course (now this is the key right here), you are always formally introduced to the referral by the person who originally introduced them.
With The Connect Collaborative you are just one click away from meeting some very powerful people.
Happy referring!
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