Referral Marketing Training Company | Referral Institute

By Eddie Esposito
VP & Partner, Referral Institute

One of the main things I talk about in successful marketing is sticking your feet in the ground and being who you are.  Instead of chasing checkbooks trying to appease and appeal to everyone, state clearly who you are and what you are about, and prospective clients will be attracted to you.  Those that don’t buy into it, fine, you had a long way to go with them anyway.

Well there is no bigger, easier thing to see who you are than your attitude. Your attitude and how you carry yourself can give to others an immediate impression of your confidence, approachability, and even if your likable. I’ve attached a link to a great 5 minute video that has gone viral with nearly 8 MILLION hits that will display what I am talking about.

Now that’s ATTITUDE!!  Did you want to hire them?  Did you want to meet them? Do wish you could do that?  I wouldn’t know them if I pulled up next to them at that gas pump today, but after watching that video I want to be surrounded by people like that. And that is the point.

They weren’t even selling anything yet their attitude makes them attractive because that’s who they are. Being able to just whip into a song at the gas pump, smiling and having fun is attractive and magnetic. We spend so much time prospecting, and doing all kinds of marketing to attract people to us, yet if we just have a positive, loving-life type attitude, people will be attracted to us and we will be memorable. By the way, isn’t that the point of any marketing campaign?

I understand that not all of us, will break into song at the gas pump no matter how we’re prodded. But there are many ways we can put on display for everyone to see the values and attitude we believe. When you find the ways that are appropriate to you, you will be a long way towards attracting the audience you want.

I’ll see you at the gas pump!

Eddie Esposito is a Vice President and partner of the Referral Institute. He has been a Master Trainer with The Referral Institute since its inception and is a certifying instructor of several Referral Institute program for franchise owners and trainers. Eddie comes to the Referral Institute from the field of business coaching and consulting. A native of New Orleans, La, one accomplishment Eddie is very proud that with his help, none of his client’s businesses failed after hurricane Katrina. With the help of his coaching and consulting, they have gone on to adjust to the new reality, of post Katrina New Orleans and to prosper and grow. Eddie has a passion for wine collecting, cooking adventurous meals for groups, and car racing. He lives with his wife Heather and their 3 Children in New Orleans.

by Mickey Griffith
Referral Institute Sonoma/Marin

Is it possible that somebody on your team could be holding you back?

 

Is there somebody on your team that just doesn’t seem to want to engage with the road to success in the same way you do? Well maybe that’s ok. And it’s better if you find out sooner rather than later.

My son, Dylan, and I have an excellent relationship. He’s fourteen years old and he’s a great kid. He’s a good student, and like most teenagers, he also has problems that need solutions.

Awhile back I was driving Dylan to school and asked him how things were going for his first year of high school. He described routine conditions regarding most of his classes except PE (Physical Education). When it comes to PE, he may not be a super star, however he always participates hard and is generally among the “above average” kids so I was a little surprised. In this case, he was running into a challenge with two boys in his class. He said they were giving him grief by calling him an over-achiever.

What Dylan didn’t know is that I had dealt with a similar situation when I was a teenager and my step-father was not the kind of person I could have had this kind of conversation. It was important to me that I give my son a practical answer and this is what I shared with him.

There is no such thing as an over-achiever.

We are all trying to achieve at a level we feel is suitable for us. For many, this means that we are still working hard to achieve higher levels of success, while others may feel as if achieving “just enough” is okay with them.

Additionally, many times the people calling others over-achievers are only striving to hold others down to their level. They are only concerned that others do not out-perform them, not elevating themselves.

This outlook can be driven by many things, such as self-esteem issues or fear of being left behind and “over-achievers” are often seen as a threat. When I mentioned this, my son informed me that the two boys were in 2nd and 4th place while running the mile; one step ahead and one step behind my son who was in 3rd place. Was he an over-achiever or were they trying to hold him back so his success would not outshine theirs?

Finally, the very act of saying anybody else as an over-achiever is a self-limiting behavior. It allows us to believe that another’s level of success is unattainable.

What if Michael Jordan had grown up thinking that Magic Johnson was an over-achiever? Do you believe that he would have had the grit and determination it takes to earn six National Basketball Association championships?

So what does this have to do with referrals, or business in general? In referral marketing or business, our success is largely determined by the people we allow to be on our team. If we allow ourselves to have team members that believe us to be over-achievers every time we suggest improving our position by attending a networking event, reading a book, or taking a class together, we are allowing them to hold us down to a level of success that is beneath our desires and capabilities.

Ask yourself… Is your team achieving on the level you want to achieve on or do they think of you as an over-achiever?

I recently checked in with Dylan about how this was going. He had chosen to let it go. He didn’t respond when they said it to him and he didn’t let it bother him anymore. They don’t really engage with him anymore and that’s what he wanted. They are still all very close in position when they run, though he is now running his race for himself, not against the others.

Dylan could have chosen to ask those boys if they wanted to get faster along with him. He could have suggested that they help each other by encouragement, practice, and working with their coach. That conversation is a whole different level of understanding what you’re trying to achieve and bringing others up with you. As a teenager, the social paradigm might not be ready for that, but we’re all grown-ups, right?

Who do you need to ask if they are ready to achieve a new level of success?

Mickey Griffith is a local entrepreneur turned referral marketing specialist. After having launched a successful marketing communications consulting company and growing its revenues by more than 50% per year for each three years running, he has pursued his love of marketing into the more specific niche of referral marketing as a co-owner in Referral Institute Sonoma/Marin. Mickey is a certified instructor for the Certified Networker II®, Target Market, and Referral Success 101® courses. Having applied his passion for referral marketing directly to his own business for several years, Mickey is eager to help other business owners achieve outstanding success in their referral marketing endeavors.

One of the questions I get asked most is, “so what do I have to do to get referrals from……?” Mostly they have a person in mind when they ask it but the same could be true for organizations. I’ve been asked many times how a person could get more referrals from the chamber, or from BNI.

The good news is there are real answers to these questions that do produce results. The better news is that you likely know several of them but just need to be conscious of how to use them.

Listen in on our March 2013 Networking Café Call with Dr. Ivan Misner, as we discuss these activities and how you can turn action to results!

Next Month We Are Moving To Webinar Format! Details will be given on the call so tune in!

Call time is:
1:00 PM Eastern US Time
10:00 AM U.S. Pacific Time
9:00 PM Dubai
6:00 PM London
3:00 AM + One Day Brisbane (ouch!)

This call is regularly scheduled for the last Friday of every month. Please put them on your calendar.
Please note this call is for Referral Institute clients and Networking Now subscribers. Check your email for call-in information.

We sincerely thank you for your interest and look forward to having a great call!

Sincerely,
Eddie Esposito
Vice President
Referral Institute ®