5 Reasons Why a Leads Group Works - Word of Mouth Advertising at It's Finest

The 5 Reasons why a Leads group works:

Social media is truly all the rage. It is actually making a lot of people, a lot of money, but have you ever wondered, why not me? I know that in most cases, people become really good at their passion. Writer, Chiropractor, Marketer it really doesn't matter what the occupation, profession or passion is, you got into it because you loved it but what you didn't take into consideration is how to market yourself. IF you don't have the I.T. knowledge, to get on the World Wide Web of Squeeze pages then you are going to need a "lot of money"! to pay someone to do it for you, while you are busy doing what you are passionate about and what you do best. Actually, that would be the simple thing, but certainly not the most practical and affordable way to market ourselves. We can all make more money, the only thing that limits the amount is our limited thinking.

One thing we all have the same of, is time. We can make more money whenever we decide. Time? We only have now! So if you want the social media thing to work, you need to invest a lot of "time" #1 to figure out the etiquette, #2 figure out what to say, #3 figure out how it works and #4 have the patience and fortitude and discipline to keep checking in to write something clever, or see if someone responded.

OR, you can think about developing a group, where relationships prevail, your time and efforts come with great rewards, and you can multiply your efforts through helping others succeed, as they help you with introductions and referrals. So with much less time and effort, you can benefit from creating your own referral group.

1.) You create a Power group of referral partners.
These are people who would naturally refer to each other because they typically refer to each other. What about a "Home" referral team? people that support the "home" industry. More people are electing to keep their home and are willing to do the maintaining or fixing up. Electrician, plumber, window, roofer, siding, flooring, and so on. Think about these 8 people getting together once a week to talk about projects that they are working on and creating a core of competent, reliable partners that refer to each other. Inevitably, a person needs carpentry work after the electrician leaves.

2.) You are in people's mind because they see you weekly.
(Many groups like to meet only twice monthly and I really caution against this because if you need to miss a week, you actually miss 3 weeks, they tend to forget you!)When you have an opportunity to meet people on a weekly basis, a social network of people is formed. People refer you to their personal clients, they keep you in their mind because they just saw you recently, and perhaps even heard you talk on your business, so the best part is that in addition to yourself out marketing for your business, you have the rest of the members referring to you.

3.) The universal law " the more you give away, the more will come back" applies.
You just can't worry about the fact that you gave 6 leads and received none. I was in a group for 9 months before I received one referral. It really depends on what you are selling. A Realtor could be in a group for 18 months before they get any sort of a referral. The bottom line is NOT about what you are going to the Leads group to GET, but rather what you have gone to the Leads group to GIVE. You will look so very good to your personal customers when you give them the name of a really great handyman, or computer geek, that when they need something else, they will see you as a resource person for them.

4.) Word of Mouth advertising is acclaimed as the best from and it's FREE.
When you ask anyone what is the best form of advertising? The answer is always Word of mouth! WHY? Because it brings in the human aspect of getting the best value. Someone tried it, they liked it..... You might try it and like it as well.

The Titanic movie got more attendees from word of mouth at the water cooler. People loved the movie and told someone, who told someone, and so on and so on.

5.) You develop life long relationships with quality people who make you look good when you refer them to friends, family, and other business partners. Here is the best part of the sequence. I have clients, and friends who continue to buy from me and I continue to refer to them, long after they have left the group. They know that their best friends and colleagues will get the best value, for the best price and the best service. This form of marketing creates life long friendships and clients for a lifetime. I can think of one situation where I referred the handy man and I believe we are 5 degrees of separation at this time, Just because I took the time to refer to Bev who referred to Chrisite, who referred to Carin, who referred to Kate who lives across town.

Deb Villarese

Expert Networker and Developer of http://www.Napervilleleads.com

Learn more about starting your own at: http://www.startyourownleadsgroup.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deb_Villarese

Moving Beyond the Elevator Speech

We have all been there...at a party or a group gathering when you meet someone new. Whether in a business or social setting, this question is bound to come up: "So, what do you do?"

When this question is asked, you have but a short window of opportunity to grab the asker's attention and really make an impression. Unfortunately, we usually answer in one of two ways. The first is a way that causes us to fade into the background. "I fix computers." "I'm a lawyer." "I'm in real estate." "I sell insurance." In just a few words we've told the asker that we are just another "fill in the blank." In a flash, the opportunity is gone.

The second common way that we respond to this question is our Elevator Speech. We rehearse this in the mirror, polish it down to the word, and memorize it like a school play script. When someone asks the question: "So, what do you do?" we reactively spring the well-prepared speech on them. The active hearing turns off and a few moments later, the listener's eyes have glazed over and they are looking for a way to move away from you. They respond, "Oh...that's nice" and move on. Not the most memorable encounter, at least not in the way that you want to be remembered.

Let's Try Something New - The Talking Logo

If you really want to connect with the other person, try this useful engaging approach - the Talking Logo. This powerful, two-step process captures your listener's attention and gives you the chance to truly let them know what you do - without turning on the autopilot. It is targeted, informative, interesting, and sets you apart from your competition. It tells the listener more than just what you do...it tells them how you are relevant. It also invites a two-way conversation with your newly found acquaintance. It encourages them to ask more about you. The Talking Logo is flexible. If you have more than one product, you can adapt the Talking Logo to fit the occasion.

The 2-Step Process for Creating your Talking Logo

Step 1: Explain your target client market and their pain points. Use the following syntax when formulating the first part of your response: ACTION VERB (I help, I teach, I show, etc) THE TARGET CLIENT MARKET (young married couples, retirees, CFOs, IT companies, etc) HOW TO (solve or fix a specific problem or need).

• Example: A mortgage broker might say, "I help first time home buyers save tens of thousands of dollars on the biggest purchase they have ever made up to this point."

If your Talking Logo has hit its mark, you should get some raised eyebrows indicating interest as your listener asks, "Oh? How do you do that?"

Step 2: Part 2 of the Talking Logo explains how you fix your customer's pain points. You should focus on an answer that distinguishes how your exceptional product, process, or skill solves the client's problem. It is very important to be ready with this answer because you actually have the listener's attention thanks to Step 1. No missed opportunity here!

In Summary, the Talking Logo immediately differentiates you from your competition. The Talking Logo conveys more than what it is that you do, it communicates what problem you solve, your system, and how you do it distinctively. The Talking Logo makes you more memorable and referable. Try creating a Talking Logo for the next time you get that question, "So...what do you do?"

Joshua Willingham is a Small Business Therapist with the Gryphen Group ( http://TheGryphenGroup.com ). He helps small businesses get out of their peak and valley cycles and take their business to the next level. Joshua also is a marketing speaker, writer, and blogger who enjoys helping small business owners achieve their goals.

Find out more about Joshua Willingham and the Gryphen Group at: http://TheGryphenGroup.com/gryphen-group/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joshua_Willingham

The Network Economy - Developing Self-Direction and Social Networks For 21st Century Success

In today's economy, we are all awash in a sea of uncertainty, and there is no end game of which we can be sure. Things are changing in our social and work environments: the rules, the process, and the structures. Where the old frameworks emphasized the capacity to sell our product, our service or ourselves for maximum profit or personal gain, the emerging one will reward connections with individuals, organizations or communities in ways that reap enduring associational - as well as financial - capital. Being independent-minded about our vision and goals means going beyond reliance on an existing structure upon which to climb higher, focusing instead on developing sets of mutually-beneficial contacts through which we create ever-evolving opportunities.

Time magazine's May 25, 2009 cover story, "The Way We'll Work" describes the parameters of the new economy as "a more flexible, more freelance, more collaborative and far less secure work world." Among the values and abilities for navigating within it the article cites striking a balance between "doing well and doing good," an more independent-minded approach to career advancement to replace the "corporate ladder" that often rewarded allegiance to the company over integrity, collaborating with co-workers with increasing diversity - including older people working long past conventional retirement age alongside and taking direction from Gen X - and environmental sustainability. Here is another way to see the challenges of this paradigm shift: we can create a future in which making a living is intimately bound up with making a life.

We all have the tendency to want to do things the way we have always done them and a return to routine a great comfort after a destabilizing change. But the shift to a Network Economy has already begun. Things are not going back to what they were, so we are better off using the uncertainty to upgrade our relationship skills and invest in a range of social relationships that draw upon different strengths and expose us to diverse people and situations.

Start with self-knowledge. C. Robert Cloninger, a researcher at the Center for Well-Being at Washington University at St. Louis published studies showing that well-being goes up, and symptoms of depression and other emotional disorders are diminished for individuals who work to develop what he terms "mental self-government," i.e., becoming more internally directed than externally controlled, more cooperative and compassionate than competitive, more intuitive and thoughtful as a balance to rigid, structured thinking. A positive mental state is defined by some social psychology researchers as "a constructive and mature way of thinking that is hopeful and nonviolent." People with greater self-awareness have a higher proportion of positive thoughts on a regular basis and demonstrate increased activity in the cerebral cortex, the most recently evolved portion of the brain. This tells us that positive thoughts and emotions are essential to proper brain functioning as well as well-being, And that a constructive, creative approach to problems can lead to a sustainable and enduring share of good feelings.

Here are some ideas for expanding self-awareness that also expand social networks for personal and professional advancement:

Make a list of your established strengths and accomplishments. Be specific. Write down positive comments others have made about these, in letters, conversations, or performance reviews.

Make a list of undeveloped potential and unused abilities. Next to each of these, list actions to take that will tap those potentials. Research organizations, websites, conferences, or classes that offer opportunities to attend training, observe others already involved in these areas, and talk to people.

Take stock of all the people already in your life and the contributions they make to your well-being as well as what you do for them. Write down their names and list the gifts they have already given you. Write down all the roles you take in relating to them and the special skills you use in that relationship. If there are few relationships of this kind on your list, figure out why and change it.

Feel uncomfortable meeting new people? Get busy doing something important. The discomfort will be there, but with a higher purpose.

Volunteer for a not-for-profit organization.

Join local community organizations and sign up for committees.

Journaling, meditation, and creative experiences are excellent methods for increasing self-awareness and self-discipline, but have the added value of getting past the defenses we all constructed in school when we became fearful of making mistakes of appearing foolish. Creative, intuitive ideas flow when we develop a habit of self-reflection that produces a sense of psychological safety. Those ideas show us our most deeply-held passions and vision, and in the network economy it is people who have the combination of mental clarity, self-awareness, and the capacity to be self-initiating who will benefit most from emerging possibilities.

By Jude Treder-Wolff, LCSW, RMT, CGP

Jude Treder-Wolff, author of Possible Futures: Creative Thinking For The Speed of Life, (Lifestage Publications, 2009, http://www.thespeedoflife.org) is a Licensed Certified Social Worker, Registered Music Therapist, and Certified Group Psychotherapist in full-time private practice providing individual and group psychotherapy and addiction treatment, and President of Lifestage, Inc. in Smithtown, NY, a consulting company providing training seminars for professional and personal growth, health education, and stress-resilience. As Director of Clinical Services at the YMCA Family Services, a community-based agency providing addiction prevention and treatment services, she supervised a diverse professional and support staff, and as a consultant designs and implements training seminars for agencies such as Pederson-Krag, Options for Community Living, YMCA Family Services, Suffolk County Dept. of Mental Health, organizations such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Therapeutic Recreation Association, National Association of Social Workers, American Music Therapy Association, and American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama, and developed courses for the State University at Buffalo Summer Institute Continuing Education Courses for addiction treatment professionals. She has been published in The International Journal of Arts and Psychotherapy Special Issue on Addiction and Special Issue on HIV/AIDS, Music Therapy Perspectives, Clinical Social Work, and Recovery Press and has been interviewed for articles about creativity and stress-resilience that appeared in New York Newsday, L.A. Times, Woman's Day, and The Three Village Times. She served as editor of The Psychodrama Network News, the official newsletter of the American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama from 2001-2007, and currently writes an e-newsletter titled Lives In Progress which is archived.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jude_Treder-Wolff

Got Social Equity? The Quality of Your Network Impacts Your Net Worth

I'm in the midst of some big transitions in my business. Have you been there? It's scary and exciting all at the same time and it's got me thinking a lot about social equity, the strength of my network and quality of relationships within it.

Social equity is one of my favourite topics to teach and it is the reason why I'm moving forward in a new and more authentic direction with such confidence.

Social equity is simply the standards and mutual value of your personal and social relationships. The key to positive social equity is the element of mutual benefit.

When your social equity is high, the people within your network truly care about you and your success as you care about theirs. There's a great deal of mutual benefit and as a result, transitions are much easier to manage because it's easy to garner much needed support in many areas.

They are relevant in that they are interested in your area of expertise.

They are responsive in that they read and comment on your communications.

They are loyal in that they stay around as you and your company(s) grow and evolve.

And, they care in that what you do and who you are really do make a difference for them, they notice and it matters.

Does this describe YOUR network?

When you have a relevant, responsive, loyal and caring network it's almost impossible to fail. I like to call positive social equity an insurance policy for your success.

But the diversity of your network is equally important. There are specific relationships that are essential to long-term, high level success.

For example, if your network only includes customers and prospective customers, there are critical gaps you must consider.

Here are six specific types of relationships, in addition to your network of prospects and customers, that you should spend time developing high social equity with (and why):

1. Family and Friends who "get" what you do. What I mean by "get" what you do is these are friends who support vs sabotage success. When you share your plans and ideas they fuel your excitement rather than burst your bubble. They don't look at you like you're crazy ;)

2. Mentor(s) to inspire you and lift you to new heights of success.

3. Coach(es) to teach and motivate you to keep growing and moving forward.

4. Masterminds/Associations of like-minded and motivated people moving in the same direction as you to connect, collaborate, commiserate and celebrate with.

5. Complimentary Experts/Service Providers. These are business owners who share your target audience but serve them in a way that is complementary vs. competitive. These individuals or companies are perfect for co-promotion, collaboration, joint ventures, referrals and more!

6. Industry Experts to stay informed, remain innovative, and strengthen your expertise.

So as you build your own networks and strive to develop high social equity, remember the seven types of equitable relationships and the essential ingredient of mutual benefit.

You'll also want to stay tuned to upcoming blog posts where I'll share some specific ways to build and nurture relationships to create positive social equity.

I'd love to hear how your relationships are supporting your success. Please feel free to comment on my blog at http://www.ginabellinc.com

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE?

Please do! Just be sure to include this complete blurb with it:

Fun, Fame and Fortune Mentor Gina Bell is devoted to teaching multi-passionate and creative entrepreneurs how to embrace their multipreneurial spirit doing ALL that they love to do. If you're ready, she's ready to give your marketing and mindset a motivating kick-in-the-pants so you can claim more fun, fame and fortune too!

Learn more about Gina's products and programs at http://www.GinaBellinc.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gina_Bell