Try Some Stuff

I love soccer. The other night I was watching a game and the goalie (I played goalie) bollocks-ed a save. Real howler (that’s english football lingo)… bad goal and he was looking like it. Really unsteady. And everyone on his team and fans looking at him like… you know.

So, it of course made me thinking about referral marketing (not really). What do you when things don’t go your way?

• you get no referrals
• you get a bad referral
• you get referred to what is supposed to be a golden goose, and it turns out its a competitor (hey, it happens)
• you try to find referrals, but you can’t seem to find any…

Nothing is going your way.

What do you do?

Well, let me tell you what a goalkeeper does when things go badly. You think about that goal for a moment of two, decide what you could have done better, and then you remind  yourself that you’re the man (or the woman – there are some great women keepers out there) and forget it.

With networking and referrals, its the same way… when you aren’t getting a lot out of referrals, take a moment. Here are some steps to get back in the game and start winning.

Analyze Your Game

Sometimes we have bad streaks. Analyze what you’re doing and what you could change. Do you need to take a new approach? Do you need to ask some other folks for input? Do you need just to ask your referral partners for more help? Do you need to find some new folks to get to know or spend some time re-energizing your current relationships?

Try Some Stuff

Bruce Arena, former US Soccer coach said he liked Clint Dempsey because he was willing to try _____ on the field. Do you need to test our some new material? New tactics? Test it out with your referral partners or at a networking event. What’s the worst that could happen?

Make a Plan and Stick to It

If you realize you need to make some changes, write them down. I will do an extra event every month. I will start a power team. I will follow up within 48 hours of every promise I make to a referral partner. Check that list every week… and do it.

Don’t Give Up!

After I gave up a bad goal (which happened rarely), one of the things I always told myself was that there would be another chance to save the game and I needed to be ready. It always happens.

So don’t give up, referrals to give and to get will come if you stay in the game.

Oh and that goalkeeper I was watching? Sure enough, late in the game, a striker broke through on a breakaway. His defense let down and a guy is one on one with him. He came out confidently and made a huge save. It always happens that way.

So if you’re down on your referrals and networking. Analyze, try some stuff and make a plan and stick to it. If you need some extra help… let me know.

SLE