Tag Archives: referral partners

Please Stop Doing This

Kevin Willett says a broader focus can lead to bigger things

Business focus is an important aspect of being successful. Unfortunately, a lot of times I see people with a business focus that is too narrow. Everyday, I am online trying to connect to people. If someone watches/likes/shares a video of mine, I make sure to send a message and thank them. If I notice someone has viewed a profile or page of mine, I try to connect and see how I can help them. I am always inviting people to my networking events. You would not believe the number of times I get a response back saying they are not interested in networking or talking with other people unless they need their services. This focus on selling your services only is too narrow and not an easy path to growth. It’s all about business relationships in the end. We do not do business with people we do not know, like or trust. Building relationships can take time. Your focus needs to broaden and encompass that. The more relationships you take the time to build, the more referrals you will get and the bigger your business will grow. Aren’t referrals a lot easier than cold calling for sales?

So please stop keeping your focus on potential clients only. You are missing so many opportunities. Expand your focus and take the time to build relationships through networking and gaining referral partners. Make yourself a resource to others as well and your name will be the first to come up when someone is looking for your services.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Once Is Never Enough

Kevin Willett says don’t wait until you need a referral, a customer or more business to meet with someone a second time.

When you are thinking about whether to attend a networking event or use your time elsewhere, do not make your decision solely on who will be at the event. Yes that is an important piece to consider, as I have said before, you need to present to the right audience, but you’d be amazed at the amount of people who turn down and event because they have met somebody attending  one other time.  Once is never enough. Do you think because you met someone once that they will remember everything about you and your business? I have had people asked me about event attendees even after attending multiple events with that person. ‘Hey Kev, who was that guy that did roofs at your last event? ‘Hey Kev, lady who does real estate for southern NH, I know her first name but can’t remember her last” and on and on. I have spoken and written many times about getting to know, like and trust. This takes time! Relationships need to be built, follow up needs to be done, and becoming comfortable with referrals to and from needs to happen.This is not the networking guy trying to get you to go to multiple events he is hosting, LOL. This is the networking guy trying to help you. Let me ask you this: Think about and event you have been to in the past. Do you remember everyone who was there and what they do? Probably not.

Next time you are thinking about skipping an event because you talked to someone once already, think again.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

How To Get More Referrals

Kevin Willett says now is a great time for thinking outside the box

These days referrals seem like they may be hard to come by. We are not going to networking events or coffee meetings like we used to. If we are not out meeting new people, how can we pass referrals to our connections? The answer let’s use the power that we do have and think outside the box. If you are not doing in person meetings, have you tried an online event? Instead of coffee meetings or one on ones, how about a zoom call or facetime? Other ways you can help your referral partners is by talking them up on social media. Tell other people what your friends do, how they can help you, who they are. Share their blogs, social media links, and websites. If they are doing the same for you, you can both keep networking even though it is virtually, and you can keep getting new business. Sharing all this information is a way to keep your name out there and keep growing. Now more than ever is a great time to utilize your connections, show people who you know and how you can help.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Now I Know Why

Kevin Willett says we can not predict the future so be prepared

We all know connecting with people through networking is important for growing your business. We try to connect with people who meet the criteria of what we are looking for in a client or referral partner. What about the people we meet or see on social media that do not meet the criteria? Should we connect with them too?

One of the mistakes I made when I started my Business Networking Group, Friends of Kevin was only connecting with people who had business to consumer needs. Business to Business type of companies I would pass over as I did not think they were a match. Five years later, I started the New England B2B Networking Group. It would have been a little easier if all those B2B businesspeople I met in the early days I had connected with and stayed in touch with! Same goes for people across the country that tried to connect with me. I thought, we are never going to be able to help each other or do business together. Now it’s 2020 and in person events are on a long hold. Video networking is hot right now. Someone in Texas can do business with someone in Massachusetts very easily.

We should all be a little more open to connections we make. Maybe you will be planning for a future business model you don’t know you are even interested in yet. Now I know why I should have taken a small amount of time to follow up with people who did not fit my immediate business needs. We can not predict the future and don’t know what crazy twists and turns life and business will throw our way.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Free

Kevin Willett says to think about what you are asking for

If you know me, you know I like free swag. I love being a walking billboard for small business. This happened by chance, being a professional networker, people often gave me tee shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc.  Now if I see a business on social media rocking their company gear, I will tell them to send me something to wear in my next video or online post.  Now, while it may be OK to ask for free swag, it is never OK to ask for free services.

I do a lot of social media promotions for my clients. I have had non-clients ask me to do promotions for them. My clients pay me to promote them, that is how I make money. How can I do that for someone for free? My clients would not like that! I have also had potential clients say they would join my networking group after I got them a few clients. Again, why are you asking me to work for free? I wouldn’t tell my accountant I’ll only pay him if I got a refund. I wouldn’t ask a realtor to sell my house for free because we are friends. If you are asking me to work for you for free, would you work for me for free? Think about that before you ask for free services. It does not come across well for you and may harm your relationship with a potential referral partner.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

I Just Hired Someone to Do That

Kevin Willett says to be respectful when meeting potential referral partners

One of the things that amazes me is how often people will meet someone at a networking event and proceed to tell them that they just used someone else who does what they do.

It happened last week. I had someone go on and on while talking to a realtor and a mortgage person about the great experience her child had purchasing a home and that she would recommend the realtor and mortgage person that her child used to everyone. Would you like to have been that realtor and mortgage rep listening to this lady tell you how great someone else in your field was?

Sadly, this happens all the time. Nobody wants to hear about how great their competition is. If you are doing this, please stop. When you tell the person how much you like their competition and how you refer everyone to them, the chance of them referring anyone to you is low.  Don’t waste their time or yours if you are not open to new business relationships. More importantly, don’t insult them.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

I Think You Are Cool

Kevin Willett says that similar traits in personality make for great business partners

Last week I texted one of my friends to tell her that I wanted to introduce her to someone. When she asked why, I explained that they are focusing on the same types of clients and I think that both of them are cool.

People never seem to know how to respond when I tell them that they are cool or that they ‘get it’. Coolness plays a big role in what I do and people often miss this concept.

Let me give you an example, just because you are a realtor and I am a mortgage person does not mean we will automatically do business together. We have to have some type of connection for us to want to do business together. When possible we do business with people we like. I try to connect you with people I think you would like, might get along with, or could be friends with. If I think you are both cool, then that is a match! 🙂 So now you know my secret sauce for connecting people.

Is there someone I know that you want to meet? Send me a message and I will do my best to connect you with them.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

May I Have Your Business Card?

Kevin Willett says not to dismiss those you think can’t help you.

Lately I have seen many people attend networking events without their business cards. I have had a few people say to me that they don’t bring cards anymore because they want to control who they give their cards to. They don’t want to waste time talking to people they don’t want to network with. I really think this strategy is a mistake because you never know where you next referral is coming from. If you refuse to give your contact information to someone, then how can they contact you? Please understand that networking is about building relationships and getting people to know like and trust us. Communication is the key to building relationships. I believe it is important to remember that you are selling through someone and not to them. Just because I don’t have a need for your services doesn’t mean that I may not meet someone who does. When you dismiss people you are missing out on a chance to build a relationship with them and potentially a chance to grow your business.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Do The Right Thing For The Right Reasons

Kevin Willett says that when you expect nothing in return for helping others, you may be surprised.

When someone takes the time to comment on my videos I try my best to send them a message thanking them and asking if there is anything I can do to help them.  Last week I thanked a woman from New York City and when I asked her how I could help, she said she needed help finding a job. Now it would have been super easy to say ‘I am sorry but I don’t know anyone in New York City’. Instead I said lets schedule a call to see what we can do. During the call she told me that she is starting a business to help people impacted by cancer. She told me her story about being a survivor. We spent the next thirty minutes brain storming about her idea. I was impressed with her passion for helping people and it made me want to help her.

One of the challenges we have as business owners is trying to manage our time. People will often ask me ‘why should I meet with people who do not need my services?’  The simple answer is because you are not trying to sell to them you are trying to connect with their network. I have a number of people who are not my clients who refer people to me all the time simply because I spent the time to meet with them and tried to help them.

Do the right thing for the right reason, while expecting nothing in return, and you might be surprised with the way things turn out.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events

Be Able to Clearly State What You Do and Who a Good Referral is forYou

Kevin Willett says the more specific you are the more business you can get.

This sounds pretty easy and straight forward, but often when I ask someone who a great referral would be for them, they tell me anyone with a pulse. My friends, we’re back in the epic fail category. If you tell me financial planners and CPAs are great contacts for you, I can start helping you right away. There’s an expression in networking that “everyone turns into no one simply because people don’t know where to start.” Here’s an example. If you’re a CPA and you tell me everyone is a potential client, I’ll agree with you, but I probably won’t ever give you a referral. If you tell me you specialize in helping people and businesses that have tax issues, then I’ll know to refer you whenever I hear of someone with that issue. Remember, the more specific you are, the easier it is to refer you. I have a friend who’s a painter. If you ask who a good referral is, he’ll tell you the exact size and type of the house he wants to paint, including how many windows the house has. His description makes you visualize this house. If he said anyone who needs painting done, would that make you visualize anything? If it would, it’s probably not too pretty.

Watch my YouTube Channel for more on this Business Networking Tip

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events.