Last week, I received John Jantsch’s new book, The Referral Engine for review.

While my complete review (with Ideas and Resources you won’t want to miss!) will hit my blog in two weeks, on Monday May 10th, to coordinate with John’s launch of The Referral Engine, today and next Monday, let’s kick off one of John’s ideas in the book:

Make a Referral Monday  (Twitter hashtag #marmon)

To get started, to coin a classic line from Jerry Maguire…

Help Me… Help YOU!

4 Key Questions to Ask Your Contacts to Teach You about Their Business

Since I have a very specific target niche of clients with whom I work, (more on this in a bit…) I run into many prospects who may need YOUR services… yes, even if’ you’re in the Marketing Game like me.

Now, to introduce these prospects to you, I’d like to know more about you, your business, and your marketing.

Here are the 4 Things I’d like to know:

1. Who is your Ideal Client and how will I spot him/her?

2. Tell me about your unique benefits, approach, products, services, and describe your value proposition.

3. What might prospects say to trigger me to know they need to be referred to you?

4. What’s your marketing process for prospects I refer to you?

Now to help you complete this survey, let me share with you my answers to these 4 questions. This isn’t about me getting immediate referrals from you; (but if you have a qualified prospect, please don’t be shy ) my intention is to first build relationships with my network and explore ways we can help deliver value to clients.

Here ya go…

1. My Ideal Client is a Financial Services Professional— independent Insurance Agent or Broker, (any line of insurance- Property & Casualty, Life & Health, personal or business) Financial Planner, Advisor, or Investment Specialist, Accountant,CPA, or Tax Advisor. He/she is 35-50 years old, in business 5+ years, earns $150,000+ annual personal income, and practices in a Metro area. (versus a small town)

2. Unique Benefits I Offer my Ideal Clients: I help these Financial Services Pros leverage their Offline Marketing Assets (typically using Online Systems) to become more productive, increase sales and profits, and maximize the long-term Equity Value of their practice. Through a comprehensive Marketing Blueprint I build Marketing Processes and Systems without spending a dime more on advertising (typically, advertising expenses are reduced) I 100% Guarantee my ideas, techniques, and approach work- or your money-back.

3. Trigger Statements or Questions: Financial Services Pros who have concerns about lack of time, missing a son’s or daughter’s activities, inability to take vacations, complaints about too much paperwork or compliance. Any complaints or questions about how to generate leads or get more referrals in their practice.

4. My Marketing Process:

• Blog posts and articles
• Free Weekly Newsletter
• Special Reports and e-Courses
• Webinars and Tele-Seminars
• Marketing Information Kit
• Financial Services Marketing Assessment- No-Cost for qualified professionals
• Comprehensive Financial Services Marketing Blueprint- a customized Mind-Map and either in-person, or online consultatio
• Marketing Plan Agreement
• Marketing “Getting Started” and Implementation Guide.

Use and share this post with your contacts and Centers of Influence. Ask them the 4 Questions and have them teach you how you can best help refer business to them… and in turn, teach them about your business.

Why not devote a portion of Make a Referral Monday to build relationships and explore how you can work with your network of contacts?

Finally… Help Me, Help YOU!

Go ahead… share your answers to the 4 Questions here.

Or, hook up with me on Referral Key.

Make it a Referral Monday!

Photo Credit

More on The Referral Engine:

• Weekend Reading: The Referral Engine, by John Jantsch (Preview) (readwriteweb.com)
• The Referral Engine (800ceoread.com)
• Learn to Build a Referral Engine (conversationagent.com)
• Making Referrals as a Small Business Job Creation Engine (prweb.com)
• Can you return the favour? (theengagingbrand.typepad.com)
• Making it Easy to Do Business with You is Hard (newspapergrl.com)
• On Giving Referrals (newspapergrl.com)
• Bake a Referral Engine Into Your Business Model (ducttapemarketing.com)