There is massive potential to be found in nurturing the synergy which is found within a Business Networking Referral Community.

Like most of us, you've probably had at least one bad experience with a supplier of goods or services in the past!

One of our main goals is to put you in touch with trusted suppliers of goods and services who have been recommended by other business owners who have had a pleasant experience with them, and they are also meant to be people who are prepared to put that extra effort into how they service their clients!

OK, you may well ask: "Why a Business Networking Referral Community"?

The best answer is possibly this: Business Networking is based on the most under-utilized and powerful marketing method which is commonly called 'word of mouth'. And that's what we are promoting; a community of like-minded business people who learn the art of business networking, and also practise the art of passing referrals to each other as a matter of habit. These are skills which we promote and teach to all our business community members, and recommend that they also pass on that philosophy to their own connections. There is also one huge bonus within our system: we combine that word of mouth referral principle with the power of the internet; to bring potential to you all. What you do with that potential is completely up to you; but rest assured that you will be encouraged to develop it!

Like all things with good potential; they spread until they reach a tipping point, then they become habit!

According to Dr Misner, the author of 'The World's Best Known Marketing Secret', Business Networking and Word of Mouth Advertising is based on eight steps:

1. Good networking is more about farming than about hunting.

2. People do business with people they trust.

3. The four magic words: "How can I help?"

4. Where do your potential clients congregate?

5. Create symbiotic or synergistic relationships. If people don't know you, why not?

6. The Three Deadly Sins of networking: Pride, Shyness and Fear.

7. Neglect is the tennis elbow of a networking plan.

8. Givers Gain: "Thank You" can be in various forms.

The purpose of this community is to market your business, and our business, by utilizing effective Business Networking and Word of Mouth referrals. All eight of the above steps will be part of the process experienced if you become part of a good network.

We will assist you to:

* Farm by forming relationships with others.

* Refer people to our community who have trust in us.

* Help potential clients by offering high quality goods and services to them.

* Put ourselves in the doorway that potential clients will naturally walk through, the internet.

* Partner with compatible non-competitive peers; and exploit each other shamelessly for mutual benefit.

* Ditch our pride, shyness and fear of asking for referrals.

* Make contact with people who we may have neglected in the past.

* We'll teach you to say "thank you" to your referrer by various means.

For many business owners, word of mouth is not as glamorous as advertising. However, if we asked the very best marketers and entrepreneurs in the world about their preferred method of doing business, we will find a very different story. And what's more, it is almost always more sustainable business!

The reason that they prefer word of mouth referrals is very simple: They realize that referrals generate over 70% of the new customers for most businesses. Yet business owners spend the least amount of time, money, and energy on it.

That is how powerful word of mouth actually is!

Let's face it: If we have a way of growing our business that works, even when used very unsystematically, doesn't it make sense to put our focus, attention, and resources into it? Of course it does; and that way we are making sure of getting our best 'bang for our buck'! I can't help it, I used to be in the explosives industry.

Asking for Referrals

The average person has a relationship with about 250 people!

In other words, if you wrote down a list of everyone you personally knew, it would likely add up to around 250 people.

This is exciting! Very exciting! Here's why ...

It means that every customer you currently have in your business is a doorway to 250 more! What's more, when you gain an extra customer, you've also gained indirect access to 250 other people!

So, if you know how to get your customers talking about your business, then you have a massive network that you can easily tap into! What could be better?

Forming Relationships With Others

The aim of most lead generation processes is to begin to create a relationship with a prospective customer.

Smart business owners often use lamazing break-even introductory deals, just so that they can create a buying relationship with a new customer.

Why? Put simply, they understand that once you have a relationship with a customer, selling to them becomes much, much easier. So it makes sense to do whatever you can to create new relationships.

This is why word of mouth is so powerful! When you harness the power of word of mouth, then you can have relationships with hundreds of extra people, through the network that your customers have. You see, since each of us trusts our family and friends more than we do salespeople or self-proclaiming business owners, gaining a customer by word of mouth is usually a lot easier than gaining a new customer by advertising or other forms of self-promotion.

All this means is that word of mouth gives you Instant Credibility!

Why The Internet?

Most people are a little scared or nervous about asking for referrals.

Fortunately, you do not need to ask for referrals face to face, you can use our community instead. This makes it very easy and comfortable to ask for, and also receive, good referrals.

But there is an attitude that underlies the fear many people have about asking for referrals. This attitude is that asking for referrals is about being pushy, or that it means you are begging or pleading for customers.

I do not look at asking for referrals that way. In fact, I look at it very differently!

If you believe that your product or service is the best available, then you are actually honouring your clients or customers when you ask them for referrals.

Why a Business Networking and Referral Community?

We want to offer enough information on any business listing, through a business community, to invite that potential customer browsing the internet, to do business with us.

We'll pay a rebate fee to the people who choose to build their own community as a business network, as a form of gratitude and incentive to them. We will ask each member to refer clients, suppliers, friends or family members who they know personally, to join the community. The fee rebates will then be shared by many; and that effect will flow on for others to also enjoy and encourage. You can actually get paid to grow your business; but that's just a bonus of being part of a good networking system; with the major rewards coming from exponential and sustainable business growth.

Phil Evans

p.s. You need to give your customers self-serving reasons to give you referrals. So you must, before you ask your current clients to give you referrals, first work out what you can give 'them' in return.

p.p.s. Extraordinary people always strive for that little more.