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Referrals for the Difficult-to-Refer Business

Why you should consider booking a speaking gig.

By Dr. Ivan Misner

Face it: Some businesses are more difficult to refer than others.

Often times, those same businesses struggle to get clients through traditional mediums of advertising. Word-of-mouth is the best way for almost all types of businesses to grow, and in some cases it’s the only way to grow.

Before I started BNI, I was a management consultant. Those days--in the early 1980’s--I learned these lessons the hard way.

Working the Rubber Chicken Circuit

No one retained a consulting firm from an advertisement. Most of my clients came from referrals. That took time, so I had to find new business to keep my company’s doors open. Through this struggle, I landed on a technique that I have been passing on to business people and entrepreneurs for the last two decades: “working the rubber chicken circuit.”

When I did a speaking engagement, I often got new business. The key was to land more speaking engagements while working on the long-term process of developing my word-of-mouth business. I discovered that speaking engagements lead to referrals.

Since educating my referral sources took time, speaking engagements were a great short-term approach to building my business.

An hour-appointment with someone interested in your business is important. Imagine setting that same appointment with 20-50 business people in your community! That is, in effect, what you are doing when you are asked to speak at various clubs or organizations.

While many business people realize that joining and participating in service clubs lends them credibility in the community, they don’t often think about the referrals that can be generated by speaking at these various meetings.

Booking Your Speaking Schedule

So, how do you get on the organization’s speaking calendar? It isn’t as hard as you might think. With a little creativity, you can put together a presentation that will be informational, educational, and even entertaining for these groups. Usually program chairs are scrambling to find someone different, engaging, and interesting. Your job is to help them find you.

I eventually produced a letter that I’d give to people in my extended network to make it easy to refer me for a speaking engagement.

Here is a sample letter—and it’s much more than a sales pitch for my service.

[Remember, this is a sample – you need to put in YOUR information]:

Dear Program Chair:

AIM Consulting is a management consulting firm that works with small- and medium-size businesses. During the last two years, we have given a presentation entitled “Entrepreneuring in the 80’s” to over 60 service organizations such as yours. The presentation deals with managing and motivating employees. It involves participation and interaction with the audience and leaves time for questions at the end. Here are some of the comments we’ve received:

“Fantastic, every service club must hear!”

East LA Rotary

“One of our best…Ivan kept everyone excited.”

Alhambra Optimist

"An excellent talk by an excellent speaker.”

Irwindale Rotary

“Excellent, highly recommended, got a lot of questions.”

Hermosa Kiwanis

If you are interested in this topic, we would be glad to visit your club to give this presentation.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Ivan Misner

President

I would take this letter to networking meetings and give it to people who knew me and wanted to refer me but didn’t know how. This helped build my business while at the same time enabling me to educate my personal network on how to refer me to potential clients. I ended up getting a lot of business this way. In fact, many of my largest clients came from speaking engagements!

It Takes Just One

Just one acceptance can position you in front of multiple business people who might be in the market for your product or service. Once you have the opportunity to make these types of connections, you never know where they will lead. Business generated this way often leads to spin-off business.

It’s critical to give the audience something to take away that will bring them back to you. I gave audiences a “behavior profile instrument” and told them they could take this back to their office, give it to any employee, and mail it back to me. I would give them a free 4-page analysis of the behavioral characteristics of the employee so they could better understand how to manage that person. I almost always got one or more companies to follow up after I spoke.

Don’t Sell - Educate

Take the case of a handy man. The topic of home safety is a timely message. Who better than a handyman to fashion a presentation on home safety and give viable tips on keeping the home environment free from danger?

Some members at that meeting might need help solving some of the problems the speaker raises. Who do you think they are going to contact for that? Bingo! That week’s speaker is just the person for the job.

Another great networking result is spin-off business—the icing on the cake. Once you begin networking with the members of the organization, doors will open for referrals. Make sure you ask for those referrals.

The key is to go in with information and education…not a huge sales pitch. People don’t like being sold to, but they do like to buy! A great presentation can motivate your audience to want to buy what it is you have for sale.

This technique is tailor-made for difficult businesses, but it can work for almost anyone. Next time you think of rubber chicken, think leverage, think networking, think business!

I'd love to hear from you on this one. Do you think this would work for “difficult to refer businesses?” Do you use speaking engagements as a way of getting new business? Have you tried this technique in BNI? Let me know what you think.

Called the “father of modern networking” by CNN, Dr. Ivan Misner is a New York Times bestselling author. He is the Founder and Chairman of BNI (www.bni.com), the world’s largest business networking organization. His newest book, Networking Like a Pro can be viewed at www.IvanMisner.com. Dr. Misner is also the Sr. Partner for the Referral Institute, an international referral training company (www.referralinstitute.com).

Tags: advertising, networking, referrals, service clubs, speaking engagements, word of mouth

35 Responses to “Referrals for the Difficult-to-Refer Business”

Donna L Harris Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Absolutely this does work — I have been a speaker saw good results. I don’t do it often enough.
David Wimblett Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:36 am
Dear Ivan,

Funny but I’ve just booked my first speaking engagement, so it’s good to hear that it is something you advise. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Never thought of doing a talk that led to BNI, so will certainly do so now.

Thank you.

David Wimblett
Darlene Friedman Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:47 am
I totally agree that this is a good idea for difficult to refer businesses of which I am one. I have just started on the course of doing speaking engagements.
I like the idea of giving the audience a take away that will bring them back.
I think the challenge is not only getting the speaking engagements but developing the content.
Carolyn Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Ivan:

This is a strategy that I am seeking to use to build my fledgling business. I opened my doors in February and BNI has been a huge factor in building my business as a marketing consultant and copywriter.

You had a lot of credentials to convince people that you would give an excellent speech. How did you get the first engagement though — before you had the history of successful engagements?
Thomas Ferreira Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Ivan, I’m a divorce mediator, helping couples stay out of court, refocus their energies away from conflict, and towards deep, rewarding parent-child relationships. I have gotten the majority of my referrals lately from educational seminars I have put on.

The “rubber chicken” circuit is something I had not considered. I’m going to try it.

Best regards,

Thomas.
George Cossey Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
I have been a member for three years and we had a member in our chapter who I have been unable to find a referral for for three years. This method would have been excellent for his business, I would also say that this is a great untried method of finding new customers for my business.

We are classed as plumbers, but our specialities are domestic and commercial service and renewable energy design and installation, this gives great topics for talking to a variety of groups.
Kathleen Galloway Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I have only been a member of BNI since June 2010. I supply high quality, hand crafted products straight from the artist in Africa. I think it would greatly help my business to adopt the suggestion above. I have just done my first 10 minute slot at my chapter and it was great. I used a power point presentation and because of the visual aid my business came to life for the other members of my chapter. I feel this would be the case if I can be a guest speaker for other business meetings. Thanks for the tip.
Meghan Kerner Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Speaking for free is one of the best ways to educate your audience on what you do. To make your presentation even better, be sure to teach them HOW to do what you do in your talk. This gives the audience Massive value and a take-home list of tasks to work on immediately.
Goetz Mueller Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Great point. We’ve just talked about that this morning during our membership committee meeting. We have plans to do that with our (business) consulting powerteam to provide the audience an even deeper insight to general topics from several different perspectives, supported by people from other businesses that can provide the venues. So it will be truely “givers gain”.
Tina Landrum Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
I have given presentations and have gotten some business from them, but mostly looky-loo’s because what I do is difficult for most people to understand, let alone want to experience; I do energy healing work with crystals and Reiki. There is an alternative healing community (of mostly women) in the area where I live that I work with, but that is like preaching to the choir. I’m trying to educate those people who are in between the “alternatives” and the ultra-conservative who think energy work is snake oil. I’ve been in BNI for two and a half years, I’ve been creative in my 60 second commercial and the 10 minute presentation, and I get great Q’s. But I’ve only gotten 5-6 referrals in that time, half of those never followed through. Even though I offer BNI special pricing for members and have worked with a few of them, they just have no idea how to talk about what I do to others. I’m open to suggestions!
Karen Siegel Fitting Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Thanks for this information Ivan! I have been doing speaking engagements off and on for years. Most recently, I have developed a talk on How Safe are your Memories based off a blog article I co-wrote with another BNI member. This alone has opened doors, however I just booked a 45 minute workshop to present at a City Health Fair on this topic. Collecting testimonials is something I often forget. I’m looking forward to adding them! Thanks again, Karen
Mike Mitchell Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
Your first speaking engagement should be your BNI group beyond your 10 minute presentation. Set up an opportunity outside the group meeting to do your presentation (perhaps in the same room immediately after your group meeting). Once your members have seen the value of your presentation, ask them to fill seats at your next presentation that you put on (A good referral for me this week is a confirmed attendee at my free seminar this week…). Finally, ask the group members to contact others to “host” your presentation. Your group can be a powerful source for filling seats!
Mike Jeffries Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Hi Ivan

My business is marketing consulting and our niche is contractors. Since my first gig 4 1/2 years ago I have booked dozens more and last year presented at 2 national industry conventions. Every part of your article is right on especially Don’t Sell Educate. We have clients across the US and Canada and even one in South Africa – many of them “found us” as a result of my presentations or were referred by someone who was at a presentation.

Your advice is a prescription for success.
Terry Joel (personal trainer) Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Thanks for the reminder. I always pick up new clients following a speaking engagement. Also an action step form passed out at the end for capturing contacts and spillover must be part of our presentions.
Jim Boyer Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
Tina I find a little doing in 1:1 meetings increases awareness and belief. Rather than talking about Reiki try getting people doing little things themselves so their minds open just that little bit and they can show their friends. P.S. Reiki is not my area, I am a business coach.
Sheila Del Castillo Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
I fret a lot whenever I am preparing a presentation. Although, once I get in front of the audiance everything seems to fall into place. I did a presentation today in a Realtor’s office at their monthly sales meeting and walked out with two contracts.

It does work!
Lorraine Campman Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:19 pm
Carolyn,

Your credentials for your first speaking engagement is your BNI 30 second commercial! Let the people in your chapter and those chapaters you visit know you would be willing to be a speaker. Make that your next commercial. Listen for who makes public service announcemnts about their community service organizations. Find out who belongs to Lions, Kiwanis etc and approach them. When they invite you, I would think that it would count as a referral for them. I’ve gotten two speaking engagements from BNI already, they are still in the future but I am looking forward to it. See you soon at breakfast!
Lorraine Campman Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Ivan:

As I mentioned in my note to Carolyn, I’ll be doing my first speaking engagements soon. Thanks for the tips on how to get the most out of it, you’ve given me food for thought.

P.S. I just recently signed up for SuccessNet, this is the first issue to land in my inbox, and it’s been a great help already!
Joanne Hein (Speech-Language Pathologist) Says:
October 6th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Because I am such a “fringe” type of business, I have looked at my time (6 months and loving it) in BNI as an opportunity to educate people each week on some aspect of the many things my profession can do. I have given several talks (Power Point and otherwise) within the San Diego community, and they always are enlightening (for me and participants), and sometimes result in referrals. Educating my fellow BNI members & the public will put me in their minds if someone they know presents with a communication disorder…even if it is sometime in the future.*
Catrina Bengree Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 12:21 am
Yes this absolutely works. My business is unique and standard marketing and advertising doesn’t work because you can’t say enough in an advert. Apart from BNI,speaking engagements is my next highest source of business. This is because I have the opportunity to explain to a group of interested people exactly what I do and how I can specifically help them or their families, friends and colleagues.
Udo Schmidt Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 2:38 am
… and it works in Germany too!
I (Consultancy for Quality – and Project-Management)found a reasonable source for speaking engagements within the professional organizations and institutions (even exceeding the initial target branch of trade). And Yes, my experience proves, that the chairs of these organizations are always looking for speakers / business entertainers.
The members of our BNI Chapter are helpful facilitators to find and contact those chairs!
Henrik Mårtensson Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 4:46 am
Thank you Dr. Meisner! I was working on a presentation when I got the SuccessNet email.

I am going to hold a 6-minute presentation at my BNI team on Tuesday. My intent is to skip speaking about my management consulting business, and focus entirely on something that is directly useful to the people in my team.

I like to present, and I know everyone in my team is interested in making better presentations, so the topic for the talk is given.

You gave me the encouragement I needed at just the right time.

Thank you!
Suhas Marathe Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 5:41 am
Sir I liked the statement “Educate the audience and give more information to them Huge Sales talk may not work because people like to buy things and not Sold to”
This will be a good tip to follow from now on to increase business.
Thanks
Sincerely
Suhas Marathe
BNI Prosperity Pune Maharashtra India
Dr. Tim Merrick Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 9:20 am
What synchronicity! I have just launched a series of talks that I give at area corporations for their employees. I find I can reach so many more people in a shorter time with a more focused message–all while being seen as the expert on the subject. How can you go wrong! The trick for me is getting the gigs.
Thanks again, see you in New Orleans!
Dr. Tim Merrick
Manhattan BNI Chapter 45
Kathryn McMillan Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
In my line of business as a professional organizer, doing educational presentations to businesses and organizations has been very effective in getting new clients. Reminding members in my BNI group is helpful.
Sincerely
Kathryn McMillan
Valley Business Builders, BNI
Harrisonburg, VA
Dr. Manijeh Motaghy Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
What a fantastic and motivational article. there are so many ways to market oneself these days and yes, it is hard to market being a business consultant. I practically want to give my services for free just to show how much these small businesses can benefit from setting themselves up like large organizations.

I will work on this and report back. Thanks again.

Dr. Manijeh
Gordie Allen Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Ivan, a great article but I’m surprised you didn’t mention Toastmasters International as a means for acquiring platform speaking skills and achieving comfort as a public speaker. TI’s annual chapter dues are a pittance compared to the value members receive with TI’s excellent learning by speaking agenda. My TI chapter has proven to be an excellent BNI chapter recruiting pool. Just my 2 cents, Gordie
Glen Coleman Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
One speaking engagement equals six qualified referrals to date. All six referrals resulted in business. It absolutely works!
Lucy Mauterer Says:
October 7th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Ivan, oh this is big! I have not had much opportunity to speak on what I do, but those few times I have, I have gotten multiple referrals. I LOVE what I do and get so passionate about it that there are always questions, sometimes interrupting the talk, people are so curious. I do so enjoy educating that I totally forget that I am supposed to be seeking referrals. I’d love more opportunities during the summer, which is our down time for the business. Right now we are moving into our busy season and there is not much time for speaking. Thank you for bringing it up!
Debbie Price Says:
October 8th, 2010 at 8:56 am
This article is so true! One two counts: Presenting almost always gets you new clients and program chairs are delighted to find someone with an interesting topic to present! Having been a program chair for a group for 2 years I was thrilled and relieved to have someone speak and I worked harder to find opportunites for them as well including other speaking engagements!
Lester Salvatierra - BNI on the Go, Simi Valley, CA Says:
October 8th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Dr. Misner, I am the only equipment finance broker in the region and at first, I was giddy with anticipation at all the referrals which would come my way. Then reality hit and I realized I was not easy to refer. Most of my work is in educating and informing on what I do and who good referral sources could be. I have spoken at a couple of events with good results but I never considered using that avenue as a main focus for my marketing efforts. Great advice! Thank you.
Ger Colleran Says:
October 10th, 2010 at 6:06 am
Have just completed an intensive training course on how to sell from a platform i.e. to large audiences…definitely agree with Ivan…!
Amy Kilpatrick Says:
November 3rd, 2010 at 9:51 am
Ivan,

I too have grown my consulting business through using speaking engagements as the resource. It was a slow start, but it has paid off tremedously. I started my speaking career 11 years ago, when I stepped into a leadership team role for my BNI chapter. The experience to work with other business professionals and to be in front of a room each week gave me the skills to do what I do today. Two years ago I retired from my accounting practice and now “consult” full-time.

Amy
RogerV at SwiftCRM Says:
December 8th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Video.

Specifically, online video, we found, tremendously helps referrals because they’re easy to forward along.

So for the hard-to-refer or even hard-to-understand business looking for a needle in a haystack, a short, sweet video does the trick.

The #1 mistake people make when creating these videos is not being viewer-centric, or customer-centric. Nobody cares why _you’re_ #1 or about being ISO certified blah blah blah – until they’re thinking of buying. Simply state how you help _them_ and then the “trust factors” like ISO certification, etc. come into play.

Videos also help in-party referrals, i.e. husband to wife. Years ago I wrote mortgages, but God forbid a husband explained a 1% pay-option-arm to his wife, as he’d mess it up – they were sophisticated, complex loans.. videos ensure the message is delivered correctly.

Google “Cam Studio” for a great freeware screen recorder video, use your phone, or hire it out – bottom line is it works and will get you more referrals.

RogerV, CEO at SwiftWebDesigner, SwiftCRM, former BNI chapter president and raving fan of Ivan’s work
Jamie Says:
December 24th, 2010 at 4:49 am
Could use some help on this one… my business of coaching roller skating is one of those difficult to refer businesses. Who do I target? What do I speak about? I know my business, but I have never seen it done like this. However, I am willing to give it a try!

35 Responses to “Referrals for the Difficult-to-Refer Business”

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