Inner Circle Sales Lesson #8:  Unwritten Endorsements

We have always been judged by the company we keep. If you are doing business with recognized and respected clients, it behooves you to spread the word.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T80kVyyHhG0

I have an Internet Radio Show with my good friend Nolan Burris.

www.mikeandnolanshow.com . The way things work, the people who enjoy Nolan’s work will automatically give me the benefit of the doubt since Nolan has “endorsed” me as an associate of his. Those who “buy my act” will have a tendency to buy Nolan’s act due to my relationship with him. Believe it or not, this is how it works.

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SIDEBAR

Good people hang with good people. It also works the other way. This is why I don’t want you to do business with just “anybody” because you will be judged by the company you keep. This is why I suggest that you consider pruning your customer base of the “less-than-squared-away-clients.” Yep. I just suggested that you “dump the slugs.”

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Likewise, if you have customers who also have people who “trust” them, you need to spread this relationship as far and wide as you can.

Endorsements today, thanks to the abundance of noise in the marketplace today, have become intensely important.

You don’t have to go it alone. Nor should you have to, or want to. Play your “leverage” card. Inform others of the company you keep.

There are two kinds of endorsements: Implied and written.

As a speaker, I try to obtain as many written endorsements as I can. I appreciate my clients who take the time to write me a kind word or two, but I also know that these are busy people who have better things to do than sing my praises to others. I these cases, I offer to write a few words for them and seek their “rubber stamp of approval” after the fact.

In virtually all cases, they are pleased to oblige. Ironically enough, these pre-written testimonials are some of my best. (Go figure!)

EXERCISE: Be on the lookout for clients who say nice things about you. Be prepared to capture these soundbites for future promotional activities.

 

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