Strategy #1: Say “thank-you” to your good clients. Presumably, you have a few good clients who are currently “buying your act.” They appreciate what you have done for them, and at times they can be heard singing your praise to their friends.
I want you to contact five of these people to “thank them.” How easy is that? I want you to say “thank-you” to five of your “buds” for supporting your eating habits.
Don’t make this hard. Pick five customers who already know you, like you and trust you. You can contact them in any one of a number of ways. All you want to do is tell them how much you appreciate them. I want you to conjure up the courage to say “thank-you.” (This simple task should not be confused with having a root canal.)
You can use the phone. You can use email. It could be a heart-felt hand-written note. (Best idea.)
Just acknowledge five people. I hope you have more than five, but to get you off the dime, five is all that is required right now. You probably have closer to 50 or
even 200. But to get the machine rolling I just want you to pick five now. (That is less than half a dozen.)
After you see how effective (and easy) this exercise is, I want you to call another five people to ask them for help. People like to help people. You are going to ask them to introduce you to somebody in their world who might also benefit from the high quality service you provide.
Call five to give thanks. Call five to ask for help in the form of a referral. This is as close to “magic” as I get. You’re going to see some unbelievable things pop up before your eyes in very short order.
The human barrier standing between you and this magic is a popular behavior pattern known as procrastination. (The Big “P.”) Along with credit card debt, procrastination is a killer. The Big “P” enters the picture, bogs down our progress, and screws up our lives. Don’t allow procrastination to get in your way. Do what I suggest. Contact your peeps sooner rather than later. Pretend you are in an old John Wayne movie. Bite the bullet and just do it.
If by chance one of your customers hang up the phone on you, don’t take it personally. You just happened to hit them on a bad hair day. Let them hang up. Think of yourself as being bulletproof. You couldn’t care less. You’re calling to say thank you. You’re calling to ask for help. There is no shame in that. Do as I suggest and it will work wonders for you.