Ivan R. Misner's Blog, page 143

"Sales Success Now"

My friend, sales expert Dr. Donna Ligda, has just released a new e-book called Sales Success Now which features 10-minute interviews with leading experts who spell out their single best sales strategy or tactic and explain how to easily implement it. I'm interviewed in the book about how I've leveraged trusted relationships to open over 5,000 chapters of my organization worldwide and, because of my contribution to the book, Donna has offered to make a free copy of the book available to my blog readers! To get your free copy of the book, CLICK HERE and enter the code: 1008. ...

The Referral Process–Step 4

Over the past few weeks, I've been explaining the easy, eight-step referral process in increments. Today I will be going over step 4 and if you'd like to review the previous steps I've already covered, simply click on each of the following links:  step 1, step 2, and step 3. Step 4.  Meet with the Referral Now comes the move you've been waiting for: your first meeting. You might close the deal on your first call, but it's unlikely.  Instead, you're probably going to be getting acquainted with your potential new customer and gathering information to help you prepare a ...

Do Men or Women Spend More Time Networking?

Business Networking and Sex is the book that my co-authors (Hazel Walker and Frank DeRaffele) and I have coming out next January and in this short video, we talk about an interesting research finding that will  be published in the book. There's one specific question that we are asking BusinessNetworking.com blog readers to weigh in on and it's this: Which gender–men or women–do you think spends more time networking, and why is it you think that? When you watch the video you'll see that my co-authors each have definite opinions on this, to say the least.  I felt like I ...

The Referral Process–Step 3

The referral process (CLICK HERE to read a short overview of the referral process) can be broken down into eight easy steps. In a blog entry I posted last Monday, I explained step 1 (Your Source Discovers a Referral) and step 2 (Research the Referral).  Today, I am going to talk about step 3. Step 3.  Check Back in with Your Referral Source After learning all you can about the prospect's company through your outside research, it's a good idea, especially if the referral appears to be complex or of very high value, to call your referral source back to ...

Don't Analyze What's Wrong–Look for What's Working!

It's a fact: change is not easy! So, how do you keep business on the up and up amidst a constant onslaught of challenges that require you and your business to change and adapt? Watch this short video for some powerful tips from my good friend and author of The Solutions Focus, Dr. Mark McKergow. You'll learn, like I have, that one of the most important things a business owner can do to strengthen and grow their business is to operate on a daily basis by focusing on solutions.  Mark always says that if a company focuses primarily on problem, ...

The Referral Process–Steps 1 and 2

Last week, I wrote a blog explaining that referral networking is a system –when it comes to the actions of generating, developing, and closing a business deal through a referral, there is a well defined, systematic process. The good news is, this process can be broken down into eight easy steps and today I am going to explain steps 1 and 2. Step 1.  Your Source Discovers a Referral The referral begins with an event that is outside your direct involvement: your referral source uncovers a referral opportunity for you.  This occurs without your direct involvement, but it happens because ...

Success Is the Uncommon Application of Common Knowledge

Have you ever wondered what it is you need to do in order to be successful? In this video, I talk to Jack Canfield about what it takes to be successful and how I came to the conclusion that success is the uncommon application of common knowledge. Take a look at this short video and let me know what you think . . . do you agree with this concept?  What are your thoughts on success and how to achieve it?

The Referral Process – 8 Easy Steps

Much of what I write about networking and referrals emphasizes the circuitous, sometimes mysterious nature of referral networking.  In a deep, broad-based, mature referral network, where you spend a lot of time doing good things for others without looking for a direct reward, and where the good that you do winds its way through the system and eventually comes back to you in the form of referrals, it may seem odd to describe referral networking as a system.  But that's what it is, and when it comes to the actions of generating, developing, and closing a business deal through a ...

FREE is Good!

In this short video, I talk about the vast array of educational content relating to business and networking offered on NetworkingNow.com and Mary Funk, the Web Coordinator for this online library, announces a code for a FREE six month subscription to the site. The free subscription is a gift from BusinessNetworking.com and all you have to do is enter the code ("freesixmonths") on NetworkingNow.com to gain access to the entire library of content!  Please note that you will be required to enter a credit card number on the site but you will not be billed for the free six month ...

Sick of Politics and Power Trips?—You Might Be an Entrepreneur

BNIBusinessIndex.com has released its worldwide business survey findings for the first quarter of 2011.  Almost 1,500 business people participated in the survey—people from every populated continent around the world—and the results (see graph on the right)  indicate that, overall, the global economic state is improving.  69.4% of the respondents for the first quarter of 2011 feel that business is growing or growing substantially (compared to this time last year).  This number has increased since the prior BNI Business Index Survey which was conducted during the last quarter of 2010—respondents to this same question at that time weighed in at 67.8%.  ...