A third party endorsement is gold to a personal and business brand. A recommendation or referral is the end result of someone lending their credibility and reputation to you.
While there are other activities we can do ourselves, a recommendation and referral must be done through someone. It’s their endorsement that’s the special sauce that makes the referral powerful to everyone involved.
Working through people takes relationship that’s genuine without the referral and recommendation as the glaring motive. What helps is authentic and relevant appreciation.
Too often we seek a list of unknown people that we need to know so they can become great brand advocates for us.
In truth, we know everyone we need to know. [tweet this]
Begin with relationships you already have and find out who haven’t you thanked lately. Who genuinely did something that wowed you at a moment yet you haven’t taken a moment to thank. This week – thank them.
From the receptionist answering the phone, the person who works in building maintenance, to the waitress who made sure you got your lunch fast enough to make it to your next meeting, to the bus driver who gave you an extra moment to shake the snow off your coat – they all know someone. I find the best connections I’ve made are with people I interact daily in anything that has nothing to do with my business. They have become my greatest advocates, their connections run strong and they willingly refer and recommend someone who have been genuinely caring and connected with them.
This week – make your list: Who have you interacted with and perhaps overlooked connecting with, acknowledging and appreciating.
Shout out to Ken Sundheim – thank you for always appreciating me. Yes, I noticed and I’m grateful!
This week we shared some stellar insights. Which one was your favorite?
- Improving Workplace Communication is Not What You Want by Skip Weisman
- Introvert’s Dilemma: Charge or Recharge? by Nance Rosen
- Why You Should Send a Thank-You Letter? by Ceren Cubukcu
- Why Hiring an Assistant Could Save Your Personal Brand by Heather Huhman
- Feeling Good is a Relative State of Mind by Alex Freund
- Why People Don’t Buy: No Time by Eddy Ricci
- Avoid Heartache by Speaking Up by Elinor Stutz
- Seven Reasons Your Resume is Hurting Your Career by Richard Kirby
- Millennials Meet Your New Business Partners by Jeff Shuey
- Ditch the Pitch: An Interview with Steve Yastrow by Bill Connolly
- Branding Success Gets Personal by Susan Gilbert
- How to be Yourself on Social Media While Staying Professional by Glassdoor.com
- Use the “F” Word to Boost Your Creativity by Beth Kuhel
- Use Criticism to Improve Your Brand by Leslie Truex
- How to Get Over a Job Search Slump by Ken Sundheim
- Why Every Professional Should Have a Personal Marketing Plan by Crystal Washington
And, in the spirit of helpfulness – here are some readymade tweets you can share with your connections:
On Google Plus, your content will appear directly on Google’s search engine, which helps establish you as an expert http://ow.ly/uCo6Q [tweet this]
The best teams are greater than the sum of their parts http://ow.ly/uCoAa [tweet this]
The ideal employee can help their firm in adapting to market disruption http://ow.ly/uCoCB [tweet this]
Past performance does not necessarily predict future results! http://ow.ly/uCoDB [tweet this]
To get your idea funded, you must prove your idea has potential and you’re the person to make it happen. http://ow.ly/uCoGp [tweet this]
Identify and focus on the end result you’re after. Once communication is working, you can take your company anywhere. http://ow.ly/uCoRA [tweet this]
Baby boomers and millennials can be great partners based on their different entrepreneurial qualities http://ow.ly/uCoZf [tweet this]
When it comes to your resume, remember: less is more. http://ow.ly/uCphz [tweet this]
Speaking up is the path that develops your leadership capabilities. http://ow.ly/uCppW [tweet this]
If someone has “no time,” it just means the issue isn’t a top priority in the prospects business or life at this point. http://ow.ly/uCpFJ [tweet this]
While in transition phases, view your situations as temporary to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel http://ow.ly/uCpHT [tweet this]
Even if the intended recipient doesn’t read your thank-you letter, always follow up because this shows your interest http://ow.ly/uCpOn [tweet this]
Introversion is not a disability. It’s just a fact of life, along with lots of other dimensions in human nature http://ow.ly/uCpRO [tweet this]
