Ideas are worthless without implementation, including all the ideas we've been sharing with you in ProducersWeb. This article is devoted to taking action of The Unlimited Referrals® Marketing System.

Step 1 - Set Your Referral Goal

How many new clients through referrals would you like this year? 10? 25? 50? Everyone has different goals depending on the nature of their business. However, to create long-lasting results with our system, it helps to know what you want.

Clear intention produces clear results. Fuzzy intention produces fuzzy results.

Example:

Yearly Referral Client Goal: 27
Conversion Rate: 30% (you may do much better than this)
Introductions Needed: 90 over 12 months (23 per quarter; 7-8 per month)
Number of Clients to Ask: 35-45

When you break it down over a 12-month period, this goal is quite achievable.

Step 2 - Determine Who You Want to Ask for Referrals

Do you want to ask all your clients for referrals? Do you only want to ask the top clients you want to clone? I guess it depends. If you're a veteran and you need to be more selective, then you shouldn't be asking all you're your clients for referrals - just the ones who can introduce you to those types of clients. While it's true that some C Level Clients can introduce you to A Level Clients, you have to play the odds. You only have so much time in a day.

If you're newer in the business, you may just need to generate a high level of activity. In this case, ask just about everyone for referrals - for a while.

Step 3 - Develop and Execute a Superior Client Service Plan

Your referability with your clients is a function of many things, but the two most important are the service you provide and the overall quality of the relationship you have with them. Most of the time, your clients will not complain about hearing from you too much.

Everyone's business is different and what might be superior client service - delivered cost effectively - for one person may be different for another. Here's the point. Don't leave great, referral-producing service to chance. Have a plan. Decide how often and in what form you will meet with, communicate with, and provide value to your clients. Then put a simple system in place to make sure it happens - consistently.

Step 4 - Schedule Value-Based Meetings

It's usually better to ask for referrals in person rather than over the phone. Over the phone you can't read body language and people don't usually allocate enough time for a phone call to do this properly. With that said, if over the phone is your only option, then do it.

It's also usually better to ask for referrals near the end of a meeting where you have brought real value to your client. If you have a good business friendship with your client, you might be able to do this over lunch. Thank them for their business, check in to make sure they are a happy client, then ask for referrals.

In Step 2, you identified a bunch of your clients you want to ask for referrals and you've outlined a plan of service for them. Now it's time to start scheduling some value-based meetings and thank-you lunches. Put the system into action.

If you still lack confidence in asking for referrals, here are a few suggestions to help:

• Take our complimentary Email Referral Course at www.ReferralCoach.com
• Practice asking for referrals with some friends and/or colleagues.
• Get started with the clients who "love" you.

Step 5 - Track Your Results

Most salespeople don't like to track their numbers, but it sure does make a difference when you do. When you track your referral numbers, you benefit in at least two ways: 1) You can see where your process needs work so you can take steps to improve it: and 2) You can see your improvement and the tangible fruits of your labor.

Create an MS Word chart or use Excel to keep track of the following things:

• Tally the number of times you ask for referrals.
• Tally the number of clients who give you referrals on the spot.
• Tally the number of clients who give you referrals later.
• Calculate the average number of referrals you get per time you ask (not per client).
• Tally the number of appointments you get from referrals.
• Tally the number of new clients you get from referrals.
• Calculate the average the number of clients you get per time you ask as well as per appointment.
• Calculate the number of thank-you gifts you send to clients to reward them for giving you referrals (don't wait for the prospects to turn into clients).

Now, with these numbers, you can see what activities need work. For instance, you may be asking a lot, but not getting a lot. So, work on how you ask (refine your approach, make it more confident, practice). Maybe you see you're averaging 1.5 clients for every time you ask (average). Work on bringing this number up to 2 and even 3 or more.

First, what you measure you can manage. Second, what you measure usually improves just by virtue of putting more attention on it.

As I said earlier, "Ideas are worthless." Implementation of ideas is what will make you wealthy - and serve a lot of great people along the way.