‘Tis the season to clear out drawers, deep clean, and re-arrange our household. Summer is coming, and we will be caught up in frenetic activity with kids, vacations and a host of personal obligations. This means we are giving away and throwing away things we haven’t touched in a year or longer, right? That is the buzz on the getting organized shows and topical in magazine articles. But what is happening to our referral partner relationships? Are we cleaning those out? Or do we need to clean them up?
I am finding I have lots of great people I know that there have been wonderful relationships with through the years that I have just not had time to connect with. My referral partners of yesterday have often had business market or focus changes that have affected our ability to serve as referral partners for one another. Then I have the partners of today that I need to stay top of mind with, but not wear them out.
So how do we manage our time with these relationships so we are engaging in the ‘Habits of Excellence’ that lead to referral partner success? Are you staying top of mind with your favorite resources? When was the last time you sat down for a ‘what’s happening’ lunch that was about them and their lives? We often get caught up in business and forget about the relationship with the person.
Let’s engage in some spring cleaning with our referral partners.
Here are some ideas…
- Schedule a meeting with someone you haven’t seen in the last 6 months or longer. Find out if the relationship has something for you to pursue for one another. Did you just lose touch or was there a reason you didn’t continue to meet?
- Focus on keeping your relationships productive and fresh. Perhaps you need to add 1 new partner per month to your referral relationships. Maybe it’s cleaning out an unproductive relationship that you have cultivated and nurtured but has not made an attempt to introduce you in the past quarter (remember the attempt counts if it was made towards an actual client that fits your definition of a solid client – not just handing out your name to a bad fit).
- Hold one ‘tough conversation’ with a relationship that should go somewhere but has stalled out. Find out if there is an opportunity that has just not been taken to the correct level of effort to gain an opportunity for you. If they ‘get it’ then engage in problem solving to make opportunities happen.
- Stop trying! Remember as Yoda says, ‘There is no try, only do’ so either help your referral partners or move on. By trying to make an effort we demonstrate ineffectiveness in relationships. If you want a partnership, commit to it and make something happen for someone TODAY!
I know you all are very busy. I am not even thinking to suggest a lot of things to implement that overwhelm you. Instead, pick one or 2 of the above ‘spring cleaning’ ideas and commit to it today – not tomorrow. Now is the time to Productively Prospect. And, remember: to get what you want you must help others get what they want.