How to Go from Being in the Game to Being a Game Changer

You have paid your dues. You have spent countless hours at networking events. You have developed the skills of networking. You have learned the importance of creating and building relationships. You know the long-term success of your business and what you do are directly related to the quality of your relationships.

You have taken the knowledge you have gained, the skills you have developed and are now getting what you started out to get – referrals! Congratulations. You are in the game.

Being in the game allows you to compete. Everyday you get to use your skills to get another referral and then another. You work hard at turning each referral into a customer. You continue working to keep each customer as you acquire new ones. While you continue working harder and harder, getting more customers, working to keep your customers, you realize it is a never ending task. You feel like you are spinning plates on top of poles, constantly moving, spinning and turning, trying to keep each plate from falling. It has become a vicious cycle.

In those rare moments when you stop to catch your breath and look across the office, you see others smiling, relaxing and receiving BIGGER checks! You ask, “What is wrong with this picture?”

This is the place where the majority of the workforce stays. They begin to hate the players and the game they are stuck in. This is not the place for you! It is time to become a “game-changer.” It’s time to stop thinking small and start thinking BIG. It is time to move to the other side of the office where people are smiling, relaxing and receiving BIGGER checks.

You want to be where the game changers are. You want to move to where the people have figured out how to move from linear growth (think of building your business by addition) to exponential growth (think of building your business with multiplication).

Instead of building your referral funnel by yourself one referral at a time, you can build your referral funnel by building an Alliance Team. This is where you have an inner circle of like-minded business associates, sharing the same customers as you, but are not in competition with you.

The best way to build your Alliance Team is to start with one business associate that you know, like and trust. Someone that you can refer customers to, that you know will take good care of your customers, that will make your customers appreciate you for making the referral in the first place. This same business associate will be referring his/her customers to you, having the same confidence that you will care for those customers in a way, the customers will be grateful your business associate referred them to you.

Let’s look at some simple math. Using your networking skills and knowledge, you are able to go out and acquire 5 new customers a month all by yourself. If you do this for a year (5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5+5= 60 new customers a year). During this same year, your business associate, your first Alliance Team member also refers 5 people per month to you. So instead of adding an additional customer at a time, you are actually doubling your business, while still only doing the same networking as before. With the referrals you are providing your Alliance Team member, your business associate is doubling his/her business at the same rate.

Once you and your business associate are getting in the groove and starting to experience exponential growth, it is time to add new members to your Alliance Team! Using this simple math formula, each member of your Alliance Team will see exponential growth. Instead of growing by 1%, 3%, 5%, or 10% a year, you will see 100%, 200% and more growth.

Image growing your Alliance Team from 1-2 members to 3-5 members, and eventually to 8-10 members, with each member making 5 or more referrals to one another every month. There is no better way, no faster way, to grow your business, than with an Alliance Team.

On any team, whether it is in sports or business, it takes “teamwork to make the dream work.” Each member must be willing to contribute to the success of others. It is a small price to pay to have so many contributing to your success.

In order for your Alliance Team to be successful, you need to have open communication, where everyone knows how everyone else feels about the progress and results the Team is achieving.

It is important to have a plan where every Alliance Team member knows what is expected, how referrals to one another should be made, the expected follow-up, the best forms of communication to keep everyone in the loop, and the process of how to handle problems that will come up from time to time.

Like with any team, there comes a time when a player no longer contributes at the same previous level. Priorities change, other commitments may get in the way, or a member may change careers, move out of the area, or retire. Plans need to be in place ahead of time as to how these issues will be addressed.

Professional athletes, like professional Alliance Team members, know they are always being evaluated. They know they have to perform to help the team succeed. Every member knows that a “TEAM” means “Together Everyone Achieves More.”

It takes work to build a successful Alliance Team. This is why so few have them. However, it is worth it. If you don’t believe me, just look across the office at those people smiling, relaxing and cashing BIGGER checks. They will tell you it is absolutely worth it.

As a member of the Business Networking Formula, there are training videos and step-by-step instructions on how to create and travel the “Partnership Path” which includes how to build an “Alliance Team.” Go to www.businessnetworkingformula.com and check out some of the free networking training videos and see where there is an upcoming meeting in your area and RSVP today.

If you would like individual coaching on building your Alliance Team, or if your Alliance Team would like some group coaching, please contact us at www.businessnetworkingformula.com.

Remember, teamwork makes the dream work!