Why Referral Strategies Are The Most Cost Effective Way To Get More Customers

Referral Strategies and Marketing

What exactly is a referral system? Do you need one for your business? More importantly, do you already have one? A good definition for referral marketing follows:

Referral Marketing: Acquiring new customers who are suggested or referred to you by existing customers

To design a great referral marketing strategy and system for your business, start by answering a few basic questions. 

How can you provide incentives for your customers to give you a referral?

What offers and rewards will excite them?

How will you keep track of referrals?

How will you approach a referred prospect?

How will you make certain that your employees and staff consistently ask for referrals? What incentives will keep your staff excited?

Sometimes marketers and business people talk about word-of-mouth as a source of business. You need to be careful to understand that referral marketing and word-of-mouth are not the same thing. Word-of-mouth referrals are typically left up to the customer. The business owner has very little if any control over when or even if any of his customers make a recommendation for his or her business. Typically, word-of-mouth referrals come up as part of everyday or ordinary conversations between two customers rather than as a system or process built by the business owner. If someone asks, "Where did you get your hair cut?" that can be an opening for a word-of-mouth referral. You tell your friend or colleague that you got your hair cut at a certain location and then talk about the experience. Whether or not your friend goes to the same place for a hair cut is more or less random. If they happen to need a haircut and they trust your opinion, they might go to the same place. But, there is no incentive for them to do so.

With referral marketing, you the business owner have more control over the outcomes. You are asking your customers specifically for one or more referrals from people they know and you are providing incentives for them to make those referrals. This is much more proactive than waiting on a chance word-of-mouth conversation. You can also provide incentives for new customers that are referred to you by your current customers. One way to bring the referrals in to your business is to tell your current customers that you have a special deal or offer for anyone they refer to your business.

You do need to make certain that you and your business have the reputation and service that your customers want to refer to their friends and colleagues. If you are an auto shop and fix a customer's car, if that car keeps running and the repairs are done properly, then the customer will feel much more confident about making referrals. Remember that you are asking your customers to refer you to their friends and colleagues. Their reputation is on the line too as well as yours.

Your referral system has to be systematic as well. By systematic, we mean consistent execution over an extended period of time. For example, do you know how you will collect referral information? Will you ask your customers to refer their friends and colleagues by themselves? Or, will you ask your customers to give you their friend's contact information so that you can follow up? These are important parts of the system that you need to put in place and you need to make these decisions so that you and your staff or employees are doing the same things in getting referrals from customers.

If you let customers make referrals on their own, then you need to provide them with a way to let you know that they have made a referral. This can be as simple as a pre-addressed postcard that the customer can use to provide you with information about their referrals. It's also important to keep track of referrals so that you can reward your customers for their efforts. If you and your staff are keeping track of referrals and new customer contact information this can also be as simple as recording referral information on a card or ledger of some form. Then you will need to keep your customers informed of any follow up with their referrals and progress toward receiving the incentives you provide. Either way, these are important pieces of building a great referral marketing system.

You and your business can also get referrals from complementary businesses. Let's look at a couple of examples on how this might work. For example, let's say you have a plumbing repair service company. As you make plumbing repairs in people's houses you have an opportunity to take notice of conditions there. Maybe it looks like the carpet needs to be cleaned. Or perhaps the garden and flower beds are not in good condition. If you have a referral program with a carpet cleaning service and a gardening or landscape service, you can make referrals to these other two businesses. It's always best of course to ask the customer or homeowner before making a direct referral. If you have been in business for a while, it will be easier to talk to customers that you know well or your best customers and ask if they would like a referral to one of the other businesses you represent. Some of the same principles we've discussed about being referable apply here too. If you are referring your customers to another business, you want to make sure that you know that business well enough to understand how they will treat your customers. And, remember too that some people will agree to a referral and some will not. And, that is okay. The outcome will be similar for your customers. Some will give you referrals and some will not. That is okay too. The point is that you need to have a systematic approach to referral marketing.

Why is referral marketing so important? There are several reasons and we'll work through a couple of examples on how much impact referrals can have on your business, but first consider the following. 

Referrals are credible from the first time you have contact with them. When a trusted friend or colleague tells you about a business, product or service you immediately transfer that trust to the business. Even if you have never heard of that specific business or location, if the information about them comes from someone you know and trust you have an implicit trust of that business. As the business owner, you can rely on this trust factor rather than have to build trust with a brand new customer.

People who are referred to a business tend to spend more money. People and your customers tend to refer other people that they know are in your target market or are in need of your service. So, you won't have to convince them of the need for your product or service, but you will have to make sure they know the value of what you provide. Generally, you won't refer a friend or colleague to a business if you think they aren't serious about wanting the product or service. You wouldn't refer a friend to the same place where you got a haircut if you didn't think they were serious about going there. And, this is especially true when you will receive some incentives for providing referrals. Most of your customers won't refer other people to your business that aren't serious about making a purchase.

Referrals are very cost-effective. Think about this one for a minute. How much does it cost you to ask one of your current customers for a referral? Yes, it takes a little time and you have to have a way track and report results of the referral, but these types of costs are typically very small. Also, keep in mind that the incentives you provide customers for their referrals will cost you something as well. But, these costs will be minimal as well - especially if you use your own products or services as a reward for referrals. You can provide these incentives at little or minimal cost. In total, the return to you and your business from referral marketing is very high. It doesn't cost you much to get referrals and the referrals spend more than other new customers so the ratio of revenue to cost (return on investment) is usually a BIG number.

Let's work through some of the specific numbers and examples related to referral marketing systems. By the time we are done, you will begin to see the power of referrals and how you can grow your business in a BIG way FAST. And, all of this of course will get you that much closer to achieving your dividend objective and profit goals for your business.

To properly assess the impact of referral marketing on your business, fill in the blanks for the following questions:

How many years have you been in business? ___________ (Let's assume 5 years)

How much do you spend on advertising each year? ___________ (Assume $5,000)

How much are your other expenses and costs? ___________ (Let's say $195,000)

How many customers do you have? ___________ (Let's use a 1,200 number)

Here is what you can do with this information:

Your total business costs each year total $200,000 - the total of advertising plus other expenses.

If you have been in business for 5 years, then your total investment so far is $1,000,000 ($200,000 x 5).

For your 1,200 customers, each one is worth $833 ($1,000,000 divided by 1,200) or stated another way, you have invested $833 in each customer to this point.

Can you sell your business for 1M? No? Can you sell it for 500K? Maybe...No. What about 250K? Yet, this money (1M) been through you till and out to pay for your business expenses!

Does it make sense to Maximize that investment in your business? Now consider the value of referrals. What if only half or 50% of your customers are willing to make referrals to your business. To start with that is 600 customers that sign up for your referral program. You provide free gifts, special rewards, and VIP recognition as incentives for these customers to provide you with referrals and implement a systematic effort to recruit customers to your referral program. In actuality not everyone that signs up for your referral program and incentives will wind up making referrals for you and your business. Let's assume that only half of the original number actually make a referral to your business within a reasonable period of time. This final number will be 25% of your beginning base of 1,200 customer, or 300 customers in total that are actively making referrals to your business. What happens to your business if each of these 300 customers refers 4 friends or colleagues to your business over the next year? If that happens, you will now have 1,200 (300 x 4) NEW customers to go with your 1,200 prior or existing customers.

By using a referral marketing program you could have DOUBLED the size of your business. And, all it took to accomplish that was a systematic, consistent approach to asking your current customers for referrals. Of course, you had to follow up with each new customer and close the sale. But, that is part of your business operations and requires no special effort beyond what you would do for a new customer anyway.

And, what happens if each customer makes more referrals? Or, what happens if more of your customers actually follow through and make referrals than the 25% we have assumed here? Are there ways to help customers make more referrals? Consider the following table of results when you build your own referral program.

Think about providing different levels of incentives - I've used silver, gold, platinum, and diamond below.

Now you can see the power in referral marketing. As more customers make more referrals, there are BIG increases in the size of your business that can result. If half of the customer base we used in our example calculations made 15 referrals each over the next year, your business would increase 750%. Would you like to have a business next year that is 8 times the size of the business you have this year?

It becomes that much more important to also recognize the value of your current customers. You have invested a lot to get them as customers. Providing incentives to them - and you know your business and customers well enough to know what kinds of incentives are appealing to them - in relation to the value they can bring to you and your business through referrals makes good business sense. Most of us would like to have more new customers that we can obtain inexpensively and have them spend more than other new customers. At some point, your new customers today will also be the customers that make referrals for you in the future too. Referral marketing can be the engine that drives substantial growth in your business not only in the short-term but also in the long-term. If you don't have a referral program today, it should be one of your top priorities.

Dmitri Stern

How to Earn Affiliate Commissions With PayPal's Mysterious Merchant Bonus Referral Program

It's hard to believe everybody doesn't have a PayPal account, but some people don't, and many with good reasons. Many people starting online businesses may have been buying stuff for years online without having a PayPal account. Since PayPal allows purchasing through it with a credit card but without an account login, many people will just do that when presented with PayPal as the only payment option. 

I can relate, because I am account-creation averse myself and for a time had a running dispute with PayPal that prevented me from using my account but did not prevent me from buying stuff with PayPal by paying without an account login. 

You can earn commissions when people sign-up for merchant accounts through your referral link. The commission has limits, but it's probably worth setting it up if you market, as I do, to people who want to start or grow online businesses. 

PayPal has a referral program that pays commissions but they make it really hard to find your link. 

I had a PayPal account with a referral link a while back, but I closed it and stopped using it and opened another. I had forgotten about the referrer program and I recently stumbled on an opportunity to earn from it so I thought, "well, I'll just get a referral link for my present account" 

First - I think you need to have a business or merchant account and it probably needs to be verified. Business accounts are free and verification is free, but you'll have to jump through a few hoops and getting it done may take a couple of days. 

Second - PayPal's instructions for getting the referral link, if you can locate the instructions at all, are wildly inaccurate. At their clearest they tell you you can find your referrer link at the bottom of ANY PayPal page. This is a lie, because as soon as you login to your PayPal account, you'll find the referrer menu item at the bottom disappears. This is a catch-22 because the only way PayPal could give you a referrer link is if you were logged-in. 

I suspect PayPal has made this hard to figure-out in order to discourage people from using it to earn commissions, or maybe it's just a symptom of the Peter Principle at work or something. 

Here's a work-around. I have not seen this described anywhere online. Every blog or resource I found was either out of date or just dumbly parroted what PayPal says in pages pertaining to the referrer program. 

Here is an workable method (as of August 2010) for getting your PayPal referral link: 

1.  Login to your PayPal verified business account. 
2. Type "referrals" (without quotes) into the search box at the top and press enter. 
3. This takes you to a search results page with one results for "Login - PayPal". Click that link and it takes you to a business account page that looks a little different from the usual page you're used to seeing. 
4. Repeat step 2. (really - you have to do it again) Type "referrals" (without quotes) into the search box at the top and press enter. 
5. This should take you to a search results page. All the search results are pretty useless for getting your link, but if you scroll to the bottom you will find a little menu item for "referrals" and if you click on that you'll be taken to a page that gives you a custom referrer link. 

How to Obtain Referrals on Paid Survey Sites

Remember one thing: There is no one "best" way to get referrals on GPT sites. There are many, many ways and almost all of them work on some level. I'm just going to share with you some of the ways that have worked best for me, and hopefully will work well for you. Here's a few methods that get the job done pretty well: 

1. Make a website or blog. This is probably the best way to get referrals. If you're able to make a good blog or website and advertise it well, you'll get more referrals than with any other method. Make sure to put good content on your website or blog, it needs to be something that people are really going to be interested in. 

2. Refer friends. If you have friends that you think will be willing to put in the effort that it takes to make money online, than by all means get them to join. Friends that you refer are the easiest to help as well, and remember - when your referrals do well, you do well. 

3. Make fliers and/or business cards. This isn't too tough, pick a GPT site, write a little bit about it, slap your referral link on there and make some copies. Once you have the fliers/business cards all you have to do is hand them out of put them up around your neighborhood. 

4. Be enthusiastic! When talking to someone about GPT sites, seem sincere and excited about them. Make the person you're talking to interested. This doesn't seem like much but it really makes a big difference. 

5. Post on a few forums. Being a part of communities is a great way to get either your website link or your referral link out there. Just make sure that the forum allows banners/links in signatures. 

6. Put your referral link in your email signature. If you're someone who sends out a lot of emails, this can get you a lot more referrals than you would think. You'd be surprised at how many people will click on that link. 

7. Get your site on some search engines (for people who have a website). Getting your website or blog on major search engines like Google is incredibly important. The page for submitting websites to Google is Here. But getting your page on Google is only half the battle, getting it on the first couple pages of Google will get you many more referrals. The best way to do this is through link backs (getting other websites to link to your site). There are many ways to do this. Link directories are one way - basically they'll put your link on their directory for free if you put their link on your web page. If you're going to use link directories you'll need to make a links page on your website. I've found that it's worth it to do so. Another way to get link backs is by using social bookmarking sites such as Twitter, Delicious, Digg, etc. Register on these sites and submit your link to them. There are many other ways to get link backs in the aforementioned guide. 

Like I said, these are only a few ways of getting referrals. You don't need to use all of them either, just use the ones that you like. There really are infinite possibilities - use your imagination! I'm sure you can think of some more great ways to get referrals. 

Griffin Cooper

Affiliate Programs And Referral Programs Explained

Many online marketers actually don't know the difference between affiliate programs and referral programs. In fact, most will think that both of these are the same. However, they couldn't be any further from the truth. There is a huge difference between an affiliate program and a referral program. Knowing the key differences between these two can help a business owner decide on which program they should use for their offers in order to grow their business. 

The main difference between an affiliate program and a referral program is that an affiliate program is a where the referred leads come from someone the affiliate do not know and as for a referral program, the lead will come from someone they know personally (word of mouth to friends and family). 

By knowing the difference here you will know that there should be a difference in the structure and the compensation as well. 

Let us first look at the difference in structure of these two systems. 

Structure 

You see, for affiliate programs, your affiliates are mainly website owners or traffic brokers who have existing traffic that is interested in your offer. So these affiliates place a link on their website and direct traffic to your offer. If someone who uses their link to arrive on your offer and then buys the offer your affiliate gets paid. And this is usually done automatically because of the use of modern technology that tracks the cookies of the visitors. Even the crediting of the sale is also done automatically. 

A referral program's referrer however, is normally your own existing customers. Usually they are not webmasters or anyone who can bring in a lot of traffic. They are compensated if they would recommend your offer to someone they know personally. The main strategy here is to promote customer satisfaction via good quality and services so that your customers will start referring your offers around. The compensation is to encourage them to try harder to get you the lead. 

Compensation 

The compensation model is usually an agreed percentage based on the sales. It could differ greatly from the first 10 customer referred compared to the 1000th customer. The affiliates can be compensated with other bonus incentives as well or prize if they could reach a certain amount of sales per month. In order words, the compensation model for an affiliate program can be very complicated, but it is definitely very flexible as merchants usually would love to encourage their best affiliates to try harder to grow their business. 

The compensation model used in a referral program is quite simple when compared to the model used in an affiliate program. Usually is in in terms of cash or a bonus reward. No fancy tricks. Just a simple send me a customer and you get a discount on future purchases or some cash reward. 

Relationship with 'Referred' Customers 

The relationship of an affiliate with their referred customer is basically none. They do not know personally who their referred persons are, and they send traffic based on demographics. Hence the chance of conversion from a lead to a paying customer is much lower. 

In a referral program, the referred usually have a strong relationship with the person they refer it to. They will try their best to explain your product with enthusiasm. This usually results in a much higher conversion rate. The only problem is that referral programs usually do not bring in as much traffic as an affiliate could and affiliates can usually bring in much more profit than a referrer could. 

Agreements 

When it comes to making an agreement with affiliates, you will need to be more careful as it is a two way link where it benefits both parties. You need your affiliates to perform as much as your affiliates need you to convert the traffic that they send to you. Plus, the agreements need to meet the FTC rules when it comes to affiliate programs. 

However, with referral programs, everything is kept as simple as possible. As long as they refer a customer, they get compensated. There is no need for any special agreements. 

Which One Is Better? 

It is safe to say that both types of programs are going to be beneficial to growing your business. Affiliates will definitely be able to bring in more traffic and sales for you. However, a good referrer can easily increase your branding and reputation. Giving the chance, they would even make good comments about your offer on social sites or Facebook, which can potentially help you get even more exposure and sales. 

Hence as a business owner, it is best if you could set up both an affiliate program and a referral program to get the best out of both worlds. Just think about it, your affiliate will drive you the initial sales and capital required for more advertising and improving on your product's quality. And your referral strike force will be out there giving you the best kind of testimonials you could ever hope for. 

Lastly, you will realize that because referral programs generally convert better, affiliates are now using 'review and recommendation' tactics that are similar while mimicking a referrer's job which is to build some sort of trust and relationship with their traffic first and thus preselling your offer first. This is known to help a lot with affiliate conversions. 

Therefore, although most people will think that referral programs are not worth the time, you should know better by now that referral programs can help you build a better brand reputation. 

Max Kim

Referral Marketing - What Is It And How Can It Help Your Small Business?

I know this word can strike fear into most small business owners, but I also know how incredibly effective it can be. Do you want new clients recommended to you every week without you leaving your desk? It can be done, so let's mention the R word that makes it happen, Referrals! 

How many referral strategies do you have in place? How many referrals do you receive each month from customers, other businesses, friends and family? How do you reward your referrers? First you must understand the golden rule of referrals before even thinking of trying to win them. The golden rule is WIIFT? 

WIIFT is 'What's In It For Them?' 

If you do not put anything into an equation for referrers you will never sustain the referral relationship. This is such a basic point but one so regularly missed. I have referred hundreds of leads to people I have worked with over the last 20 years. Being into sales and marketing I regularly spot opportunities, and with a strong desire to help I put people together. 

Now some of the people I refer to immediately ask how they can help me. They get it. They understand WIIFT. So many others, probably the majority sadly, take the referral, make their money on the sale or deal and never once even say thank you. Which one am I going to refer more leads to in the future? 

I call this the triangle of mutual benefit. On one corner of your trianlgle you have your clients, on another, you have the referrer, and on the final corner of your triangle you have your business. 

If you join all three points you form a triangle. You HAVE TO fill this triangle with MUTUAL BENEFIT for all three parties or it cannot support itself and will collapse! 

The end user (purchaser) receives the service; you will receive payment for your product or service, but what about the referrer? If you currently receive referrals from different sources and your referrer receives no benefit apart from "the referrer is happy that the client gets a good service" I am afraid that this will not last for much longer. You have to give something back to the referrer. 

This may be a financial payment, but the best method is always to offer reciprocal referrals. If you expect a referrer to generate leads for you, why should the referrer not expect you to do the same for them? If you take away any mutual benefit for the referrer you remove them from the equation - what are you then left with? A flat line, and flat lines in any sense are not a good thing. 

So how can you ask for referrals? Do you ask your client's for referrals? If yes, how often do you ask them? Do you ask them every day, every week, every month? You have to find the right balance, but YOU MUST ask your clients for referrals. Would you like the simple sentence to enable you to achieve this? 

"Is there anyone else you know who could benefit from my product/service?" 

The best time to ask this is just after your client has been singing your praises when you have done a wonderful job for them. Alternatively, you can also ask for referrals in your email newsletters, at the point of purchase of any products (offering discounts or additional benefits to the referrer). 

Referrals can be an excellent source of new business. If you already provide excellent products or services you will naturally receive some referrals. You can stop there if you like, but if you want to make your business more successful, profitable and your life a little bit easier, one of the best methods to achieve this is by obtaining more referrals. 

Why not set yourself a target of asking for just one referral a week to start with? (Remember there is no treasure without measure, and as Sir Alan Sugar says"You have to have a goal to score". 

 Nick Jervis 

What Is The Importance Of Buying Facebook Referrer Views?

There are many people in the world who would like to get instant fame. There are many ways to become famous. However, one of the easiest ways to get instant popularity is by buying Facebook referrer views. There are many people who do not know what these really are. If you check out this article, you will get to know where to purchase these. 

Before buying, one has to remember many important things. Firstly, one has to search for a reliable source. There are various sources where the views are available. Referrer are those where a person likes your youtube videos through his Facebook account. These are considered as more valuable than normal ones. Instead of buying normal views, it is better to buy these. 

The price would be based on the number of views. The more the quantity, the pricier it would be. It is advisable for you to search for a source where they are available at a reasonable price. In some sources, you will find it would be very expensive. You should check the price before buying them. 

Users who are looking to increase twitter referrer views may find a reliable company and buy those. Reliable companies require about ten maximum to deliver the results. So, once a user buys it, it will be best to wait for at least the number of days as required by the company. It is certain that clients will not be disappointed when the maximum number of days is over. 

If any user has any doubt, one can also look for some reviews. Reading the reviews will be quite helpful in learning facts about a certain company. If there are many positive reviews to be seen then a company can be trusted. Users can ask for the services of that company to increase twitter views. It is guaranteed that the company will be truly successful in increasing the popularity of the video. 

You will be very happy after buying these. Everyone who has bought the referrer views is happy and satisfied. After the buying the views, all you have to do is relax. Your videos on youtube will become popular. The price of the views is very reasonable. Anyone can afford it. People who want to become famous should buy referrer views. 

The Facebook referrer views can be bought from a large number of sources. One will also find various websites that sell this. One has to find a good website. From the net, one can check the price of this. One can also check important details like the sales policy etc. Buying referrer views is very simple.

Dolly

Project Payday Referral Program: The Best Method To Make Money

 method is cost per action (CPA). It is much better to make cash on the web since you do not need to make purchases to be able to get paid out. The referrer only should key in their name, e mail address and a new password on the home-page and you will be compensated $1.50. Though it is simply a really modest amount, it can add up when you acquire many referrals on a daily basis. The referral program is a leading affiliate system usually neglected. It isn't referred to as much as it needs to be. Register today for your totally free project payday account and also start generating some referral cash. Subscription is totally free. Log in to the page Referral Program to obtain your exclusive referral link and to access ads. 

To sign up for the referral plan, scroll to the bottom of the form as well as type in your name, mail address as well as pick your password. At this point you turn out to be a referral of Project Payday. Scroll to the members area and click on the referral program where you can get the referral Identification number. This number is your referral hyperlink. To test out if this functions, mail your referral Identification number to someone you know. Ask him or her to check it for you by going for your referral hyperlink and enrolling the way you did. Now you return to your members' space and check your account simply by clicking on Payments. You may view the payment you've gained. It is very simple as well as quick. And in case your referrals continue to generate dollars you'll obtain a percentage of that income. So make the best of it and recommend anyone you know. When you reach at least $20 in your Project Payday account, the payment will be delivered to your PayPal address on the Friday of that particular week. With Project Payday referral system you've got practically nothing to lose, it's a mutually beneficial circumstance. Do not neglect this quite good profitable option for making swift money from your own home. Get started right now and see the money coming in. 

In the project payday review you would notice that some online marketers make more than $1000 from project payday recommendations. To generate this type of income you'll have to market greatly. It is actually attainable to have as much as $3 for every sign-up, but you will have to acquire lots of recommendations. The referral system is actually a passive technique of earning income and also taxes are not subtracted at source. Once you earn $600, you will need to submit the W-9 form to Project Payday. The form is offered on the IRS site totally free. Send the filled-in form to Project Payday.

Abie Morkel

Why Residual Income and Associate Programs Are the Wave of the Future

What is residual income and why are people looking for it? Continue to read on and educate yourself. Lots of people fail to understand how residual income is different from linear income. The average person in the work force focuses on earning a linear income. They believe this is the only way to earn a legitimate income. With so many scams out there they have shut themselves off to other alternatives that have the potential to earn them thousands of dollars a year.

Lots of us work the 40 - 50 year plan. We start work at the age 20-25 and work until we are 65 or 70. What if you found the right opportunity and work a four to five year plan instead of the dreaded 40 - 50 year plan? Linear income is definitely not way to accomplish this.

Linear income is generated from a fee, wage, commission or salary. This form of income simply put is trading hours for dollars. Quite frankly, with the economy the way it is, more and more people every day are looking for residual incomes that will change their lives, with their income and also their health.

So that leads us to residual income. Another word for residual income is leveraged income. Residual income is revenue that occurs over time from work done one time. In other words, residual income will pay you for work from the beginning. Not everyone can write a book or sing a song to create a residual income but everyone can find something that will work for them to create this type of income. Have you ever told someone about a good book or a great restaurant? Of course you have! That is how residual income is created.

Residual income has huge advantages. Once you have a plan, and things are set in motion, you can continue to earn money from your initial efforts for years and years. Imagine having time to enjoy life and find the freedom that you have dreamt about. What would it feel like to fire your boss and become your own boss? That sounds great doesn't it? Let's talk about what to look for and how to find the right company and opportunity. Focus on looking at stable companies above average associate programs. Thousands of people are joining the trend in direct sales.

Associate programs have lots of different names. They can be called affiliate, reseller, or referral programs. Today we will use the name associate. Most companies will give an I.D. number to its distributors so that it can track the source of each sale and compensate appropriately. A compensation plan with the right company can pay millions over time.

It is wise to look for a company with a great compensation plan and products that are making a difference in the world. Right now one of the fastest growing markets is in the health and wellness industry. Everyone seems to be looking for better health. The United States is facing a health care crisis and it looks like there is no end in sight. Could you get behind a company that has products that allows a person to reduce medications, doctor visits, and promotes faster recovery from illnesses and helps supports long-term prevention of chronic diseases? Are you willing to commit to 7 - 10 hours a week to earn an additional income of 500 - 1500 a month? The more time you commit the larger your check will be. Other considerations are, see if the compensation plan pays a one-time commission, rather than recurring, or do they pay residual compensation for your effort

Start looking for a nutritional company that supports its distributors and has products that are backed in science and has a proven track record. Nobody wants to join a fly by night company, here today and gone tomorrow. Check for credibility. Are they in standing with the Better Business Bureau? Do they manufacture their own products so that they have complete control over the ingredients and the suppliers? Everyone knows of products recalls. Make sure your company is on top of this with good quality control. A company with a good track record, outstanding products, and a great compensation plan can help you build residual income.

The next thing to look for is a compensation plan which is willable for generations. You can create a legacy for your loved ones and for their loved ones. Do your homework and choose a company by using the information provided. The thing is to get started in creating your legacy of residual income. One key thing to remember is not to take advice from someone who is worse off than you are! Listen to your heart and start building your residual income today. Whatever you choose, become passionate about it and you will go far.

Sarah Thoenen 

Referral Program Make Me Earn More Than $30 Per Day

The Clickpaid referral system is one of the most interesting commission plans I have come across. The reason I say this is because you can make thousands of dollars from just one person you refer! Now let's say you refer 20-30 people. How much will that make you? 

The Clickpaid company states that they will pay you 10% of all your referral's purchases, and they will also pay you 5% of all their referrals (referral's referral - i.e. 2nd level) purchases. When you hear figures of 5% and 10%, it doesn't make much sense and it doesn't spark any interest. But when you put it into dollar terms, it becomes a lot clearer. 

When you wish to refer someone, simply talk to them (either online or offline) and explain the benefits of the clickpaid system. When they are ready to sign up, simply give them your affiliate link to use while signing up. This way, they will be counted as your referral. Your affiliate link is available to you inside your members area. 

So if you are paid 10%, how much money do you really make? Well, if your referral buys 1 ad package, they have just paid $10. You get 10% of that, which is $1. No big deal right? But nobody buys just one click package and sits on his rear waiting for a miracle to happen. 

Initially, people tend to buy an absolute minimum of at least 10 click packages. That's $10 for you as the referrer. If he buys 50, that's $50 for you - enough to buy 5 new click packages for yourself. 

Then, when he starts reinvesting and continues to buy click packages through his lifetime, every transaction will include multiple. Maybe even hundreds or thousands. As a result, you would make hundreds or thousands of dollars for each one of his transactions. In fact, he'll be buying more on a daily basis to keep his business going. 

You'll be profiting from his buying efforts with no additional work of your own. All this is from just one referral. As a minimum, I would say that you refer 20 people. Make that your goal and don't rest until you have reached your goal. Imagine the income when each one of your 20 referrals buys hundreds of click packages on a daily basis! You should use all that money to buy more for yourself. It will skyrocket your earnings into the stratosphere! 

Of course, you don't have to refer anybody if you don't want to, but talking to someone about your involvement with Clickpaid is a small price to pay for massive paydays in the future. You also receive 5% from your referral's referral. This equates to 0.50c for every ad package he buys. This is a two-tier commission plan from referrals. It's very lucrative and I highly recommend you refer people, even though you don't have to.

 Bahary

Create Your Own Business Referral Network

Customers who come as referrals to your business are coming to you with a pre-set level of trust. They have been told by another individual whose opinion they trust that your business offers exactly what they are looking for. The only step required after receiving a referral customer is to make sure their trust in you is never misplaced. When creating your business referral network you should keep a few helpful tips and industry tricks in mind. 

Try it 

This might sound overly simplified but it is not. If you see an opportunity to expand your business network, give it a shot. Join committees, your local chamber of commerce, check out some seminars, and continually network yourself at every possible opportunity. You should soon find yourself with no shortage of business referral network possibilities. 

Associate with Beneficial Mentors 

If you know those who have experience with business referral networks it may be a valuable idea to seek out some mentoring from those individuals or businesses. Utilize your time with any mentors wisely by making notes each time you see a hiccup in your own business referral network programs or strategies and taking them to your next meeting with a mentor. 

Do it For Your Team 

Instill in your employees that the primary reason they should help with referrals is that when the team wins, they win. With struggling economies, increasing daily living costs and other elements that are killing businesses all over the globe, employees who seek out referrals are indeed, doing it for themselves, their team and overall, the business. 

Offer Charity Donation Options Among Your Employees 

Some of your team members may hesitate and feel concerned over the appearance of making referrals for reasons that may appear self-enriching. Offer your employees the option of choosing to donate their referral rewards to a local charity. Not only is this a community-based benefitting option, it also encourages those who may not have had interest in being an employee referrer previously. 

In Name Only 

Some of your employees may not have the time to do the research required to capture perfect referrals or to gather their contact information, addresses or other personal information. For those employees, be sure to offer an option where they can be considered for a smaller reward by simply providing the names of any they think may be qualified candidates for referrals. In many cases you will find that the top employees in your business are willing to work in this manner without any promise of reward for supplying those names. Hand these names over to your expert recruiters to follow-up and begin the process of selling. 

Be Patient 

Even if you are not new to a business, you are still a small fish in a big pond. Keeping that in mind will help you and your business move forward even when there are obvious setbacks in your network. Don't get discouraged and keep hammering away at your business referral network until you have perfected it to suit your needs and that of your company's.

 Christian Fea

6 Points of a Successful Employee Referral Program

So you've heard that employee referrals are a great cost saver to any organization? Moreover it also reduces the time taken to fill a position which in turn makes sourcing a candidate simple for any recruiter. But is this task as easy as it sounds? 

An employee referral program is essentially using your employee's connections which may be their relatives, friends or acquaintances for a vacancy in the organization. So far so good but here are 6 important elements which need to be considered before rolling out an employee referral program. 

Before we get into the topic, let us understand that employee referral programs are an activity which can get long term benefits to any organization since it is getting an entire new culture of referrals for which employee participation is of utmost importance. 

Here are my 6 key elements for the creation of a successful referral scheme: 

1) Don't make it complex 

A simple plan is always more effective than a complicated one even if the latter is more rewarding. Moreover if people don’t understand something they will lose interest very quickly. The entire process should be well planned and kept as simple as possible so it does not tie up the valuable time and efforts of your recruiting team. It may also save a few dollars. 

2) A right Direction 

Employees are the driving force for the success of any referral program, so think carefully about how you will do this and what your incentive will be; some schemes offer vouchers, some offer movie tickets, some offer team nights out, some offer cold hard cash. Whatever it may be, it must grab people's attention and match your culture. 

3) Network is the key word 

Social media is the answer for low employee participation in a referral program. Try LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.your employees will be hooked too. They should be encouraged to post new roles through their social and professional network platforms to maximize the reach for each of the vacancies posted. This habit of social recruiting should be encouraged positively and made an integral part of the company's culture, especially for all new employees. 

4) Visibility 

The culture of employee referrals will be integrated to the company culture but this will take time. It is very important for your referral program to gain full visibility for it to have a good start and making the employees understand the rules of engagement and potential rewards.Communication from the C-level, posting on the intranet, posters by the coffee machine, use whatever it takes to get the message out. Just do it. Then repeat. 

5) Shout it loud! 

If there has been a successful hire through referrals then make everyone knows about it. The employee that made the referral in the first place should be acknowledged. Reward management plays an integral part in the case of employee referral programs. This will inspire others too. 

6) Do not expect the impossible! 

Be patient and don't expect magic from your referral program. Have you heard of any company sourcing candidates only from employee referrals? 100 % referral hires? Even big brands globally use employee referrals as a single element of their overall multi-channeled recruitment strategy. 

So your referral program will be no different. It will take time to evolve and deliver. But in case there is something which is not working, change it.

 savio vadakkan

Leveraging Social Media as part of a Referrals Program in Sales

"Now, we trust strangers." That's how New York-based Universal McCann sums up their 2008 study on the impact of online social media on society. They note that there has been a real explosion the number of ways in which people can share information and influence decisions. The marketplace used to be run almost exclusively on face-to-face meetings and transactions. Today, that has been transformed into a space occupied by networks of people where social capital is earned and valued.

This has important ramifications for sales, because the real power behind social media is how it can help transform you from being a complete stranger into a known quantity even among groups of people you've not even met yet. As marketing and social media strategist Kneale Mann sums up rather nicely, the benefit is that "social media can eliminate the cold part of the call."

To be clear, I'm not saying that salespeople and business owners should get out there and post ads all over the place on their favorite social media websites and ask for referrals outright. In fact, that's a strategy that's doomed to fail, because it breaks the golden rule of reciprocation: to ask something from others, you ought to provide them with something of value first.

Be a resource. Provide something that's truly useful to readers. That's the key leveraging social media. The referrals come later, only after you've demonstrated that value over a period of time, and after you've have earned it through your work providing products or services to your client.Let's look quickly at a few of the leading text-based social media tools out there today... 

Twitter: Twitter has the unique advantage that it caps individual posts (or "tweets") at 140 characters, so the onus is on you to be succinct. However, it also tends to encourage prolific tweeting, so you remain top-of-mind among fellow twitterati who follow you. Don't just clutter your tweets with details of what you're up to daily. Use this service as a modern method of broadcasting something of value. Have a link to a great product review...a great article featured in a marketing magazine…or a hot tip about a trend in your profession? Share it here. If followers find it useful, they can choose to re-tweet it. Voila! Your message just picked up extra traction. 

LinkedIn: Widely considered as social media's go-to place for business, LinkedIn helps you connect all your professional relationships and trusted personal contacts. This service is a great way to reinforce your network of clients and suppliers and discover previously untapped connections between people you know. It's also a great place for testimonials—to receive them and to write them about others who have provided you with great service. One of the best ways to communicate your expertise and gain followers on LinkedIn is by asking and answering questions. To do this effectively you can:

Join groups that are relevant to your business and participate actively in the forums;

Start your own group, focused on creating a community of focus on your product, service or topic / expertise area;

Search for questions based on keywords and supplant yourself in the middle of an ongoing conversation; and 

Ask questions that will help you start a dialogue or gather research in an area that can better serve your customers and prospects.

Regardless of how you use questions make sure that you are delivering value in your answers. Do NOT shamelessly pitch your products or invite people to "check you out" on the web. Use the questions function in LinkedIn as a tool to showcase your expertise and knowledge in a specific subject matter and users will seek you out as a resource. 

Facebook: While many treat Facebook as a more personal-focused networking tool, there's no denying that it's a great place to get noticed just by maintaining a presence. Remember: this is one of the most visited places on the web every day. Nielsen research in January 2010 ranked Facebook third among the top-ten web brands in America today. Therefore, if you have a time-sensitive message that needs to get out, this is a good place to do that. Top-ranked real estate agents are masterful users of Facebook, using the status updated to post news about their latest hot listings, encouraging readers to share that news with friends and family.

Make sure to create a fan page for your business and invite clients to join. The best companies ensure they deliver knowledge updates in the daily fan-page status field. They also share links and resources to fans on a daily basis. The aim is to create an active community that will dialogue with you and between themselves. You will attract referrals and testimonials if you provide high value advice everyday and reward the community for participation.

Consumer forums: For salespeople, online consumer forums can be a great place to share your product knowledge and offer advice...in other words, to be a valuable resource. Don't EVER use these forums to pitch. Readers will frown on that and your social capital will be hurt. Instead, create a thread in which you introduce yourself as a sales professional who is knowledgeable about the products or services you sell and that you'd like to invite readers to post any questions they might have. This is a great way to start a dialogue with people and it gives you an opportunity to really demonstrate that depth of knowledge that you keep talking about.

There are many other social media sites, of course, and that list is endless. The list I've shared today is focused on text-based sites, but visual-based social media (e.g., YouTube and Flickr) is another important, rapidly growing segment. Take some time and do your research. Find out where your prospects gather online and find a reason to join in on the conversation. If you do this in a way that's pitch-free and value focused, people will appreciate your efforts and that goes a long way to helping to build an online presence that is seen as memorable and as a valued resource for readers and potential customers alike.

Colleen Francis

Starting Your Own Networking Group - Be Sure to Weigh the Risk and Reward and Begin With a Bang!

Networking and connecting can be incredibly rewarding. And as you get the hang of it you may determine that the time has come for you to start your own networking group. While many who choose to will succeed, the risk involved should be measured against the potential reward before jumping in.

There are many rewards for starting your own group should it succeed. You may be in a highly competitive field like banking, insurance, or real estate and all the positions in the established closed groups are filled. Starting a group would provide you with an opportunity to participate in a closed or exclusive group. Of course when you start a group you have the added luxury of determining who will be allowed in the group. And by starting your own group you can determine when the group meets, where it meets, and virtually all other logistical aspects of the group. 

While there are many other benefits to starting your own group, one final benefit is that you have the opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills. This will make you instantly more likely to receive leads and referrals. Everyone wants to associate with a leader.

With benefit we often find risk, and the risks are many when it comes to starting your own networking group. You may not succeed and those you attempt to bring into a group will be disappointed. This may lead to fewer leads and referrals. You may alienate a friend or networking partner if you do not invite them to your new group. There may be power struggles and difficulty moving the group to action from time to time. And if you choose to charge a fee to be apart of the group you will have the headache of maintaining the books for a new business venture that will make little if any money for some time to come. If you don't charge a fee you may find it harder to get participants to take the group seriously.

While the risks are many the reward in many cases will outweigh the risk. You should choose to jump in if this is the case. But you should do so after careful examination of all the factors that will impact your success. The most successful launches of new groups always begin by identifying a core group of key participants that will bring excitement to the group. These participants should be people you know well but don't network with as often as you would like. Once you've identified a core group, choose a day of the week and time that works for everyone and stick to it. Have an initial meeting to get the group going and to determine the other business categories you wish to fill. Then plan a launch party with at least four weeks notice. 

Begin with a bang by inviting more people than you need to fill the group. Each person in the core group should invite at least ten people to the launch party. Make this truly a party atmosphere full of fun and excitement. Plan this meeting well and invite more than one person from each business category. What should result is a competition for the open slots between the invitees. This creates buzz and desire to participate. These newly drafted members will add excitement and enthusiasm to your group. Do this as many times as it takes to fill the group. Don't be overly ambitious about membership. Most closed groups function best with between six and twenty members.

You may notice we have made no reference to open groups in this discussion. We believe there is an abundance of open networking groups and no need to create more. If you're looking for an active, powerful, open group, look no further than your local chamber of commerce. If it isn't functioning at a high level, volunteer to super-charge the networking for them. You will have an instant audience and you will be more likely to succeed.

Starting a group is typically the last resort or only necessary if you cannot find what you are looking for in another group. It is an option if your category is filled in all the exclusive groups or if there is a lot of competition in your industry. You can set yourself apart by starting a group. Be sure to identify the potential risk involved and measure it against the potential reward before jumping in. Starting your own group can be fun and rewarding so long as you know how to do it and what you hope to accomplish. 

Glen Gould 

How To Get More Referrals For Your eCommerce Business

Every single day a new eCommerce business springs up on the web. Some are created on E-Shop websites like Etsy or eBay, and some of them are placed on their own websites or blogs. However, gaining referrals on digital formats can be a bit more difficult than gaining them in onsite business. Lacking the option to initiate face-to-face conversations can detract from the trust consumers' gain by shaking hands, having eye-to-eye introductions, and becoming familiar with their salesperson's face. 

Helpful Ways to Get More Referrals Online 

Build a website 

Even if you have a storefront on an eCommerce site. Build your own website that either leads to your online storefront, or offers the same products or services. Not only will this help to get your customers away from an eStore front that likely charges you per purchase, but it gives just one more link on the net for those looking for your business to find. 

Tell People on Instant or Private Messages 

If you use an instant messenger or a social network, take the time to share your business with all of those on your friends or fan lists. If you have a friend referral network, let them know that they will benefit directly from referring others. This can really help drive traffic and more business to your store. 

Advertise on Other Websites 

If you see a website that is not in direct competition but a complimentary one to yours, ask them for reciprocal linking, or even if they would mind putting a banner for your business on their site. This can generate a lot of traffic views and is much like a referral you may get from any business offline. Valuable. 

Print Business Cards 

Although this isn't an online method of how to get referrals for your eCommerce business. There are still so many opportunities you will run across when out-and-about and away from your computer. Laundry mats, grocery stores, schools and more locations have cork boards for local businesses to post their business cards. Be sure to bring long tacks and post a few cards. 

Buy a Domain 

Make sure to buy any affordable domains with the same keywords of your business name. Have them redirect to your main site. If your business name is Edna's Cookies. Buy a few domains named, Cookies by Edna, Edna Makes Cookies and more. Not only does this create extra links for your business, but it may also lead many to you who couldn't quite remember the name of your store. 

Network Around 

Take the time to network your shop around. Head to blogs that are in direct relation to your industry, but not competitive. Leave blog comments, post on relevant forums, submit your storefront to website directories and take advantage of anywhere that encourages you to network your business. 

Although these methods are unlikely to produce instant results, you will begin to notice the traffic flow in once the web crawlers have made their rounds and noticed all of the helpful links now leading back to your eCommerce storefront. These are many positive and organic ways to get more referrals. 

Christian Fea

Websites for Making Extra Cash

What Are The Best Websites For Making Money?

This article describes the three best websites for making money online. The three websites are "Project payday," "Cashcrate," and "MakeThatCashMoney." After months of searching online for legitimate ways to make extra cash, I have finally come to the conclusion that these websites actually do work, and you will get paid!

As a college student myself, I know how important making extra cash is. So trust me when I say that these websites do work. 

My personal favorite and possibly the most affective website for making money is Project Payday. The way I look at Project Payday is as if it is an online job. With this job though, you make your own hours. 

It is absolutely possible to make $30, $40, or even $50 an hour with Project payday. The general rule with this method of making money is that the more time you put into it, the more money you will make. 

Project payday requires no special skills. All it requires is your time. 

The way you make money with Project Payday is that you get paid by people who need referrals, to complete simple offers for them. You are considered one of their referrals. They will pay you around $25 for each simple offer you complete. Each offer you do only takes approximately 5 minutes of your time! The people who are paying you benefit because they got you as a referral, and you benefit because you made great money for such little work. With this method, you are paid through PayPal.

Cashcrate is another great website for making extra cash online. With this site you simply complete surveys and other easy offers for money. The site lays it all out for you. There is a huge list of offers for you to choose from once you have signed up, which means many opportunities to make good money.

It is absolutely possible to make money at a $20 an hour rate with this method! There are many tips and tricks that you can learn for Cashcrate in order to make the most money possible when completing offers and surveys. Cashcrate pays you monthly by Check.

As a fellow college student, trust me when I say that Cashcrate gives you the extra cash that you need. 

Similar to Cashcrate, MakeThatCashMoney is also a survey/offer website that pays you to complete simple registrations and such. 

The difference between Cashcrate and MakeThatCashMoney is that Cashcrate has fewer offers to complete. Cashcrate is used by so many people though and is so highly recommended. Most people feel more comfortable with Cashcrate because they have seen proof from so many people that they have been paid. Check it out on YouTube if you don't believe me. There you have it! The three best websites for making money.

 Nicholas Antico

Generate Referrals 24-7 By Choosing The Right Programs

If you are a business consultant or corporate trainer you no doubt understand the importance of developing referrals relationships. In fact just about every service professional out there has one thing in common - a need for steady referrals and leads. That is why I am so mystified that so few experienced professionals choose to utilize the power of their website to capture and engage potential clients and referrals sources. Did you know your website could create perfect referrals and attract new clients with people you haven't even met yet - automatically 24/7? 

Is your website sitting out there like a dumb blonde - pretty but useless? Many professionals view their websites like an expensive brochure, which by the way when was the last time a brochure got you a juicy consulting gig? Yes it is necessary to have a brochure style branding page but there are other ways to use the web to get clients - even if you are not technically savvy. First you must start to see the internet for what it is - a medium for sharing information, just like books, radio, TV and Films. 

The problem for many business people is that the medium is SO huge and the tools that are available spring up and change rapidly. Businesses get lost in the sheer number of options available. Too many new technologies coupled with information overload stops many businesses from using internet tools at all. Don't let the vast array of technologies keep you from using the internet to get new clients. There are tool available to you right now that only 5 years ago would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to create. You can use the same technologies to compete with any size competitor and win. 

But which technologies? ...Should you focus on articles, SEO, email, websites, newsletters, banners, ezines, audio, RSS, video, blogs, vlogs, myspace, utube, adwords, social networking or podcasting? How do you know which tools will really help your business capture qualified leads that turn into face to face meetings or jobs? You could literally spend all your time just researching the different options before you even begin to master just one of them. After all, you have a business to run as well, so it's important to choose a solution that fits into your business and lifestyle or no matter how good it is - it just won't work for you. 

One reason consultants and trainers aren't utilizing internet technology to get leads is because it is simply too overwhelming. Yes, you know you should have a newsletter or free report and you've heard that a blog would be a good idea too. You might have even considered creating an ebook, audio series or video for sale but the problem is finding the time and motivation to learn the technology or you may consider it too expensive to implement. 

If your website is still a very pretty paperweight let me suggest three things that will help you turn a static site into a magnet for new business. The first is to create an irresistible giveaway product. No, it doesn't have to be an all expense paid vacation to Tahiti because most likely what your target group really wants is great information - so give it to them. Write an ebook, special report or educational series. 

Next, create a capture page that is designed to do only ONE thing - trade your irresistible giveaway for their name and email address. Ok, it's irritating, but if your info is juicy enough (include a teaser or table of contents) then your prospects will gladly participate and add a link to this page all over you site. 

Third use an automated digital delivery system so the whole thing runs on autopilot. The most common for this purpose is an autoresponder service. This will allow you to set up the sign up box and automatically deliver your product. Best of all you can set up another sequence that will drip market your prospects. Once the system is set up - it literally runs by itself. All you do is direct people to your irresistible giveaway. 

Don't let the vast array of technology stop you from jumping into the web to catch a few new clients. Start with something simple and build from there. Remember your most valuable giveaway is your expertise and experience when you let people get a taste of just how much you have to offer don't be surprised if the damn just breaks open. 

Janice Riley