Business by Referral : A Sure-Fire Way to Generate New Business [Paperback]

Ivan Misner (Author), Robert Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 1998

No more cold calls!

Editorial Reviews

Review

For any business person who has suffered from the "common cold call," Misner and Davis' book is the cure. Getting business through referrals-from satisfied customers, peers and colleagues, vendors, even your hairdresser-is certainly a smarter way to sell. Misner, the originator of Business Network International, and Davis, a motivational speaker and consultant with Drake Beam Morin, show you how in their friendly, well-organized manual.The first thing a beginning networker will learn is that obtaining business by referral takes lots of time and daily cultivation of contacts. The authors ease the journey by providing road maps in the form of worksheets and guides located in the Appendices. These "Tools" are keyed to the relevant chapters and lay out everything from Identifying Specific Targets to an entire Referral Marketing Plan. Other forms, like the Time and Cost Allocation Tools, get down to the nitty gritty of how you spend your resources to develop and mine your referral network, and help you track results. This book is not just for beginners. If you're experienced but looking for ways to recommit to the joys of networking, there is plenty of motivation to be found here. For the sole practitioner or lone sales person especially, this book is a rich source of information and inspiration. Skip to Chapter Five, "Fifteen Ways Others Can Promote You," and read Chapter Twelve, "Eighteen Ways to Motivate Your Sources," to reacquaint yourself with the benefits of business by referral. Chapter Eight, "Your Support Network," shows you how to recognize all the people who already belong to your referral group. The message, that others are willing and able to help in your sales efforts, and may already be on your team, is refreshing and wonderfully de-stressing.Business By Referral provides a clear, systematic approach to cultivating contacts and building your business through networking. The authors don't stop there, however: They also show you how to manage your referrals and communicate with prospective clients once your network kicks in. Written in a conversational style packed with anecdotes and examples, the advice contained in this helpful book virtually guarantees you'll never have to make a cold call again. -- From Independent Publisher --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 223 pages
• Publisher: Bard Press (February 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 188516727X
• ISBN-13: 978-1885167279
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #262,213 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Ivan Misner is the Founder & Chairman of BNI, the world's largest business networking organization. BNI was founded in 1985. The organization has thousands of chapters throughout every populated continent of the world. Each year, BNI generated millions of referrals resulting in over billions of U.S. dollars worth of business for its members.

Dr. Misner's Ph.D. is from the University of Southern California. He has written twelve books, including his New York Times Bestseller; Masters of Networking as well as his recent #1 bestseller, Networking Like a Pro. He is a monthly columnist for Entrepreneur.com and is the Senior Partner for the Referral Institute - a referral training company with trainers around the world. In addition, he has taught business management and social capital courses at several universities throughout the United States.

Called the "Father of Modern Networking" by CNN and the "Networking Guru" by Entrepreneur magazine, Dr. Misner is considered to be one of the world's leading experts on business networking and has been a keynote speaker for major corporations and associations throughout the world. He has been featured in the L.A. Times, Wall Street Journal, and New York. Times, as well as numerous TV and radio shows including CNN, CNBC, and the BBC in London.

Dr. Misner is on the Board of Trustees for the University of LaVerne. He is also the Founder of the BNI Misner Charitable Foundation and was recently named "Humanitarian of the Year" by a Southern California newspaper. He is married and lives with his wife Elisabeth and their three children in Claremont, CA. In his spare time!!! he is also an amateur magician and a black belt in karate.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Long-Term Program, May 26, 2000

By 

Joe Kabanek (San Antonio, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Business by Referral: Painless Ways to Generate New Business (Hardcover)

I chose to read two books, one right after the other - Endless Referrals by Bob Burg (also reviewed) and Business by Referral by Misner and Davis. Business by Referral is a good follow-on to Endless Referrals. With only a little overlap, Misner and Davis pick up where Burg stops. However, be warned; this book starts off very slowly. Misner and Davis take a VERY academic approach to the entire process. I felt as if I were in grad school again. That having been said, the follow-up element of the Misner and Davis system is the strong point of this book. They have provided a complete set of forms, which they allow to be reproduced. The forms are used for determining where you are in the referral-based business process, finding your strengths and weaknesses, building on your strengths, and strengthening your weak areas. The follow-up system is super. The techniques presented by Misner and Davis will not be integrated into your process as readily as Burg's in Endless Referrals; however, they are vital to a continuing referral-based business process and will serve any business person well for a very long time.

This book is solidly recommended and is a must-read for anyone looking to build a long-term process in referral-based business. The forms that are provided are worth the price of the book, but you'll need to read the book to really understand how to use them.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just a good marketing book, July 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Business by Referral : A Sure-Fire Way to Generate New Business (Paperback)

Does your success in business depend largely on your ability to market yourself and your services? Mine does, (I'm a professional speaker) and I peruse almost every new marketing book that comes down the pike. You know, the old "If I can get one good idea from the book, it is well worth reading" attitude. Well, this book breaks the mold. Hundreds of good ideas, but much more importantly, a blueprint for putting those ideas into action.

That's right. Not only does the book contain information about the single most powerful marketing force available to the entrepreneurial professional, it has worksheets to help you not just read about building referral business, but to actually start building your referral network. And the best part is, it works. I really used those worksheets, and they made a big difference.

This book is a MUST READ for anyone who needs to generate new business at a profit.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will give you GAINS beyond belief!, July 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Business by Referral: Painless Ways to Generate New Business (Hardcover)

"Business by Referral" is a cross between a business plan and a referral marketing campaign. It is chocked full of ideas on how to motivate people to provide referals for your business. My favorite is the ingenious GAINS exchange which allows people to interface and learn about each person. GAINS offers an easy way to interview members one-on-one, and learn about their Goals-Accomplishments-interests, networks, skills. A very well done and easy to read book. I recommended it wholeheartedly to any business person (small business or large.)