If you don't get enough quality referrals from your on-profile clients — perhaps the top 20 percent of people who provide 80 percent of your revenue — maybe the reason is because your clients do not feel satisfied with the amount of attention you are giving them.

If you lavish time and attention on your on-profile clients, they will feel more inclined to give you qualified, on-profile referrals and, just as important, a greater portion of their portfolio to handle. The more of a client's assets you manage, the more important you become to them.

When you have this kind of connection with your top clients, it is much easier to ask them for something in return. In return for the quality service you provide, here is a subtle way to let them do some prospecting for you.

Putting Your On-Profile Clients to Work

Take the following steps to make your best clients your unofficial marketing team.

1. Ask yourself, which on-profile clients do I consider my friends?


2. Of that group, who has the most potential to build my business?


3. Ask the resulting subset of on-profile clients — around four to eight people — to join your Client advisery Council using the following as a reference.

"You've been a wonderful client; I respect your opinion. I'd like your help identifying how to improve my service and expand my business. I'm forming a Client advisery Council and want you to be a member. The Council will consist of influential people. We'll meet several times a year for dinner to discuss what's important to you as clients and to other potential clients you know. I'd be honored to have you as a member."

Benefits to Council Members

While this idea will likely provide you with ways to improve your business and obtain quality on-profile referrals in a face-to-face, friendly setting, there are also benefits to your clients. They receive:

• Networking opportunities with other influential people;


• A sense of helping someone who has helped them; and


• A feeling that their business expertise is important.

There's only one of you. You don't have all the time you need to prospect. This is one way you can enlist the service of other people and spend some quality time with your best on-profile clients in the process.

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Ohio National is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse or sponsor, any particular prospecting, marketing or selling system.

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