It's Time to Get Over Yourself and Get MORE Business!

Do you have a stack of business cards sitting on your desk you have been intending to follow up on? Have they been sitting there SO long you are now too embarrassed to call or email them?

I spent the week between Christmas and New Years getting myself organized for 2009. As I entered some of my contacts into my database, I was disappointed in myself at all the LOST OPPORTUNITY that was represented in that stack of business cards. Those contacts never visited a TEAM chapter, never got to meet YOU, never had the chance to receive referrals from you or the chance to GIVE YOU referrals…

When you look at your stack of business cards, what opportunities have you lost?

I want to give you permission to “get over yourself”! It is okay to contact the people you have met – even if its months and months down the road. I learned this lesson from Valerie McCartan of McCartan Accounting. Valerie is the Founding Member of the West Covina TEAM. Some time ago, West Covina TEAM was having an Invitation Day, and a week before the event, I awoke one morning to a Blackberry full of emails. It was obvious Valerie had taken her stack of business cards and invited a number of them to visit her TEAM. She didn’t care when or where she met them. She just reached out to them via email with a ”you never know” attitude: “You never know” who will visit TEAM ~ “You never know” who needs your services at this time.

Below are some great examples:

Hi XXX,

I believe I met you at a Chamber of Commerce event. I would like to invite you to a special luncheon with my networking group, please see the attached flyer. I hope you can make it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hi _________,

I met you at the XXX Event with the XXX Chamber. I would like to invite you to a special event with my networking group. Please see the attached invitation. I hope to see you there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hi _____________,

This is an invitation to a special event with TEAM. I know you have been trying to make it to one of our meetings, and I think this would be a great one for you to attend. Please see the attachment and try to make it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hi (Someone Who Visited TEAM Before),

I hope this finds you and the family well. I wanted to let you know that we are having a special event with TEAM and we would love to have you join us. I have attached an invitation and I really hope to see you there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hi Client,

I will be talking to you later today about ___________, but I wanted to let you know that we are having a special event with TEAM and we would love to have you join us. I have attached an invitation, and I really hope to see you there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I hope you will “get over yourself” and try this! You never know (or will know) if this can get you MORE business if you don’t try! Email me at terilee@teamreferralnetwork.com and let me know how this goes!

Terilee Harrison is a TEAM Director in the San Gabriel Valley, Inland Empire and Orange County. She can be reached at 909-576-3007. Valerie McCartan of McCartan Accounting can be reached at 626-549-1381.