August 23, 2024 |

Referral Marketing: Take Word-of-Mouth to the Next Level

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Many business leaders chalk most of their sales up to “word of mouth”.

And having an active referral network of acquaintances and past clients that think of you first is a fantastic gift.

But have you considered how you nurture your network to get the most out of the relationships you have created over the years?

Referral marketing is a big part of our success (and we help teach referral marketing as part of our regular approach to the marketing hourglass).

A little effort put into your referral program goes a long way.

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

1. Set your intention and get committed.


Every week, I carve out time on my calendar for active outreach and meetings with people I already know. Set aside time on your calendar and protect that time for activities that help grow existing relationships (and create new ones).

2. Make it easy for people to refer you.


By asking questions about your referral partners’ ideal clients and how to refer them best *to them*, you’ll open up the opportunity to share your own story. The top 5 questions that need to be asked/answered are:

a. Who you are.
b. What you do.
c. What makes you different?
d. The best way to get in touch.
e. How to refer you.

3. Create a system that works for you.


Some people follow the 5/5/4/2 approach by creating 5 new contact requests, 5 contacts with your existing network, 4 follow-ups, and 2 new pieces of content as part of their daily outreach. If that sounds too daunting, spread it out over the week. But get those conversations rolling.

Relationships are expanded by having valuable conversations and contact over time. It takes time, work, and commitment. But man… it is worth it!

How are you going to expand your relationships this week? Let us know by dropping us a line.

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Clear thinking, honest perspectives, and experience shaped by years of doing the work. No shortcuts, no borrowed opinions, just lessons learned by showing up, solving problems, and following ideas all the way through.

Hands holding a tablet displaying a video player interface. The video is paused.

Two videos…

February 20, 2026
In case you hadn’t seen these (and also for my friends at Adventure Film ), here are a couple of must-see running movies from Joel Wolpert:  Geoff Roes: Slogging to the Top
Runner in blue and red gear sprints across grassy terrain, mountains in background, cloudy sky.

Long time running…

October 27, 2015
Guess who’s back. Back again. ~ Eminem  Still working out some kinks in the site but hoping to be more active and on the regular up in this joint. Quick catch up: 2013: NYC was a bust. I experienced a heel problem which led to a hamstring problem and I shut down my quest for an NYC finish. At least for now. The remainder of 2013 was spent trying to get uninjured. 2014: Injuries persisted in 2014. When the heel/hammy started feeling ready to run again, I broke my ankle bouldering. Literally came off the wall a foot and a half off the ground and popped my ankle. Whee. So more recovery and I pretty much switched to riding mountain bikes for the year. 2015: Back at it in 2015. Running pretty well. A bit off my game from day’s past but still having fun. Even entered a few races which didn’t go well. Just trying to figure things out and stay happy/healthy. More to come, I promise. ~stubert.
Person fixing a flat tire on a mountain bike outdoors; green helmet, tan shirt, shorts.

Tabatas: Under-appreciated fitness boosters

August 24, 2013
I hurt myself today . ~ N.I.N. Ah the Tabata. Some people hate them, others love them. In the moment, they can be the bane of my existence but after rocking out a few sets, I really tend to notice the benefits. For the uninitiated, a Tabata can be applied to virtually any exercise type (cycling; swimming; push-ups; chess, I assume) but since I am a runner, I tend to knock these out while running. Go figure. Here’s the formula: Go as hard as you can for 20 seconds Rest for 10 seconds Repeat 8 times Feel free to do multiple sets Four minutes (per set) of activity doesn’t sound like much, but if done correctly, these can really help boost your fitness. I tend to replace strides with one Tabata on Fridays and will work in multiple sets as part of my Tuesday interval training. Just keep good form, really work the 20s and you’ll reap the benefits. ~stubert.