Coaching World Issue 18: May 2016 | Page 9

Shutterstock.com/MaximP Business Sense Brian Hilliard As a person who travels the country talking about networking and word-of-mouth marketing, I’ve come to realize a very simple truth: As entrepreneurs, we all live in the age of The Relationship Economy. In other words, what you know is not nearly as important as who you know and, even more importantly, who knows you! Meaning, if you’re looking to build a referralbased, “word-of-mouth” coaching practice, then getting (and staying) connected to people in the business community is absolutely essential. So how do you do that? CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE > 9 Here are some ways to get started. Coaching World Brian is a popular speaker and co-author of the best-selling book, Networking Like a Pro: Turning Contacts into Connections (Entrepreneur Press, 2009). He specializes in helping coaches, consultants and service professionals build referral-based, word-of-mouth practices. For more tips on how to get more referrals from everyone you meet, or to have Brian speak at your upcoming conference, visit www.PracticeBuilderBlog.com or email him at [email protected]. 3 Ways to Connect and Get More Referrals from Everyone You Meet