In my continuing series on the Sandler Rules, let’s talk about Sandler rule number eleven, “ Money does grow on trees.”
So what does it mean?
Think of your network and the people you know as a tree. When you make a new connection, another branch “grows”. By taking care of the tree, and giving it “water”, you are making yourself money.
If you’re having trouble visualizing this, grab a piece of paper. Draw a vertical line in the middle of the paper. Now draw another line that attaches to that first one and add the names of your connections.
New branches can come from anywhere, but referrals and prospecting are some of the best ways to keep your network up to date, or keep your tree healthy.
Some people are afraid to ask for referrals, but I’ve found that it is because they do not know the best time, or way, to ask for them. To me, it is right after they hire you. Why? Because they’re excited about the possibilities of success and excited to work with you.
Additionally, asking prospects for referrals is part of my “onboarding process.” I set an up-front contract with them that lets them know how often we will talk about referrals (once a quarter, once a month, etc.) and how I’ll ask them. It’s much easier, and less intimidating than you’d think. It’s about being aware of all possible opportunities.
Back to the drawing, add your referrals off the “branch” that connected the two of you. Are you starting to see how your tree grows?
So how does your tree remain healthy?
Watering your tree is about maintaining relationships with the people in your network. If you aren’t up to date with them, or know what is going on in their world, you won’t be much help to them. These people also won’t be able to refer you to anyone they know and they’ll become “dead branches”. The more dead branches you have, the harder you’ll have to work to keep the tree alive. It’s better to take care of the tree in the first place than try to nurture it back to life.
If you learn anything through this post, I hope it’s this: Just like real life, growing and taking care of a tree isn’t easy. However, if you do it correctly, you’ll learn that money really can grow on trees.