"Burn the Boats" to Achieve Referral Success

I recently saw a blog post by John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing that takes one minute to read, but can literally transform your business and even your life.

Here's the core of it (click here to read the rest):

Sometimes knowing and doing have a hard time intersecting. I learned years ago one of the best ways to get something done is to give myself no choice.

There is a fable that tells about a captain coming ashore to conquer a new land and finding his forces outnumbered 10-1. Seeing this a sergeant asked what they should do, to which the captain replied, "burn the boats."

For example, he says, if you want to do more public speaking, get yourself booked for a speech.  If you want to get in shape, enter an upcoming 10K.

So what are some referral-related "boats" you can burn?  Here are a few ideas:

• Schedule a referral event and start getting the invitations ready.
• Book an evening at an exclusive restaurant for a client advisory board meeting.  Then, you can actually set up the client advisory board (free registration required)!
• Make 5 lunch reservations for two over the next 30 days.  Now find top clients to fill those slots, and then figure out who they know so you can ask for introductions over lunch.
• Really want to challenge yourself?  Make those reservations for three. Now you need to ask the clients to invite the people you want to meet.
• Get up from your desk right now, walk into your branch manager's office, and tell him or her that you are going to commit to getting at least 2 referrals per month, starting this month. (Don't have a manager? Call a mentor or close friend whose opinion of you matters, and commit to that person.)
• Book a lovely vacation for yourself and your spouse for a year from now, with a nonrefundable deposit. This will be your reward for meeting your referral goals and increasing your production.  If you don't meet the goals, you're going to eat the deposit!

As Jantsch writes, it's funny how your priorities can change when you have no choice. Stop choosing NOT to get referrals. Instead, choose success—even if you have to force it on yourself.