Do you believe in the power of relationships? Are you looking to grow your relationship building strategies and skills? Do you want to grow your business via high quality word-of-mouth referrals? Our special guest Matt Ward will answer these and other questions about relationship building, networking and high value referrals. In 2002 Matt Ward began working with business owners through his digital marketing agency, inConcert Web Solutions, to improve their bottom line, gain more clients, and grow their respective businesses. He sold his agency in 2018 so that he could focus on helping businesses get more word-of-mouth referrals! Matt's the author of MORE...Word of Mouth Referrals, Lifelong Customers & Raving Fans, and his newest book, The High-Five Effect: How To Do Business With People Who Bring You Joy, which was released October 2021. Matt believes that creating deeper and more meaningful connections will result in more word-of-mouth referrals. He personally uses this philosophy in his own business. Since 2002 Matt has spoken at hundreds of business events, seminars, trainings, conferences, and associations, including Score, The Better Business Bureau, The National Paving Expo, and the Vacation Rental Success Summit in Toronto, Canada. Matt is a professional member of the National Speakers Association and the host of the popular small business-centered podcast, The Mass Business Podcast! The Leadership Junkies Podcast is brought to you by Cardivera.com. Show Notes Episode highlights… Differently understanding networking and relationship building Strategies for networking more effectively Power of building relationship-based referral partners Stop looking for customers and clients at networking events Understanding the difference between leads and referrals Being the connector to add value to others Role of trust in networking, relationship building and creating referral partners Challenges when building relationships with a numbers focused mindset Strategies for building top of mind awareness How to consider reciprocity in networking and relationship building Chasing joy in relationships instead of chasing business Dos and don’ts of handwritten notes Importance of continuing to keep your network warm Understanding trigger points and touch points in relationship building Using CRMs and other tools to enhance your relationship building efforts Keys to incredible relationships – genuinely care and be genuinely curious Foundations of generating consistent and valuable relationships Role of effective 30-second commercials and elevator pitches Be wary of the word “you” in your networking and relationship building The 10 x 10 approach to leveraging your networking and relationship building Make it personal in your networking Resources: Matt Ward High Five Effect Website The Leadership Junkies Podcast Cardivera Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices