Jim Rohn’s Seventh Pillar of Success: Part...

© 2010 Jim Rohn International One-Year Success Plan 405

Networking & Referrals✦ ✦ ✦

Jim Rohn’s Seventh Pillar of Success:

Part Two

406 One-Year Success Plan © 2010 Jim Rohn International

Week 28Welcome to Week 28 of The Jim Rohn One-Year Success Plan. We hope you are having a great week and are ready for this week’s journey.

During Pillar Seven, we are learning the importance of networking and referrals. If you stop and think about it, almost everything we do involves networking in some fashion. You can have a great deal of influence just because of the sheer amount of “networks” you are in. Stop and consider how many different groups you are a part of—your family, your work, your friends, your church, your industry, clubs you are a member of, sports teams you or your family participate in, your children’s school and activities, etc.

Even though you may not be aware of it, you are also considered a part of someone else’s network. There is value in that. You have the opportunity to influence any or all of these groups/networks you are part of. What kind of influence do you want to have in your networks? You can develop and/or improve your ability to influence others. Jim and Chris share in today’s edition how to become a valuable resource for others, which will, in turn, enable you to become an influencer in your world.

Enjoy this week’s lesson and make it a great week!

Your Jim Rohn International Team

“Your ability to persuade and influence others determines the quality of your life, and your self-confidence.”

—Brian Tracy


Networking and Referrals

Jim Rohn’s seventh PillaR of success: netwoRking and RefeRRals, PaRt two—becoming a PeRson of influence

Hello, Jim Rohn here. Here is what we are covering this month under the topic of Networking and Referrals:

1. developing the attitude for networking (and life). The old saying is true that your attitude determines your altitude. You will only go as far as your attitude will carry you. We will look at the kind of attitudes that will enable you to successfully expand your network and make your life all that it can be. There are certain attitudes you must have toward circumstances, and those that you must have toward yourself and others. Your attitude also governs the process of what takes place when you are networking. We took a look at the whole world of attitude in last week’s edition.

2. Becoming a Person of Influence. The ability to attract and influence others is paramount to being a successful networker. We will cover the principles of influence and what motivates others to follow your lead, which, in turn, builds your network. We will also discuss how to expand your Rolodex with people who want to go with you to greater heights. This will all be covered in today’s edition.

3. working Your network. It takes a certain skill to search for and gain new referrals in order to expand your business. We will show you how to develop your network and grow your business—what to do before the meeting, during the meeting and after the meeting, all designed to help you grow your business through an expanding network of people. We will cover this next week.

4. getting the Referral. The success of your business depends on keeping your current customers satisfied while gaining new customers. The key to getting new customers is getting the referral. We will discuss a technique for this and also cover the ins and outs of working with people in such a way that they help you find others to grow your business. And they will gladly refer you! We will cover this in two weeks.

This week as we cover the topic of “Becoming a Person of Influence,” I specifically want to focus on the Principles of Influence.

PRinciPles of influenceWhen I think about the basic principles of influence, I think of three main elements. These are the very core elements that give people the ability to influence others.

Do you want to expand your influence and become a leader? Of course you do. There are many benefits to doing so—you can have better relationships, you can make more money, and you can make a difference in the lives of others. That’s fun!

When you apply these principles to your life, you will see yourself become a better and more highly skilled person, and that will cause you to see your influence in your network grow exponentially. So let’s take a look at these three basic principles of influence.

PRinciPle one: chaRacteR does indeed count.I always find it interesting when there is a discussion on whether or not character matters in leadership. Of course, it does! You simply cannot become a person of long-term influence if you lack good character.

Of course, the obvious questions are: “What is character?” “What does it consist of?” and “What are people looking for in character?”

Character is an issue of trust. People want to be able to trust you. They need to know that what you say is true. They need to know that when you say you will do something, you will.


Week 28

What makes people trust others? Honesty. Do you tell the truth? Always? If you do, you will greatly enhance your ability to influence. People will listen when you speak. They will know that what they hear is what they get.

Honesty is being the same personally and professionally. You don’t act one way in one situation and another way in a different situation. When people see you tell a “little white lie” in one situation, it is only natural that they will wonder if you are eventually going to tell them a “little white lie” as well.

If you want to influence others, first and foremost, make sure that you are a person of character and integrity. This is a central issue of influence.

Principle Two: To influence, you must be great at what you do.The last in the class is not usually the influencer, right? Right! Who is usually the influencer? The first in the class. People look up to those who produce the best results. People want to see that those they listen to have already achieved a certain level of success. So if you want to influence, develop a reputation for excellence. By continually sharpening your skills and knowledge, by improving your relationships and your finances, you will more easily position yourself to be an influencer in the lives of others.

Principle Three: Influence is based on helping others.One of the most influential quotes in the arena of personal and professional development in the past 50 years has been my friend Zig Ziglar’s quote about how you can achieve anything you want in life if you will help many others achieve what they want out of life. It has been so influential because of its innate truth.

It reminds me of Jesus’s words, “Whoever wants to become the greatest among you must become the servant of all.”


You see, true influence is about serving and helping others. Do you want to be the “go-to” man or woman in your network? Then be the best helper or servant in the group. Do you want to be connected like no one else? Then be the person whose name comes to mind when people ask themselves, “Who could help me with this?” If your name pops into their mind, that is influence! Why, because they will call you and you will get the opportunity to influence. And if you can deliver the goods, your reputation will grow even more!

Let’s make some simple applications of these principles.

You want to be a person of influence in your network, right? Good. Let’s take a group of 50 people you know. Who will rise to the top and become the influencers? Will you? Who will be listened to most closely when they speak? Who will move the group when they share their opinion? It will be those who combine the three elements above in the most integrated way. If you are a person who is known to have high character, a reputation for excellence, and who helps others, then you will be in a strong position of influence.

Think about those things this week. Think about where you are in relation to each of these principles. Grow in each, and you will position yourself nicely in your network!

Next, Chris will share on building your Rolodex and how to talk to anybody anytime. After that, he will give you some questions for reflection and some action points for the week.

Until next week, let’s do something remarkable!

Jim Rohn

“There are four ways, and only four ways, in which we have contact with the world. We are evaluated and classified by these four contacts: what we do, how we look, what we say and how we say it.”

—Dale Carnegie


Week 28

Hello, folks—Chris Widener here. One of the most important things you need in order to develop a large network is a Rolodex.

expanding Your RolodexThe first thing to keep in mind is that you have to have a Rolodex! Now, I know there are many different ways to keep information in this day and age, including many electronic PDAs (personal digital assistants). But the basic principle is that you need to have something in which you can keep—and easily access—information about the people in your network. So, whether you prefer paper or electronic versions, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have one! If you don’t, go get one! If you do, let’s move to point No. 2.

Decide to take the time to build your Rolodex. You will have to invest time entering data and honing their entries. This may take a little time each week or so, but if you are doing it right, it will be well worth the effort.

The collection. To build your Rolodex, you have to be aware that everywhere you go is a collection opportunity. As you talk to someone, determine whether or not this is a person you will want or need in your network. In the old days of paper only, you had to use more discretion. Now, with PDAs, you can keep tens of thousands of names in one handheld unit. So, if you are using paper, you will need to enter the information by hand. This means you need to get their business card. Most people will offer it to you, but if they don’t and you want it, there is only one way to get it—ask! Now, for those big networking opportunities when business cards are flowing freely: When you are talking to someone and they offer you their card, make the decision whether or not you want to put this person in your network. If so, take a look at the card and make a note on it if that would be helpful. Then stick the card into your right pocket. When you come across someone you know is not a person who will end up in your network, and they offer you their card, stick that card in your left pocket. Women can follow a similar system using their purse, etc. Then, when you leave the meeting with 40 or 50 business cards, you will have an automatic filtering process in place. The right people to keep in your network are found in your right pocket. The left pocket cards go into the circular file. Pretty good system!

If you are using electronic forms, then this process is relatively easy today. Most PDAs have a “beam” function wherein you beam your information from one PDA to another. That is about as easy as it gets!

The entry. As I mentioned above, you will need to spend some time entering the information. The key is to focus on two things:

1. Put in the right information.

2. Develop a built-in process of follow-up.

Put in the right information. On page 411 is a modified version of the Mackay 66—a tool that my friend Harvey Mackay developed for his own use. I have shortened it to only the very basic elements that everyone should have.


The Modified Mackay 66

Name:Company name:Address:Home address:Business phone:Home phone:E-mail and website:Birthday:College attended/year graduated/degrees:Sports played?Military service? What branch? How long?Spouse’s name and occupation:Anniversary:Children, if any, names/ages:Previous employment:Professional/trade associations they belong to:What do you feel is his/her long-range business objective?What do you feel is his/her immediate business objective?What do you think is of greatest concern to the customer at this time—the welfare of the company or his/her own personal welfare?Does the customer think of the present or the future?Clubs, fraternal associations or service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, etc.)Politically active? Party:Active in community? How?On what subjects (outside of business) does the customer have strong feelings?Favorite places for lunch and dinner:Hobbies and recreational interests:Spectator sports interest:Conversational interests:What adjectives would you use to describe the customer?What do you feel is the customer’s long-range, personal objective?What do you feel is the customer’s immediate personal goal?

As you can see, if you can keep this kind of information available to you on the people in your network, you will be way ahead of the game!

Develop a built-in process of follow-up. So, when you look at the information above, what areas do you see that would be built-in reasons to connect with those in your network? Here are just a few: positive news in the paper on their company, birthday, anniversary, their favorite sports teams or their alma mater, or positive news on any associations or clubs they are active in. Anytime you can contact them in regard to positive happenings, it reminds them that you are thinking of them and it also associates you with that positive event. At the very least, be sure to remember birthdays and anniversaries! Drop them a note or make a quick phone call to congratulate them and let them know that you noticed!

The important idea to remember is to regularly connect with the people in your network. Keep your name, face and voice in front of them, help them achieve their goals, and basically be there for them, and they will be there for you!

Another key skill you need to learn in networking is the basic skill of striking up a conversation. That is the beginning of all relationships—simple talk. If you feel uncomfortable doing that with people you don’t know, or if you just want to sharpen your conversational skills, then the following article of mine is just for you! It is designed to give you the nuts-and-bolts process of how to strike up a conversation with anybody—anytime!


Week 28

how to talk to anYbodY, anYtime by Chris Widener

You know the situation: There you are at a business or social function, and you end up sitting with someone you have never met before. Some people get amazingly uncomfortable with this situation because they simply don’t know how to start or carry on a conversation. Yet successful people are always going to find themselves in these kinds of situations because they are always stretching themselves and putting themselves into situations to help them and their businesses grow, and that means meeting new people. So, if you are going to be successful, one thing you have to get good at is talking to anybody, anytime. The good news: It is easier than you think!

First, a couple of things not to do. One, don’t get flustered and excuse yourself. That is the easy way out, and you never know if you didn’t just leave the person who would have become your best friend or closest business associate. Stick around! Secondly, don’t start talking about yourself. Sure, introduce yourself, but don’t launch into a half-hour monologue about your accomplishments. The other person will either roll their eyes back into their head or simply give you a new nickname: Joe “let me tell you a story about myself” Schmoe. This leads me to the key.

Focus the conversation on the other person. Don’t talk about yourself—talk about them! And the key is to ask questions. Now, there are obviously some people you just will not be able to talk to because they are absolute bores or they are angry or upset or something, but I have found that that is only about 1 percent of the people, if even that. For the most part, if you persist in asking questions, you will be able to talk to anybody, anytime.

There are three segments to this process:

ask questions.

find connections.

go in those directions.

What you are trying to do is find common ground. What makes people afraid to talk to others is that they are afraid they won’t have anything in common. I have found that, usually, if you ask questions for a minute or two, you can always find a connection with someone, and then you’re set. The worst that could happen is that you ask the person questions for a few minutes and find nothing. But what will that person tell others? That you seem to have a genuine interest in others? That is a great reputation to have!

There is another key here. You can’t be a selfish, arrogant person and be successful. I am talking true, well-rounded success, not just collecting a pot full of money. The best way to describe this process is to write out a mock conversation. You will notice the kinds of questions I would ask, when I find a connection, and how I go in that direction.

“Hi, I’m Chris Widener. What is your name?”

“Joe Schmoe.”

“Well, Joe, what do you do for a living?”

“I sell insurance.” (Possible connection here. Everybody has insurance.)

“Oh yeah? What kind of insurance?”

“I insure oil rigs in the Adriatic Sea.” (Whoops. Lost connection.)


“Wow. That must be fascinating. Married or kids, Joe?” (I have a wife and kids, maybe we can show pictures.)

“No, actually, I’m single.” (It isn’t looking good yet.)

“So, who do you know here at the party?”

“Well, nobody. I am the brother of the host’s accountant. I’m in town for a week and my brother had to make an appearance.” (It is going in the wrong direction here.)

“So where are you from?”

“Nebraska.” (Bingo, there it is. The connection! Now let’s go in that direction.)

“Really? My dad was from Nebraska. Even though he died when I was 4, my grandmother used to take me back to visit my relatives every summer growing up. It sure was a lot of fun. Were you city folk, or did you live on a farm?”

“I grew up on a pig farm.”

“That’s what my relatives did! As a kid I always wanted to ride one of those sows. Luckily my uncles never let me attempt it.”

There you are. Now just start asking questions about what they did growing up, how they liked it, etc.

If you get adept enough at asking questions of others, you will inevitably find a connection to talk about. And having something in common with someone is the start to a long and mutually beneficial relationship—one of the foundations of success!

I am in a career where I meet new people all the time, and this is exactly what I do. I am no better a conversationalist than most of you. It is just a proven way of getting a relationship off the ground with someone you have just met.

Here it is again:

Ask questions, find connections, go in those directions.

Try it out this week, and see if you don’t find your network growing by the day!


Week 28

Review of cd 19Great stories and points! Here are selected thoughts from the following:

Jan Ruhe

✦ We need to become learners and leaders.

✦ Focus on building your business.

✦ Look for your angels.

William E. Bailey

✦ The Power of Teamwork: Churchill and Salk

✦ Are you going to stay where you are, or are you going to choose something better?

✦ Time is measured by the experiences you have and the emotional intensity of those experiences.

John Hayes

✦ Salespeople need to make sure they are always being honest. Dishonesty not only hurts our clients—it hurts us as well.

✦ People buy for the emotional reason, not the logical one.

✦ Selling is a skill that needs to constantly be improved.

don sanders

✦ Go for the Green: Leadership Lessons from the Golf Course:

• You have to play your ball where it lies

• Pick out your target and aim for it

• Alignment is critically important

Have a great week!

Chris Widener

“Learn to express, not impress.”

—Jim Rohn


Are you a person of high character? Why or why not? Would others describe you this way? What areas of your character do you need to work on?

Q. Are you further along than others in your field and similar positions? In what areas? In what areas do you need to grow in order to broaden your influence?

Q. Are you a person who helps others? How? Do you agree with the principle that being a servant enables you to influence to a greater degree? Why or why not?

Q. How big is your Rolodex? What can you do to make it bigger and more effective in your networking?

Q. In what ways can you use technology to increase your effectiveness in growing your networking base?

Questions for Reflection


1. Take action on your character. Is there an area that you are a little weak in? Perhaps you tell “little white lies”? Take action and make the change you need in order to strengthen your character.

2. Take at least two steps this week to improve yourself so you move forward and can honestly say you are ahead of others and can influence them.

3. Serve someone in your network. Help them. Do it selflessly. Expect nothing in return. Help them make a new contact or sale.

4. Take a look at your Rolodex. Update it. Throw out the old contacts that you no longer need.

5. Add at least five new contacts to your Rolodex. Imagine if you did this every week—that would be 260 great contacts every year! Many people don’t even have 250 people in their total network, let alone in their new contacts!

Action Steps This Week


This week we will be listening to CD 20 of the New Millennium series.

✦ Don’t miss Jeffrey Gitomer and Zig Ziglar!

Notes for CD 20 from The Jim Rohn New Millennium series:

A Look Forward


Week 28

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