There is a lot of debate, not just on Social Networks including Ecademy, but also in many of the Business Networks, BNI, BRX, NRG, 4 Networking and so on, about the relative mix of quantity or quality, and how to go about building advocates, and having an active advocate group who promote you and sing your praises at every opportunity.
I'm often asked about how I've built the advocates that I have and I've given this a lot of thought. The journey to advocacy, is not complicated but it is something that cannot be short-circuited. After all, an advocate is someone who provides a continuous stream of referrals for you and your business, and that doesn't happen overnight. Giving referrals is something I discussed in this article... One aspect of that article that is important in this context is this passage...
When you make a referral you refer more than the business because the donor is referring the recipients skills and experience, but he is referring the donor's reputation. The subject of the referral will hold the donor responsible for the outcome of the referral as much as the recipient. Personally, I won't refer people to my contacts beyond the level of my current reputation with that contact. Sometimes, I've held back on a referral, not because I have doubts about the recipient himself, but because of my experience of others in the same company, my reputation with my contacts is too important to risk with those who do not show equal or better regard for reputational matters.
Understanding how to move through the journey to advocacy should make it easier to advocate, and be advocated. I describe the journey to advocacy as being all about 4 'A''s and a TIP.
The Journey to Advocacy | |||||||||||||||||||
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