The Referral Bench

We all know that, for all of our talk of wanting to meet more people and grow our network, that the holy grail of introductions is the sales introduction. At the end of the day, that's what we want, and what we're working for. After all, that's WHY you want to make all of those other connections - it's the strongest way you'll be able to develop the connections with the people who will ultimately buy from you.

But you don't get what you don't ask for. And sure, there may be some times when these introductions are just handed over to you, it's tough to reliably grow a business that way.

In today's episode, Ian and Phil talk about how to go about asking for a sales introduction to set yourself up for success.

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In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how you should be deciding when you should be making a networking introduction.

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In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian talk about how they respond to a networking introduction that just doesn't seem like it's a worthwhile connection.

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In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Phil and Ian do a deep dive into the perils of making a business connection without a business reason.

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In today's episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, Ian and Phil talk about the importance of making sure people know who you are and what you're doing when you're starting your business.

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TJ Slattery co-founded Zuni Street Brewing Co in Denver, CO and operated as the business manager to plan, fund, build, and launch the brewery in the Denver Highlands. After opening in early 2017, TJ’s day-to-day revolved around the mechanics of running the business, but he also had a heavy focus on building a unique culture and finding ways to compete in the heavily saturated Denver brewery market. While enjoying the fruits of building and operating a Denver brewery, TJ also battled with partner issues and the demands of an ever changing market. After exiting Zuni Street in February of 2020, TJ pivoted careers and is now a Business Advisor at Cultivate Advisors, and works with small business owners and entrepreneurs to grow and scale their business.

Cultivate Advisors partner with small business owners to create scalable systems that allow the business to develop and grow at an accelerated rate. We are industry agnostic and partner with business owners who are not looking for answers on their industry but more on the ‘how to’ in growing and maintaining a business. We work 1:1 with business owners to train, develop and coach on all the hats required in running a successful, fast-growing business. Some of those hats include Vision & Planning, Operations, Productivity, Financials, Sales, Marketing, Leadership, and Recruiting.

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In this episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, we'll circle back on Mike Black's interview where he discusses how he's able to use his referral network to better serve his clients and lead to higher client retention!

If you didn't hear our interview with Mike, make sure to check it out!

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Eric Walters is the Managing Partner and co-Founder of Summit Hill Wealth Management and loves his work.  He’s helped affluent clients protect and grow their wealth through financial planning and investment management since 2006.  Prior to founding Summit Hill Wealth Management Eric was a Senior Director and Team Leader at BNY Mellon Wealth Management and helped lead their Rocky Mountain region.

Eric Walters and Summit Hill Wealth Management are frequently quoted by some of the most reputable financial news outlets in the country.  

Eric graduated Magna Cum Laude from Columbia University and has multiple professional designations and affiliations:

Eric is a board member at Arma Dei Academy, a Classical Christian School that his children attend.

Eric loves spending time with his family.  He grew up in Wisconsin and loves the outdoors.  He enjoys cycling, mountain biking, hiking, fishing and camping. His wish list includes climbing Mt. Rainier, fly-fishing in Patagonia, and to camp and hike on each continent. 

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In this episode of The Referral Bench Podcast, we go back to Dave Johnson's interview. Dave described how his team grew their business by 40% during the pandemic with 90% of their new business coming from referrals!

If you didn't hear our interview with Dave, make sure to check it out!

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Shannon Stone lives a passion filled life dedicated to helping others and thrives in the quiet understanding that the answer to every question is, “always love more”.  Shannon is a native of Denver Colorado and has been in banking and finance for 18 years. 

She graduated from University of Denver with a Masters in International Busines and is currently serving as a Senior Relationship Manager in the Commercial Banking Division of AMG National Trust (AMG) which is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Denver Colorado that has been helping businesses, individuals and nonprofit companies identify and secure their financial freedom and success for more than 40 years.  Shannon works directly with business owners, nonprofit leaders, and affluent individuals to better understand their path to financial freedom.  

She currently manages the depository and treasury management needs of large and small businesses, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and associations. She also works with affluent individuals to find unique financing solutions for their comprehensive wealth portfolios.  Prior to joining AMG, Shannon had her Series 7 and 66 License and served as Senior Relationship Manager in the Executive Business Banking Group with Wells Fargo. 

Shannon currently serves as a Board Member for GlobalMindED, a Colorado nonprofit organization that is passionate about closing the inequity gap in education for underprivileged communities.  She also serves on the GlobalMindED Foundation and Funders Equity Team and is a Co-Lead for the GlobalMindED Mentorship Program where she organizes a team of 24 mentors that offers guidance on key career stepping-stones to a group of diverse, first generation college students. Shannon is a mentor within the program as well. Shannon also works with students and professionals to understand the mental and emotional underpinnings of health and wellness, how to heal from trauma and better manage the stress, overwhelm and “busyness” of our lives through meditation and alternative healing methodologies. 

Shannon just launched a webinar called SOL (Seeds Of Light) as a gathering place of collective minds that is open to people who want to share a deeper understanding of the energy that makes up the mental, emotional, spiritual and physical landscape of our personal and professional lives.

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