Early in my EOS practice, I booked 5 Focus Days, and only 2 clients made it to their first Quarterly.
I couldn’t understand it. The EOS Process lays out a client journey that runs for two years. I had three that didn’t stay for two months.
I thought the Focus Day was the win. It wasn’t. I was great at getting IN the room. Once inside, I was average. Those three didn’t leave because the process was wrong. They left because they stopped transforming. And people pay for transformation. The moment they stop transforming, they stop paying.
The win was never the booking. The win is the Leadership Team walking out of that room different than they walked in. Healthier. Sharper. Aligned. My business development wasn’t broken. My delivery was the limiting factor.
So I went on a 10-year journey to become a master facilitator. I trained in Negotiation with Chris Voss. EQ and the Drama Triangle with Mary Pat Knight. Academic Facilitation with Dr. Dino Signore. And Storytelling with Scott Mann‘s Scar Story framework.
Then it happened. A client pulled me aside after a session and said, “You said so few words, and we made so much progress. I have someone I want to introduce you to.”
That was the moment it clicked. When you stop selling and start transforming, the client sells for you. Delivery keeps the client, and transformation earns the referral.
And referrals matter. There are five types every EOSi should be hunting.
Think about Denali National Park in Alaska. Every tourist shows up hoping to see the “Big Five”:
- Bear
- Moose
- Caribou
- Wolf
- Dall Sheep.
Just like in Denali, there are five types of referrals every EOSi should aim to bag:
- EOS Worldwide (The best and most targeted. Be nice to Kristen Monachello.)
- EOSi (Seasoned EOSi’s are a great source. Get to know them. Relationships matter. Earn their trust and you will be handsomely rewarded.)
- CLIENT (Treat your clients well and they will reward you with a field of referral diamonds.)
- CONNECTORS (Another great source of leads, but remember to Help 1st.)
- TALKS (Many of the most accomplished EOSi’s have built their practices on the speaker circuit and received more leads than one EOSi can handle.)
You cannot earn a single one of these if the team you’re serving isn’t transforming.
Get in the room. Then change the team.
Everything I learned on that 10-year journey is what we built into the Stay Curious Mastery Program. Let me know when you achieve the “Big Five.”
Stay Curious,
JBS