"I began working with Steve Bauer on a referral marketing program in February, 2006. What I appreciate most about Steve is his depth of knowledge and his personal investment in my success. Working together through a coaching process has produced far better results than if I had tried to learn how to do this on my own. With Steve's guidance, I was able to create a highly focused strategic plan and then follow through with the appropriate actions and communications. My ability to network is much better, as there is a strategic direction to who and how I meet people, so that my meetings are much more productive. My confidence is also much higher -- particularly my confidence in turning down business that is not the right fit for my defined specialization. As a result, my business has grown dramatically. Specifically:

• 100% increase in annualized revenue over the past 18 months.
• 30% increase in proposals (after business that was not right was turned away)
• Closing ratio has increased from 45% to 85% (which translated into a much bigger book of business, given that I made 30% more proposals)
• Portion of new business written in my defined specialty of commercial real estate has increased from 45% to 85%
• Overall caliber of my client base is much better, and I am now perceived as being preeminent withing my specialization of providing insurance solutions for the commercial real estate industry. People are now seeking me out based on my growing reputation.
• Over 80% of my leads now come from champions, and of those, 80% fit my best-fit criteria.

Many people think referrals is about gathering a list of names to call. Referral cultivation is so much more than that. It's about being introduced to the right people to refer you to the right business, and building those relationships through effective communication. Working with Steve has provided me a personal marketing plan that has produced phenomenal results in a relatively short amount of time. Steve has truly taken my business to a greater level of success."