I began working with David Makar in October 2010 and enrolled in the Certified Networker course with The Referral Institute Ithaca in January 2011. Working with David and learning the nuts and bolts of referral marketing has been instrumental in the growth of my acupuncture and Oriental medicine practice: Awaken Acupuncture.

Four long and academically exhilarating years in a masters of science program prepared me very well to be an Oriental medicine practitioner: working with patients, practicing acupuncture, herbal medicine, many adjunct modalities, understanding the western and eastern sciences, Oriental medicine theory and the like. What it did not prepare me well for was how to run a business, the vehicle needed to put my expertise into practice!

In the first several months of practice I realized that I needed to take some serious action with regards to learning how to run a full and successful Oriental medicine practice. I needed to learn skills that would allow me to live my intention: to help people recover from ailments, illness and injury with acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Meaning, I needed to learn skills that would get people through my practice doors and in for treatments. I needed schooling in referral marketing!

A year and a half later, after participating in the Certified Networker Program, I have a fantastic acupuncture and Oriental medicine practice. It has and continues to grow slowly and surely. Slowly, as I have come to appreciate, is the best and most stable way for me to grow. I am now practicing in two locations, five days a week, with a full patient schedule and a steady flow of new patients coming into my practice.

What became glaringly clear to me when I started my practice is that I would actively need to begin doing something that was quite foreign to me: networking and marketing. It was my sense that this day in age paper advertising is great for providing brand recognition, but that it is both expensive and does not translate into real business. Plus, I practice within the field of healthcare where people often seek out services of practitioners who are referred to them. The Certified Networker program was perfect for me in that it taught me marketing strategies that are about creating relationships and passing referrals in order to grow one's business. The idea of marketing and growing my business practice through building relationships was additionally appealing to me because the building relationships in my practice between the patient and practitioner is of utmost importance as well.

I appreciated the need for the student's active participation in the Certified Networker Program. It really set the stage for what the class teaches: that one must actively participate in their referral marketing plan, not only for the short term, but for the long term as well. Knowing, understanding and having the ability to articulate why a person is in the business, is the fuel for one's intention as to why they do what they do. Dave is excellent at helping his students have a deep understanding of exactly that: their "starting point." The "networking scorecard" was another highlight and valuable tool I took away from the class. It is literally a scorecard that allows one to track their networking activities with points being awarded for each activity completed. So helpful to be able to track the direct correlation between carrying out networking activities and the growth of one's business!

The class was also very helpful in teaching how to effectively network at events, understanding contact spheres and the eight ways to generate referrals. I know that taking the Certified Networker course with Dave helped me to achieve goals with the growth of my practice because I have been able to use the tools and information I learned from him and have the ability to see the direct correlation between doing the referral marketing activities and the growth of my practice. I keep track, so I know.

If I hadn't participated in David's Certified Networker Program, I'd still be wondering what would be the most effective a fulfilling way for me to market and grow my practice. Dave has given me an invaluable set of tools for growing my acupuncture and Oriental medicine practice through referral marketing. The Certified Networker Program empowered me to have a systematic method of marketing my practice that is engaging, enjoyable and that I can see the direct correlation between my efforts put forth and the return on my actions. If someone asked me if they should enroll in the Certified Networker Program with David Makar, I'd tell them that you could do nothing better to gain the information and tools you need to grow your business effectively!

Dana M. Carruth M.S.AOM, L.Ac.

www.awakenacupunctureithaca.com

"I attended David Makar's Certified Networker Program last year. Dave is an engaging teacher and the classes are very interactive. In the classes you customize all of the information to your business so that it is immediately useful. My business volume increased 30% last year I and attribute the increase to Dave's Certified Networker classes and the application of that knowledge."

Lucia Tyler

http://www.tyleradmissionsconsulting.com

"I enrolled in David Makar's Certified Networker" program at the request of a long-time referral partner who believed we could both take our businesses and our referral relationship to the next level. What has happened is nothing short of a radical transformation in how I do business, and how I seek to help my referral partners grow their businesses and better serve our community. I have always received what I believed to be, "a lot" of referrals. I was wrong.

Now, I work every day to nurture and enhance relationships with other professionals who serve my ideal target market, and I theirs, in a way that promotes doing business by relationship - not by transaction. Now I know that I will receive quality referrals from my referral partners in consistent and predictable numbers, every month. In a normal month, I consistently added 1-2 new clients: Now, It's consistently between 5-7 new clients that are more profitable to me, who trust me from the first phone call, and who I know are ready and able to benefit from my products and services.

I would encourage any businessperson with more than three years of experience, who is trainable, and ready to improve their bottom line by working with other like minded professionals to take advantage of what this program has to offer. I am willing to speak to those of you who might have questions, and would like to hear more about how my business has changed over the last several months."

Very truly yours,

Edward C. Moscato, LUTCF,CLTC

http://www.moscatoinsurance.com/

Dave Makar's knowledge and expertise has made him THE Business consultant of choice for my clients. His methodology and understanding of referral based marketing is so clear that I consider him a top expert in this field.

Dave really does teach people to work less and play more while securing referrals for life!

Ravi Walsh

Dave and his Referral Institute helped me understand the need to have a system that gives me the tools to manage myriad people, the information about them and their business that I discover by meeting them; and working in the most efficient way I can to make this process easy and painless.

With all the information and casual networking that happens, it is great to have a way to manage and maximize the output. I found the Certified Networker Class provided me with all of these tools.

Rob LaHood, Director of Membership Services & Public Relations

"When I first heard about the Certified Networker Program I thought I already knew how to network effectively. I’ve been networking and developing relationships for 20 years. But what I found was I really had only scratched the surface of truly capitalizing on my networking skills. Many of the techniques and methods I learned through Dave and the CN Program help me to better focus my networking. Dave taught me the skills to better use my networking in a more efficient manner. Many of the concepts were not necessarily new; the CN program just put in a better format that allowed me to conceptualize the process from a whole new position.

Dave also help me to really define what business I really wanted then set up a plan to go get that business.

I can not fully express how knowledgeable and forthright Dave is with regard to the field of Referral Networking. He has turned his own experience and success with proven networking strategies into an opportunity to help others. Dave is an excellent presenter and can clearly communicate the fundamentals of referral networking in a fun yet informative atmosphere. If you or your business is dependent on relationship based sales, his programs are a valuable investment in your bottom line."