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How www.ProfessionalReferrals.ca Changed My Life:

2003 was the year I was first introduced to ProfessionalReferrals.ca.  I was a Certified Financial Planner in Toronto, Canada at the time. The best way to describe myself was I was a person in transition or a living verb.  My marriage had just failed and I hate to admit that my finances and financial planning practice were not in much better shape. The only things I had going for me during that time were my health, and my accidental discovery that I loved to write and communicate about the financial and tax solutions that I had discovered along my bumpy journey. These lessons were available to all who desired to take ownership of their lives and plan out their futures. But how could I communicate these lessons with the right audience, this was my great question to myself. I was my most adherent student; these lessons had been hard won through my attendance at the University of Hard Knocks!

Unfortunately I had a very small audience being exposed to my work. But what I did have was a strong desire to change my life circumstances for the better. The missing ingredient was finding the right vehicle to get my message out to potential clients who would appreciate the value I had to offer them and who would be willing to reward me for this value.

Then it happened. One early fall afternoon I received a call that changed my life, my career and my financial destiny forever and for the better. The call was from Galen Weston, I know what you are might be thinking. This was not the Galen Weston who was the chairman of the national Loblaws supermarket chain in Canada. This was the Galen Weston who had founded the number one financial portal known as ProfessionalReferrals.ca  because of a great need and demand for quality financial, legal and tax information on the world wide web.

What transpired was much more valuable than whatever a billionaire could have offered me at that moment. This Galen Weston had read some of my articles and asked me if I would be interested in posting all of them up on his corporate website. I did not know what to expect from this but I also did not hesitate.  I said “YES” to his proposition.

The results were immediate, immense and measureable. Before ProfessionalReferrals.ca  found me, my world of articles up on the internet could best be described as being obscure.  After these same articles were posted on the ProfessionalReferrals.ca website, they skyrocketed up to the first pages of the Google, Yahoo and MSN search engines.

This success has re-occurred each and every time I have written and then posted something up on the ProfessionalReferrals.ca  website. Sometimes it happens as fast as 20 minutes after I have posted them.
What transpired afterwards could only be described as miraculous. I was being search out by hundreds of the most qualified and incredible prospects, professionals and business owners who quickly and easily transitioned into clients who paid for my advice. Most importantly, these where clients who had raised their hands and had self-qualified themselves as people who would best benefit from my services.
The work that was being drawn to me through ProfessionalReferrals.ca  was the most satisfying and financial rewarding I had every experienced. I could have never imagined this success back when I had just entered the financial service industry in the early 1990s. This was all made possible by providing the forum ProfessionalReferrals.ca gave for my work.

Six years after first being introduced to Galen Weston and his team at ProfessionalReferrals.ca , I am in a place in my life where I am both professionally and personally satisfied and fulfilled. Since my first introduction to ProfessionalReferrals.ca over 300 of my articles have been posted where several million people have clicked to these articles and blogs that I have been apart of creating. I can directly attribute the 3 books I have collaborated with writing, countless interviews and articles in the main stream media and the work I have chosen to do as a direct result to the exposure I have gained through ProfessionalReferrals.ca.

All this has given me the financial means to live the life of my choosing and I am pleased to share I am happily married to a wonderful woman now. This success is not out of the reach of typical trusted advisors of any stripes who desire much more from their careers, to claim back their time, to make more money and save on what they are doing. While turning your dreams into your living reality.

I could never fully express or sing the full praises for  ProfessionalReferrals.ca  enough. I can only recommend that if you are a financial advisor, public accountant, lawyer or any other type of trusted advisor who knows that what you have to offer clients has true value but in the past have found it difficult to connect your message and services with the right clients, ProfessionalReferrals.ca  is the solution to solving your problem. ProfessionalReferrals.ca will make it easier for the right clients to find you and seek your services out - the clients who will appreciate you and will reward you professionally, financially and personally.

I can make this promise. ProfessionalReferrals.ca  will be the best professional move you ever make in your career.  Try it and you will prove it.

Peter J. Merrick, BA, FMA, CFP, TEP, FCSI

Caroline de L. Davies, RHU, EPC

I joined ProfessionalReferrals approximately 2 years ago.  It took me a little while to find an approach that worked with the referrals which were sent to me, and while I am still not able to convert 100% of the leads I receive, I am improving my success rate and writing business on approximately 3 out of every five leads.  Commissions have ranged from $1200 up to $19,240.00!  I would definitely recommend ProfessionalReferrals to any financial advisor who is serious about making money.

Maciek Walicht, Mortgage Edge

I have been using the Professional Referrals lead system for about four months now.

This is by far my best source of business only behind client and real esate agent referrals.
The system is easy to use and the leads I have received are of high quality clients who want to take action immediately.

My closing ratio is extremely high and dollar for dollar I have found it to be much more effective than traditional advertising. In addition the Professional Referrals website is far superior to any other lead generation service I have tried.

Professional Referrals has become a permanent part of my marketing program, as the return on investment is phenomenal.

Michael Sugar, Mortgage Edge

I have been with Professional Referrals for the past 2 months and let me tell you it’s worth every penny. I have received over 20 leads in this time from Professional Referrals. The thing that impresses me the most about the PR Team is that they understand the fact that some clients just can not obtain a mortgage. I have come across a few of these clients while using Professional Referrals and every time I encountered one of these clients I let the PR team know and they credited me right away. I currently have ten active leads with Professional Referrals. Of those, one is closing in a week, and another is closing in 2 weeks. Of the remaining eight leads, three are set to close within one month. When I first started with Professional Referrals I hoped for the best but expected the worst. Needless to say I have been pleasantly surprised.

Professional Referrals is well worth the money and I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone interested in growing their business,

Michael Sugar
Mortgage Edge
Cell:416-858-7255
Tel :905-707-6702 Ext 222

Sital Dave, Mortgage Alliance

Professional Referrals is the best referral source for my business. They are very professional in their approach. I am in my second month of dealing with them and have received 12 referrals and 2 are set to close this month. Rest of the leads is being followed closely with their changing mortgage needs.

I wouldn’t be able to cover this vast clientele on my own.

Sital Dave

Brent Maxwell - Senior Mortgage Consultant

I am in my first month of dealing with Professional Referrals and to this point I have nothing but good to say about them. I have received 27 leads from Professional Referrals in that time frame and have been able to contact all but 4 of the individuals. Most impressive, is when I brought this fact up with the Professional Referrals staff, they credited my account for the appropriate amount for these referrals.

Of the 23 remaining referrals 2 are set to close within the next 2 weeks, 4 are closing within 4-6 weeks, and the remainder are being followed with regarding their mortgage needs. I expected my closing ratio to be somewhere around the 10-15% mark with the referrals that I was going to receive. I am pleasantly surprised to be much closer to 50-60%.

I am looking at expanding my business to assist with all of the quality referrals that I am receiving from Professional Referrals as it looks like I will need specialists in the different market segments that Professional Referrals draws from, markets that I would never have entered on my own.

Aaron Kerr - Clarica Financial Services

I have found that every group lead I have received leads to quotes. This is a great lead generating system. The best on the market. All you can ask for is the opportunity to show what you do and how you can help, and that is what this service provides!!

Craig Griffith, Benefit and Remuneration Advisor
Dale & Morrow Insurance and Financial Services

I started using the services of Professional Referrals in early 2004 and since then, I have received many leads and converted many of those leads into sales.

However, I think that one of the best features of this service is just that, SERVICE. Both Peter and Galen are easy to contact and to talk to, and they are often proactive in contacting me. They are interested in understanding my business and me, and this has turned into a great working partnership.
I am more than pleased to have met Peter and Galen and to have taken the small risk of subscribing to their service. It has paid off immensely and it will continue to grow.

Dave F. Musgrave, BA, Senior Employee Benefits Specialist, Renfrew Life Insurance Brokers Inc.

Having begun my referral program nearly a year ago (April 2004) with Professional Referrals I feel that I am now qualified to relay my thorough understanding of the program. As an Employee Benefits focused broker/consultant I initially created some challenges for Professional Referrals, due in part to my location (Calgary, Alberta).

With that said, Peter and the team at Professional Referrals have reacted to each one of my concerns and have implemented a separate marketing section focused entirely on employee benefits. I must admit that I initially felt that the quality of the traffic would be poor. I was, thankfully, wrong. As employee benefits differs a great deal from individual planning and the sales process is significantly longer. The introductions provided by professional referrals were far more valuable than I initially estimated.

In December I was successful in closing two “deals” that came via the program (generating about $12,000 in renewable cash flow). In addition I am currently working on no less than three more (to close in the next 3-4 weeks) with numerous others in the “hopper”. Calgary is a “hot-bed” of business and Professional Referrals has assisted me in tapping into markets that I would otherwise have not entered. I continue to be a supporter of the program as the benefits far out-weigh the small cost.

UPDATE as of July 27, 2005 (from Dave’s recommendation to another advisor) :

I do think the program is worthwhile… The summer has been rather slow for referrals from this service. To date (since we initiated our relationship) I have closed 7 benefits clients via this service. That relates to about $40,000 in revenue…not bad for the price I pay. As far as the individual product referrals etc…I have spoken to a great number of planners across the country that have thought of and are now using the program and are very pleased with the overall quality. Good luck!

Dave F. Musgrave, BA Senior Employee Benefits Specialist Renfrew Life Insurance Brokers Inc. Renfrew Insurance

Aleita E. Laird, Cooper Financial Services Group Inc.

“I am quite pleased to have received 4 qualified referrals since mid July 04. So far, I have closed 2 group sales from one of the referrals who has two companies. Of the other three referrals, only one sounds promising but will contact me. The two group sales have more than paid for the initial fee of joining this very professional referral program. This is a great way to leverage your precious time and income!”

George Watson, Freedom 55 Financial

I signed with you in November 2005 and since then have received my requested 3 leads each month. Although most of them did not generate any sales, they did provide the opportunity to call real prospects. In the last 2 months I have been fortunate enough to close 2 sales and have 3 couples with whom I am meeting in the next 2 weeks. To new professionals I would encourage then to be patient and keep working the referrals that you provide. It only takes a couple of good sales to cover the cost of the service for the entire year and you never know when a referral from one of those will have a significant effect on your business.

Again, thank you

Mona Chevalier, Montreal, Quebec

I would like to reiterate that I find your lead services very good.
When we call prospects they are motivated and I much prefer this system to generate leads that
having a telemarketer making cold calls. I believe that since the prospects are going on the site for inquiries and when we promptly call back it makes a difference on the closing ratio.
I have generated since January at least 4 clients and working on some others.

The efficiency of your site to advise us of leads is very good and user friendly.

Regards,
Mona Chevalier, F.C.I.P., Fin. Pl.

Antonio Figueira, Financial Security Advisor, Markham, Ontario

I have been in the financial industry for close to 14 years. The team of Galen and Peter are a very dynamic duo. I did a lot of research before I ventured into this type of strategic alignment. However it paid off very quickly and has translated in a group sale and lots of opportunities with a client who is retiring and needed a financial advisor which could turn into a 350k portfolio switch and another group with 20 employees.

With the right attitude and the right skills professional referrals is a great tool for your business. If you would like to talk to me feel free to give me a call.

[Update from Antonio Figueira dated Sep. 20, 2005]…

Since joining the Professional Referrals website I have seen a rapid expansion in my business. The leads that are generated from the website are of very high quality but the people that are on the site, the visitors, are genuinely interested in finding a professional who can help them out by putting their needs first.

With the right attitude and ethics this referral service can benefit anyone. Take the “client first approach” and I can almost guarantee that you will make a lot more money than other advisors around you and you will accumulate amazing clients for life. I can tell you that the best clients that I now have, have come from Professional Referrals. I have a lot of experience with other referral systems and the difference is that these guys know how to make it work.

I am not writing this as an “infomercial” testimonial — I am writing this from my heart! I would like to take this opportunity to not only say thanks for the service that Peter and Galen have provided me with, but the relationship that they build with their advisors is unbelievable.

Cheers, Antonio Figueira, Antonio Figueira Financial Security Advisor (905) 475-0122 Ext 237

Ian R. Whiting, CD, CFP, CLU, CH.F.C. FLMI (FS), ACS, AIAA, AALU, OPD

- President & Privacy Officer

“As a mature professional financial planning team, we still need to expand our reach into the various communities in which we work. By using ProfessionalReferrals.ca, we are able to develop additional quality contacts. We have found that the contacts we are developing through this service are helping our market penetration in an efficient and economical basis - much more effective than mass marketing or other media advertising.”

I have received excellent service from Professional Referrals and the staff are extremely helpful. I believe this is good value and I have already covered the annual fee from my first qualified referral and look forward to many more, in the months to come.”

Robert Beiles, RBC Investments

“I am pleased to offer a testament to the wonderful staff at Professional Referrals. Since joining as a member I have been both surprised and pleased at the number of quality referrals that have been directed to my office. Many companies make bold statements about their ability to offer marketing services but far too few are actually able to deliver. Revenue generated from PR leads for ‘04 is well beyond $10,000.00 to date and I strongly recommend Professional Referrals to both new and established Financial services advisors who are looking for a profitable marketing partner.”

Robert C Robbins, Assante Financial Management & Assante Estate and Insurance Services Ltd.

“Around the first of April I went on board with Professional Referrals and I have been very pleased with the relationship. I have had two very solid referrals since then.
The first one I followed up on was interested in estate planning. At his request, Professional Referrals sent him out a booklet explaining, how to approach estate planning. It was easy to follow up to make sure he had received it. As it turned out he had his own financial advisor however, I was able to keep him on my mailing list. He is not apposed to receiving a second opinion.

The second referral was interested in saving income tax. This is right up my ally and I was able to meet with him and discuss a strategy to drastically reduce his income tax. We hit it off and things are progressing very well.

The staff at Professional Referrals are just that, professional. Karen Reed is currently helping me put together a web broadcast. She has incredible knowledge in marketing.
These people bend over backwards to help you. Don’t be afraid to give them a call, they will help you sort it out!

It’s nice to know someone is out there who can help you with your marketing. This type of networking appeals to me. Especially after I have seen that it works!”

Sincerely,Robert C Robbins CFP

Ken Wheelans, CFP, CLU, CHFC

“I recently signed on with Professional Referrals and was quite surprised to receive 6 referrals within 4 days of signing on. I have been treated very fair by all that I have dealt with and my web page was constructed almost instantly. The referrals were good quality looking for financial advice on a range of topics from retirement planning to estate planning. I look forward to many more referrals in the future.”

Laura Kerr, Associate, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP

I have been receiving regular referrals from Professional Referrals since early 2004. The staff is always prompt, courteous and professional in their communications with me and with the people that they refer to me. I also find the articles and publications presented on the website to be extremely useful and well-presented. It is a pleasure to be associated with Professional Referrals!

And, most importantly, our readers!

Alice Ivall

Fort Frances, Ontario

I recently contacted Professional Referrals requesting information regarding probate of an estate. I was soon contacted by phone with a message to call a local Certified Financial Planner who in turn contacted me by telephone and e-mail. The direction and responses I received from both Susan Bodnarchuk (local Financial Planner)and Robert Gow were excellent and beyond my expectations. My questions were well answered and I would like to commend you on your professionalism and concern in providing me with the information I required.

Bia Apostolopoulos

Quebec

Dear Sir,

I am writing this e-mail to let you know of the excellent service I received from Mr. Francois Guy.

I had gone on your website requesting more information on Estate Planning. I had a question regarding my dad’s triplex. Mr. Guy called me two weeks ago and spoke with my sister. I was not able to call him back due to health reasons. Then yesterday I received a call from Mr. Guy. I was happy he had not given up. He was able to answer all of my questions. I had asked many people to clarify the Capital Gains question, but no one was able to give me a clear and knowleadgeable answer.

Mr. Francois Guy was patient and explained everything to me until I understood it. I was very impressed with his service that I am going to fax him a copy of my RRSP account so that he can take a look at it and discuss how my portfolio is doing. I am presently with _____ for my Self-Directed RRSP. I have been with ___ since the beginning. I have never thought of changing but Mr. Guy impressed me so much that I may consider changing my RRSP over to Wood Gundy.

Please make sure Mr. Guy’s superiors are made aware of the professional service he provided to someone like me that is not even a client of his or of CIBC Wood Gundy. Mr. Francois Guy is a great asset for your organization and he should be aknowledged.

…and this from a U.S. couple struggling with the complexities of residency rules affecting taxation of an RRSP:

“I can’t thank you enough for everything. This whole process has been more than confusing. ——- has yet to respond to anything (again) and the Government of Ontario sent me links to file for medical. It seems everyone is dancing around without giving me any answers, except you.

When I initially took these RRSP’s I was not very versed in the laws…needless to say I should have checked further into this, however, as the rep was someone I knew, I trusted him…I truly appreciate all the help. It’s so nice that someone is actually answering my questions.”

Thank you

D.

Our top mortgage consultant, Ms. Sital Dave, received these kind words from some grateful clients…

“Hi Sital, I am filling out an evaluation for your Company, and could not be happier or more satisfied with your most competent, professional assistance.. Thanx for everything.. Janice & Audrey Stanley, Toronto.