10 Ways to Get More (High Quality) Referrals
March 20th, 2013 // 12:16 pm @ Scott Manning
This week I am beginning a series of business building strategies on each of the major aspects of growing your business profits. I consider this a perfect “springtime” approach and a way for you to do a check-up on your business.
The theme will be immediate things you can do to change your current circumstances or just accelerate your progress you are already experiencing.
Today I’ve got 10 ways to get more referrals in your business. I’m not talking about random acts of attempting to ask and maybe get referrals; but specific systems and places to create your referral culture.
Here’s this weeks list:
1. At the point of sale and transaction immediate ask for referrals, offer opportunity to rebate money or earn prizes, at the very least share your expectation for your customers to bring you other people like them.
2. Immediately after the sale follow-up with a personal note and thank you, a “welcome to the family, or “we appreciate you”, and we’d love to know more people like you…
3. 30 days following your sale send a special gift certificate for new customers to give to someone they care about again explaining your referral culture.
4. At least quarterly invite your new customers to some “new customer event” or a “bring a friend event” even if it is online through a webinar or something you can “celebrate” your new customers with a bonus surprise by which they gain entry by inviting others to attend.
5. For prospects who never close, send a follow-up letter that states for whatever reason it wasn’t right for them but you are certain they know someone you might be right for, offer incentive and future purchase certificate for quality referrals.
6. At least seasonally put together a contest and rally the troops getting your customers to participate in a theme based referral contest. It’s important for everyone to win and for there to be a grand prize or volume prizes also.
7. Each month in your newsletter feature your referral partners and surprise bonuses they receive for their referrals. Remind about your referral culture. Remember to reward good behavior.
8. Host at least one, probably two customer appreciation events each year with as much hype as possible and use them to leverage family members, friends, and other associates they can invite. A secret strategy is, give them something to brag about…if they are getting recognized or it’s a status symbol to be a customer, they are more likely to share you with others.
9. Make sure you are acknowledging referrals from people, if you do this they are more apt to continue referring and go out of their way to do so. Send gifts or even just thank yous. Do something.
10. A bonus advanced strategy for number 10: turn your raving fan customers into affiliates or virtual sales people, give them something to promote, a flat-out sales campaign most likely every 2, 3, or 4 months depending on the size of your customer base. This could be a new product launch, book promotion, event, anything worthy of a campaign.
This is big and is one of the best and fastest ways to build a list. Remember your customers also know people, own businesses, have access to their own “joint ventures” for you. Do something to harvest them.
That ought to keep you busy.
Next week a big surprise, 7 big strategies to immediately make more money, I mean immediately and most likely you aren’t doing any of them. They can all be done at the same time without interference. Now get to work on your referral systems…and profit.
Category : Blog
