Referrals & Word-of-Mouth

No matter the industry, it’s imperative to deliver stellar products to your customer base so they’ll in turn promote your services. This line can assist in generating upwards of 1/3 your monthly income!  Got your attention?

Word of Mouth is quite prevalent and most notable with the facilities of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yelp, etc. where people are brutally honest in expressing their opinions.  Opinions are voiced on everyday matters so you’ve got to ensure what’s being said about your business is positive.  In this way you can reach new people as fast as weeds grow!

How would one implement such a referral machine to generate new business?

1)      Most important:  MAKE HAPPY CUSTOMERS! There’s rarely a company anywhere doing this 100% of the time, but you should strive and shoot for it 100% of the time! Never lower your aim!  Work to develop the best customer service skills ever and on a regular basis, and handle any complaint instantly.

2)      Create social networks for your company and post some useful tidbits. Promote to your customers / clients to “friend/follow  you” and ask each to refer your office and services to their “friends”.  This is something you should update as often as possible as customers like fresh information!  I would suggest no less than once per week.

3)      Formulate a referral game plan:

• Promote games for your customers, (such as a discount off services), for referring another that newly signs up.
• Print invitations / referral cards now and then and ask your customers to pass these on to friends or family for a free service, free consultation, etc.
• If you have the means, take it further by creating a Landing Page – example:www.yourwebsite.com/referafriend, where customers may enter their information along with their friend or family member’s info, naming their referral efforts.
• Promote your referral program/game with a postcard and the simple ways to refer their friends and family.

4)      Post in your office, promote in your referral game plan, or in a monthly newsletter your “Customer of the Month” for sending referrals.  Choose one that recently referred a new customer, or one that produced the most referrals that month and promote their “prize” for having won the game!

5)      Ask your clients from time to time on the quality of service received; also, ask if there was anything that could use improvement. Your customers and what they think is important, for without them you’d have no business!  You’ll also build their respect with every effort you make to improve your service.

One thing to keep in mind…if you promote something, you MUST follow through! So track which customers refer people, who they’ve referred that signed up for service, what prize is due them, and the date you deliver it. The worst thing to do is to not keep your word.

Be a bit creative in promoting a customer referral program and I’m sure you’ll soon see new growth in your customer base.

Craig Ferreira, CEO                                                                                                                          Survival Strategies, Inc.