Referral marketing – more powerful than SEO
They say your best clients are your current clients. If your clients are happy, they can also be your best source of quality leads. As a business owner you are looking for new prospects and sales, and wouldn’t it be easier if an incoming phone call or email was from someone who already knows your product or service and is ready to go ahead?
In looking around for the right way to get referrals, there is no great automated system that applies to all businesses. We’ve done the research!
Here are two scenarios of a person approaching you to buy your product or service. Which would you prefer?
1. A person does a Google Search, and if you’re lucky, your website might come up on the first couple pages of Google along with all of your competition. That person has to call around looking for pricing, or compare products, and their final decision to proceed with you or your competition is really just a leap of faith. They don’t know you regardless of the reviews or testimonials you have. Now it’s up to your quote to do the talking, and price is commonly a deciding factor.
OR:
2. A person, perhaps at a BBQ or on holiday, mentions to a friend or family member (who is your current client or customer) that they’re after your product or service and your business is praised and recommended. This person is likely to trust the recommendation of a friend or family member to approach you, perhaps without even researching your competition. You’ll most likely get a call from a person in the near future who is ready to go ahead with you even before you send out your quote.
It is extremely beneficial when a potential prospect knows a bit about you, how you operate or the quality of your products, and also importantly, how you are priced. You may be more expensive than the competition, but trust is an important factor in making a decision and so is knowing that they don’t have to do the gruelling Google Search for a list of businesses to hopefully make the right decision.
In looking around for the right way to get referrals, there is no great automated system that applies to all businesses. We’ve done the research! A simple followup call or email to your new client is all it takes. At AusWeb Design, we have a referral system which is a simple natural process which is essentially an email and a link to a page on our website with an offer. It is geared to give a new referral plus our client a bonus. We know how precious time is so we feel an added incentive to our client could assist in making that recommendation happen!
Don’t delay in reaching out to your new or old clients to make sure they’re happy with your business, and to offer an incentive for them to pass their praises about you to their friends and family.
