In addition to the critically important business principle of customer satisfaction of delighting or amazing your customers, every business owner should be trying to create and keep your present customers. Ensuring you are continually delighting / amazing your customers will allow you to do just that.
As competitive as business is today, along with the rising cost of client acquisition, obtaining a new customer from one of your present clients (referral) is a jewel to be sought and treasured. Your most likely source of referrals is your existing client base. To gain a hugely competitive advantage every business owner needs to jump start their growth with a sound strategy for developing a “golden chain” of referrals.
So with customer service as the baseline of work to set the stage there are three key actions all business owners should take to start this tremendously valued lead generation tactic.
- Ask for Referrals in advance of selling
- Ask for Referrals after the closing
- Ask for Referrals from a Satisfied Customer
Are you seeing the pattern here? ASK. Too many business owners just sit and wait or think referrals will come. You see your clients first must be amazed or delighted with you, second you need to understand the axiom bridge players use when playing the card game: “When in doubt, pass”. This same principle is in the mind of your clients. So ensure you AMAZE them or DELIGHT them so you can ASK them,.
A few simple ways to ensure referrals are taken care of during the acceptance of them are:
- Send a thank you note to the source of referral
- Report to the source status of their referral
- Send a gift to the source
- Be Referable
Leave no stone unturned in your efforts to develop a golden chain of referrals. Use every strategy possible to transform your clients into advocates for you, your business, your products / services. This is the wisest most cost-effective marketing strategy you could possible design.