So you’ve made a sale. Fantastic!
Now what? You’re not simply going to offer your new customer an item and let them walk away, are you?
When you’re marketing on tight budget plan, not! You now have to utilize the customer in front of you to build your organisation, and you do that with an effective referral program.
Recommendations work.
Word of mouth advertising is still the most effective kind of advertising available, and it’s getting ever MORE effective in 2004. The biggest business in this country have actually cut their advertising budget plans over the last 10 years and directed that money towards generating positive PR and recommendation of mouth (a.k.a. “buzz”) for their items. (Most marketing people who are paid to offer and buy marketing would rather you didn’t understand that, however it’s a proven truth).
How do you develop a successful word of mouth program for your business?
Simply ask.
Offer your clients a discount on their next purchase if they refer a new client to you. Well I say you make damn sure your consumer understands before they leave your shop or your website that you want their business, and you desire them to talk about your item or service to their buddies.
Think of your regional mechanic. They might have pointed out to you eventually that if you refer a friend, they’ll provide a little discount rate next time around. They could do much better than that, couldn’t they?
If I owned a garage (and think me I never will since I can hardly hold a wrench let alone use one), I ‘d make sure that after every deal I informed my consumers that if they refer a client to me, and that client brings their vehicle in for any kind of repair work at all, I ‘d give them a totally free lube oil and filter on their next check out. If you were in the vehicle repair organisation, would not you buy a new consumer for $10!?! The same logic applies to online sales or any other retail design you can think of.
Just provide your client a reason to make the recommendation. Deliver excellent service, charge a fair rate, and make it worth their while to send out a friend your way. (By the way, the referral program likewise helps to bring the initial customer back in to get their free oil change, so it’s really like getting 2 follow up check outs from just one referral.).
What about the pipes service? Here’s a test for you. Call 2 plumbers in your location.
I’ll wait.
Could not do it, could you? A lot of plumbings are independent businessmen and ladies. They don’t have big marketing budget plans, and they only service an area. You can envision that a plumbing, who sees 4 or 5 or perhaps 6 clients a day would be well served by providing a referral program. Turn those 6 customers into 12 by having them each refer a good friend who has a plumbing problem.
You only call a plumbing when you need one, so what good is a 10% discount rate off your next plumbing task? How would a plumbing come up with a referral program?
I’m no plumbing, but here’s my concept. The faucet will not cost a plumbing professional much, because he’s got the within track on offers in the industry. Do that for a couple of years and see your business grow significantly.
In small business you can’t outspend your competitors but you can outsell them by employing your own consumers as your sales force utilizing a recommendation of mouth referral program. With nearly no in advance expense and a big prospective advantage, it’s well worth the time purchased developing a great referral program for your organisation.
Offer your consumers a discount rate on their next purchase if they refer a new client to you. Well I say you make damn sure your client knows before they leave your shop or your website that you want their organisation, and you desire them to talk about your product or service to their good friends.
If I owned a garage (and think me I never will due to the fact that I can hardly hold a wrench let alone utilize one), I ‘d make sure that after every transaction I informed my customers that if they refer a customer to me, and that customer brings their cars and truck in for any kind of repair work at all, I ‘d offer them a complimentary lube oil and filter on their next check out. Just offer your customer a reason to make the referral.
(By the method, the recommendation program also helps to bring the initial client back in to get their totally free oil change, so it’s truly like getting 2 follow up sees from just one referral.).