Teach your customers why it’s good for them to give you referrals
Every time you market your business and communicate with customers it comes down to using the proverbial radio station, WII-FM. And of course, WII-FM stands for “What’s In It For Me?”
Your customers want to know why they should do things for you, they want to know how they’ll be affected when they take action and most of all, what they’ll get in return.
When you’re being proactive about getting referrals you need to take all this into account. Even if all they get in return is the knowledge that they’ve helped a friend find what they need, you have to make that clear.
Give your customers more than one reason, and more than one benefit of referring their friends to your business. You’ll have to educate them about how referring people to you can and will help them. Here are a few reasons that you can give them:
By referring new customers, you’re helping me save marketing dollars, which allows me to pass on greater savings to you
You’re helping to make sure I have a strong and healthy business, so I’ll be around for years to come
You’re helping me work with only the best level of customers so I can stay focused on offering better and better products and services
Grab a sheet of paper and make your own list. Don't just think about it; take action! Every time you educate one customer about referring new people to you, you’ve got an advocate for life, with one condition. You must always give them the level of service you promised. It doesn’t have to be 5 star, it just has to be what you promised.
Oh, and it never hurts for you to reciprocate by referring business back whenever the opportunity arises!
