Take the Fear Away from Your Referral Sources (Part 2)

Why DON’T people refer?

A firm understanding of why people DON’T refer is one of the keys to getting your customers to refer business to you.

There are a host of reasons for not referring.  Maybe your product or service is no good.  Maybe your staff is rude. Maybe your customers literally don’t know any other prospects.

Let’s suppose for a minute that none of the above is true – yet people still don’t refer to you.  Let me suggest that you have not put their FEARS of referring to rest.

Let’s face it.  We are all at least a little anxious about referring friends to most vendors. Unless we’re getting a commission of some kind, most of the time, we have more to lose than to gain by making a referral. Even if we were happy with the product or service we received, the fear of a friend being stalked by a salesperson (or unhappy for some other reason) is often overwhelming.

So what can you do to put your customers’ minds at ease so that they can feel comfortable referring friends to you? (more…)

When Should You Ask for Referrals? (Part 1)

Who doesn’t want to grow their business through referrals? We’d all rather sell to people who have been referred to us. The sale starts with a level of trust and familiarity that just isn’t produced by other methods of lead generation.

So why are sales people so bad at generating referrals on a consistent basis? I would argue that as sales people and marketers, most of us have over-simplified the concept of referral generation.

As I speak with sales organizations about referrals, the conversation quickly heads in one of two directions:

1. Sales people – remember to ask for referrals; or
2. Marketing people – develop a structured rewards program (MCI Friends & Family) to motivate people to refer.

I would certainly agree – you rarely get what you don’t ask for.  So, asking for a referral is better than doing nothing at all.  And people rarely change their behavior – or invest energy to assist a selling organization without incentive. But I’m convinced that this is a gross over-simplification. (more…)

Discussing Growth With Your Clients – Smart or Stupid?

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know my position on the importance of cultivating referrals – particularly for smaller businesses.

This is a realm of marketing that is commonly overlooked… typically botched… and arguably the highest return marketing activity a company can invest in.  Literally… Infinite Return Marketing when executed properly and consistently.

Yesterday I had breakfast with the owner of a small service business.  As is typically the case, he is not only the owner and manager of the business, but the chief client relationship manager and evangelist for the firm.

The topic of referrals came up, and I was struck by a confession he made. So much so that I wanted to quickly offer up this brief post for anyone else who may also be hindered by his fear. (more…)

Give the Gifts That Give Back

Business gifts just aren’t the same as the gifts you buy for friends and family.  When shopping for your mom, buy her something she’ll love.  Your focus is on her… her needs… what will make her feel good.

Client gifts are different.  Sure, sometimes a nice thoughtful gift is what you need.  But why not challenge yourself to find a gift that gives back?

I’ve never been a Realtor, but I have done a lot of research on lead generation and the customer experience in that arena.

Recently, I was asked the question – what is a good real estate closing gift? A gift for a client after the purchase of a house…

A lot of Realtors engage in the practice of giving these kinds of gifts.  Some are thoughtful.  A new grill… Some are practical (it’s easy to think of things that new movers can use). A gift card to Home Depot… But today’s challenge was to think of a gift that was classy, thoughtful, and ALSO had the potential to give back.

Let me break the suspense… How about a nicely printed set of “We’ve Moved” cards?  People relocate.  They need to tell their friends and associates how to reach them in their new home.

If you’re in high-end real estate, you could dress it up.  Have a line drawing done of the new house.  The original goes in a frame for the wall, and a miniature version on the front of the “We’ve Moved” card.

On the back (in a classy way) goes the Realtor’s contact information and mention of another successful relocation (or whatever).

You could take the idea a step further and offer to have the cards addressed for the client.  All they have to do is give you the list. See where I’m going with this?

This is a gift with the potential to give back.  It has a viral marketing element.  Your client is using this thoughtful gift to spread your name in a favorable light to all of her friends and family.

You’re probably not a Realtor.  So what?  With a few ounces of creativity, I’ll bet you can find a client gift that gives back.  If you’ve got one, I’d love to hear about it.