Getting referrals doesn’t have to be a pain point. In fact, if you develop the right mindset around it, you probably won’t ever have to ask for one – your customers will be singing your praises all the way home and back again.
Referrals are like marketing. They should be part of your promotional strategy, but it’s not always as simple as just asking for the endorsement. Businesses and consumers alike are wary of the sales pitch and unless they are truly picking up what you’re throwing down, a hard sell in pursuit of a referral could just as easily backfire.
With 85 percent of small businesses acquiring customers through direct referrals, this should be a big focus in your organic strategy.
Let’s look at some of the ways you can tailor your mindset to earn more customer referrals for your business:
Be awesome. All the time.
Think about it: why would you expect referrals for a half-baked job? Treat every single customer as if your future hinged on their happiness – because, in reality, it does. One customer can do as much harm as they can good, and bad news travels significantly faster than the good. If you put every effort towards ensuring customer satisfaction and prove that you are willing to go the extra mile to make it happen, that’s how you will be seen. Good business breeds good business, it’s that simple.
There are other ways to gain referrals
While word-of-mouth is probably the most effective way to gain quality referrals, there are other ways that your customers can get the word out. Ratings and reviews sites, if applicable to your niche, are a great way to drum up new business as people that are already researching you will see how much you’ve done for others. Encourage customers to submit positive reviews on Facebook, Google, Yelp, or whatever is most relevant to what you do. Conversely, if you include testimonials on your site, ask them to write one for you to post.
Be yourself
If you want to build a culture of advocacy among your clientele, be your authentic self, all the time. Many buying behaviors these days, both consumer and B2B, are rooted in emotional connection. People would much rather patronize a company that they can identify with. The other side of that coin is that they don’t want to advocate for companies that they don’t feel uphold their idea of authenticity. Only you can develop your voice in the marketplace and only you can wield it. That is both power and a huge amount of responsibility – but the bottom line is that if you know who you are as a company and can portray what you do honestly and authentically through both your actions and your branding, you will gain an audience who will market for you. The value in that is immeasurable and it’s something you simply can’t buy.
Heritage Office Suites is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, startups, and companies of any size succeed in today’s fast-paced business climate. With locations in Round Rock and Georgetown, we combine convenience and professional amenities to support all your business needs. Call today or drop by one of our locations for a tour.
