Get the Referrals You Deserve by Fostering the Connections You Create
The Erie-ality factor. A phenomenon in Erie, Pennsylvania, whereby you cannot step foot in a grocery store, bank, restaurant, or just about anywhere in the community without seeing someone you know or who knows you.
Living in Erie is like living the oxymoron that is a big, small town. So often you hear, “wow, small world!” when two unlikely people share a common connection. My answer is always, “no, it’s Erie.” I believe that the Erie-ality factor exists because of the deep-rooted ties people have within the community. People may move away from Erie but are still tied to it in some way.
So what’s my point? Have a network and nurture it – starting in your hometown. The connections you make, no matter how small you think they are, will fuel your business through word-of-mouth. When friends, families, networks, and past clients recommend your services to someone else it’s called a referral. Referrals are a year-round, powerful, and inexpensive way to market your business.
Hearing positive stories from people you trust makes a huge impact. Consumers are more likely to hire someone a valued friend, family member, or colleague has recommended than from an online review.
Here are a few tips to maximize your referral business:
- Set clear expectations: For new clients (or when delivering a new service to existing clients), be clear from the start how you plan to give them excellent customer service to deliver a stellar experience.
- Be consistent by having a process: Outline your process(es) to make sure that no matter how busy you get, you are delivering the same quality to each and every client.
- Get the ‘right’ kind of testimonials: Testimonials tend to be volunteered when the experience went above and beyond your client’s expectations. Yet what if you could capture testimonials from each client that helped you gain new business? You can, by providing talking points to your clients about your services and reminding them of why you’re worth referring.
- Reward the people who refer you – each and every one of them: Good or bad referrals, you need to thank the person who took the time to share your name and supported your business. When they are bad referrals, use the tip above to not only thank the referral but remind them of the type of services you offer and the type of clients you want to help.
Take a moment to reflect on how you nurture your clients and networks. Are you doing everything you can to foster stronger relationships to be better brand ambassadors? I recommend setting aside routine time to nurture your referral sources – you’ll be amazed by how much stronger your business relationships become.
