85% of small-business owners say referrals are the best way to get customers. Referrals are also the most cost-effective form of marketing.
Do those statistics spike your interest? If so, then you’re likely wondering how companies go about getting a glowing referral. Read on to learn our top four tips.
1. Prioritize Customer Satisfaction
Be honest — how many articles have you read about Comcast’s atrocious customer service? Word spreads fast about these things, so you’ll need to be proactive with customer service.
Make it a point to value customer satisfaction in your business. All your representatives should be on the same page about exceeding customer expectations.
2. Optimize Customer Retention Rates
Another way to get real referrals that shine is to develop life-long customers. Customers that are loyal to your brand will be willing to refer you to others.
So, how do you go about optimizing customer retention rates? Here are a few tips:
- Exceed your customer’s expectations
- Remain transparent with your customers to build trust
- Give even more than you promised
- Reward customer loyalty
- Personalize your marketing efforts
- Give customers a platform for feedback
- When things go wrong, admit it to your customers
Above all else, focus on providing the very best product or service that you can. After all, that’s what drew your customers to your business in the first place.
3. Start a Referral Reward Program
One reason happy customers may not be referring you to others is because they have no reason to. You need to give them that extra push and incentivize them to refer you. Here’s how:
- Give in-store credit to those who refer others
- Provide special coupons or discounts
- Offer cash or gift cards
- Consider giving out free samples or a free month of service
Are you in need of even more new customers? If so, then it may be time to optimize your webpage for maximum lead generation. You can achieve this by creating interesting lead generators like:
- Expert interviews
- Newsletters
- Free trials
- E-books
- Tips or advice articles
- Chatbots
You’ll need to give potential customers an incentive to provide their contact details. Once you have an in, it’ll be much easier to turn that lead into a sale.
4. When in Doubt, Ask
Do you already provide awesome customer service? Do you already have a referral program in place? Despite that, are you still struggling to get referrals?
If so, then it may be time to ask your customers directly to provide a referral.
You’ll want to pop the question at the right time, though. Ask after you’ve provided awesome customer service or helped the customer in some way.
Handling Your Referrals Like a Boss
Getting a positive referral is your foot in the door to getting another lead. One small referral could become a life-long dedicated customer. So, accept those referrals and start handling them like the boss you are!
Are you looking for more tips and tricks to help your business succeed? Be sure to check out our lead, grow, and market sections for more of our hard-hitting content.
