When it comes to your helping your business
grow, it all boils down to who you know. And all that could be standing between
your business succeeding or failing is your personal network. We’re talking
about your professional network and the referrals which are the backbone of any
productive small business sales force. Think of referrals as a chain between
you and making a sale. The immediate referral might not be buying but that
doesn’t mean it can’t lead to a referral that is in the market for what you’re
selling. To increase sales you’ll need to increase referrals. Here’s how to
accomplish that goal: Ask and You Can Receive
Every satisfied customer you create is a
new referral. Now you’ve got to “activate” that referral. Let that happy
customer know you would appreciate their help with getting the word out about
your business. Don’t assume everyone is talking about your company. Give them a
little nudge and you might just be surprised with the results. You can take it
a step further by asking directly for a contact of a friend or family member of
that customer who would benefit from what you’re offering. The only shame would
be in not asking.
Give
and Take
You can get new referrals for your small
business by sharing your referrals. This works best in a B2B market but it
really amounts to you being proactive about expanding your customer base. If
you have a supplier who is selling you a particular product for your business
then you can spread the word of his company while he spreads the word of yours.
Quid pro quo.
Offer Incentives
Two magic words that get everybody’s
attention: finder’s fee. This is a very common practice all across the business
world. When someone gives you a referral that buys from you, your referrer is
rewarded in some fashion. Local cable and telephone companies use this
practice. Sign up a friend and you’ll get a discount. How can you apply that to
your business?
Offer
Your Referrals First
Somebody has to “break the ice.” That could
be you when you offer a referral to a customer or business associate for an
item outside of your own company. This could get the ball rolling for a
referral exchange.
Spread
Your Name
If you have a storefront business then you
should make sure every customer walks out with something that has your business
name on it. Whether that’s a shopping bag, pen, coaster or magnet you’re
spreading the name of your company. How can you do the same thing for an online
business? If you post a fun video or photo make sure your web address is
embedded on the image. Where ever that graphic goes is where your company name
will go. You could hold a contest for the cutest puppy photo. It might have
nothing to do with your business but those photos will be shared everywhere.
Think outside of the box.
