Before heading out to see the latest
Hollywood blockbuster do you check the reviews? There are certainly plenty of
places to read other viewers opinions. The same can be said for any type of
service company. On many levels, these "reviews" are actually referrals,
at least the positive ones are!
Businesses depend on customer referrals to keep
the sales numbers flowing. How are you doing with collecting customer
referrals? Is there room for improvement? Try embracing these insights to help
gather customer referrals to grow your business.
Collect
LinkedIn endorsements.
Your company should have a LinkedIn page up
and running. If so then you'll be able to start collecting endorsements from
other professionals who you're networking with. In the grand scheme of things
these endorsements might not make or break your company but every little bit
helps. A good way to generate endorsements is to give endorsements. Stay active
on your page and you should be rewarded in kind.
Ask
and you shall receive.
You know it never hurts to ask, right? That
applies for so many things in life not the least of which is getting
endorsements for your business. If you have some trusted clients who you've
established a strong relationship with then reach out to them and ask for an
endorsement. Make it easy on them by providing the link to where you want that
endorsement to go. Your goal could be as simple as increasing your Facebook
likes or getting a written testimonial you can post on your website. Be
proactive on your hunt for endorsements and you'll be amazed at what can come
rolling back to you.
Sift
through the recommendations.
If you do your homework right and the recommendations start flowing your
way you'll want to sift through them to make sure they are the right
recommendations for your company. This ability to sift through the
recommendations works best when you're in control like on your own web page or
Facebook account. Just because someone says, "I like them" doesn't
mean you have to use that recommendation especially if that is all you get.
Without writing them yourself, the recommendations should be thoughtful and
specific towards what your company is offering. The more details the better the
recommendation.
Spread the word.
Securing a good recommendation is meaningless until you can put it work
for you. Every new positive recommendation should be shared with your entire
social media network. It should also be included in any email blast that you'll
be sending out to new customers.
