| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
8 Proven Ways to Get Referrals
Do you find it hard to ask for referrals? I know I do! Your heart starts racing, you stumble for words, and sometimes you break out in a sweat just thinking of asking for a referral. But the secret to getting referrals without having to ask is to develop a system that does the asking for you. 8 Strategies to Get Referrals Get referrals #1 Think in reverse. Instead of asking for one, earn one. If you're not getting referrals, maybe you're not providing the service your customers want and you are not as good as YOU think. Ask your customers what you can do to better to serve THEIR needs. When your customers are satisfied, it'll be easy to get referrals. Get referrals #2 Give a referral. If you change your way of thinking from How do I get a referral to 'how can I give a referral', the rewards will be surprising. Think of someone you can refer to your clients. This is the giver's gain philosophy Get referrals #3 Make a list of people or businesses that sell products that are complimentary to yours. If you sell health insurance, your list might include health clubs, running clubs, basketball teams or physicians. Now create a referral program that pays referral fees for people who are sent to you by your referral partners. Put a tracking mechanism in place to monitor this and make this process effective and rewarding. Get referrals #4 Ask indirectly. One of the best ways to ask for a referral without being obvious is to ask indirectly. You might say something like: "Mrs. Smith, my product (or service) is everything I say it is and more, and I have the reputation and experience that proves it. Is there someone you know who would benefit from my product (or service)?" Get referrals #5 Research Local churches in your area. Many are always looking for innovative ways to raise money to sustain the programs they offer to their members. Most churches would be enthusiastic about the opportunity to receive a donation from you or your business. Simply call up the person in charge and ask if you can meet with him or her to talk about a potential fundraising activity. As above with the charity example, propose that for every referral they send your way, you will donate a percentage of the sales to the church. In return, the church should agree to promote your business. This same referral process can be done with the booster clubs of local sports teams, Girl Scout troops and other organizations looking to raise money. Get referrals #6 Contact your business associates. Most everyone has a barber or hairstylist they use on a frequent basis, especially if they have children (I don't know about you, but my beautician always engages me in conversation during my haircut!). Most beauticians and barbers are delighted when you give them a tip. Now you can visualize?where I'm going with this? Why not approach the local barbers and hairstylists and offer them $1 or $2 for every referral card they pass out to their customers? You might even motivate them to talk up your business by promising them a percentage of each sale that results from their referral. Get referrals #7 Develop Good Will. The last referral system will not only bring you referrals, but will also create a lot of goodwill. I learned this tactic, strangely enough, by Princess Diana and a local real estate agent. When Princess Diana died, a close associate of hers was interviewed and revealed that Diana always carried a set of "royal" thank you notes. Every time she met with someone, she would remember their name, and as soon as she got in her car, she would write a short thank you note to them. People cherished the thank you notes they received from the Princess. After hearing that, I started to carry around my own box of thank you notes. Referral Process #8 Approach charities in your local area and ask for a list of donors. For example, most United Way donors make advanced pledges or set goals to give a specified amount to the United Way. Approach the executive sponsor of the United Way donation drive and propose that for every referral that's sent from their organization to your business, you will take a percentage of your sale and donate it to the United Way (or whatever charity they are affiliated with) in their name.
Sometimes it's not enough to just send a thank you note, people need to know that you want and appreciate a referral. Don't forget to show the appreciation, send thank you notes, make calls, and let people know you want and appreciate all referrals. Reprinting This Article? You are welcome to use one of these articles. Just be sure and include the "author's box" below: ----------------------------------------------------------------- Cheryl Vallejos,certified professional business coach and consultant. She is a speaker and author of "Injecting the Juice into Leadership", "Having Time on Your Side", and "Low Carb Leadership", is a professional business leader, coach and consultant who works with clients to build their business and increase profits. Please visit http://www.PrimeLeaders.com for more articles, information, tips, and other great business-building benefits. 2004 © Cheryl Vallejos, Prime Leaders Community
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Hermey Wants To Be A Dentist December marked the 40th anniversary of the original broadcast of the classic "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"©, network television's longest-running, highest-rated holiday special. From my earliest childhood memories, watching Rudolph has been a tradition, one that continues today with my own family. It Takes Two - How to Cultivate Profitable Alliances "Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant advantage over the competition, with many benefits and cost savings." -Heidi Richards-More and more competition in the marketplace is making it necessary for companies to find creative ways to connect with customers and prospects, to enhance brand identity and attract top-notch employees. 15-Minute Marketing: Lots of Results in Little Time Do you think you don't have enough time to market? Here's a solution that can help you get started on marketing, or any other task you've been putting off.Promise yourself you will spend 15 uninterrupted minutes working on one aspect of marketing. Getting Into Marketing Momentum ... The Accelerated Way GETTING INTO MARKETING MOMENTUM: The 5 Power Principles for Getting Your Business into High GearDo you know the #1 reason why most businesses fail and why you could become a fatal statistic as well?The answer is .. Marketing Through Associations ©2004 Jeffrey DobkinIf you're in direct marketing, you're continually looking for new list sources - everybody's tired of mailing to the same lists. If you're not in direct marketing and thinking about putting a mailing together, here's something a little different: take a look at marketing through associations. What Is Multi-Level And How Should It Be Worked Multi-level marketing is really a partnership. You go into business with someone that has the same interests and goals you have. Customer Retention with a Personal Touch Personal contact with customers is a crucial element in the success of any new business - and it's one of the most common casualties of growth. As a company grows, the president tends to fade away into his or her office. A Common - Yet Easily Avoidable - Marketing Mistake December is a month in which many organizations make plans for the coming year. Now is a great time for you to look at your marketing systems for attracting and retaining customers. Communicating Our Attitude The goal of successful marketing is to create long lasting relationships with your prospects by marketing your business with passion. When you're not excited about what you're doing, no one else will be either. 10 Important Marketing Tips Each of the following Ten Marketing Tips is based on a highly effective but often overlooked marketing tactic. How many are you using? How many have you overlooked?Marketing Tip #1: Insulate yourself against the impact of change by increasing the number of products and services you offer . Marketing Your Franchise Online Do you want to successfully market your business franchise online? Here's an internet strategy you can use for your franchise opportunity.1. Everything Youve Ever Learned About Marketing Is Wrong Everything you've ever learned about marketing and advertising is WRONG. Everything you've ever heard everything you've ever tried, everything you've ever done, it's all WRONG. E-commerce : The Bottom of Pyramid Approach For centuries and most of the decades in the 20th century (i.e when computer was invented) access and communication was the tool of rich and ultra rich people, prohibitively expansive to 'not so rich' and 'not at all rich' people. Mortgage Marketing to Realtors - Creating a Memorable Positioning Statement Mortgage marketing to Realtors involves having a crystal clear position that establishes credibility, so that you can develop a consistent dialogue with prospects and guide them at every stage of the relationship building process.Declaring your position begins with creating a Positioning Statement. Why You Buy Behavioral economics is a new science that sheds light on some of our most important decisions. It is the study of how and why people make money-related choices. Words that Sell We all know the English language contains hundreds of thousands of words. But did you know that only 21 of them can easily sell your clients? Yes! It's true. To Web or Not to Web? Do I need a web site? That is the question often asked by business owners. The answer will usually depend upon the type of product or service offered and what the business is trying to achieve. Connecting With Your Clients Many service professionals tell me that they are uncomfortable with the idea of marketing -- like marketing is a bad word! For some, "marketing" brings up images of telemarketers, aggressive sales people, and feelings of resentment at being invaded. But marketing is really about connecting with your customers. Top 5 Tips For Media Selection Marketers have a wide variety of media at their disposal. Most of us think first of the advertising troika of newspapers, magazines and TV. A Tool For Selling New Ideas! Imagine tossing a pebble into a crystal clear pond on a still day, & watching the ripples make their way to the shore. A tiny cause has a massive effect.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
