Referrals Can Be Your Best Tool For Success
There's no more inexpensive and effective way to generate new sales.

Are you getting referrals from your customers? If not, you could be losing out on a huge number of sales. Referral customers come mostly as a result of free publicity from the very best advertisers you could hope for. There is no better "evangelist" for your company than an enthusiastic client who is delighted to share your business with their family and friends.

Referred customers tend to be qualified customers. For the most part, people who refer others already know that the person they are sharing your company with will be interested in the products or services you provide.

ASKING AND INCENTIVES
It's a fact of life that very few individuals are going to be motivated enough to contact your company just to tell you how happy they are with your product or service. Therefore, it's important that you consistently ask for referrals from your customers.

Asking for referrals is a necessity for everyone, including big businesses, small businesses, home-based businesses, sales representatives, independent contractors, etc. In fact, smart business people ask for a referral before, during and after a sale.

Because most clients do not instinctively refer others to your company, it is wise to offer your clients an incentive to do so. Ask your customers for referrals and then offer them a discount, financial reward or special gift for their willingness to proactively promote your business.

To decide what incentives works best, find out what motivates your customers. Will they prefer cash, gifts or special recognition? You know your customers best. Give them something they want and chances are high that they willl repeatedly give you referrals.

SEEK TESTIMONIALS
A postive byproduct of any good referral program is the gathering of customer testimonials that praise your business. Testimonials capture the story an enthusiastic customer is already relating in the referral process and makes it available for general consumption. Whenever FleetBoss receives an email, letter or a telephone call from a satisfied customer who praises our services or products, we ask if we can use their comments as a testimonial. Regularly requesting testimonials or positive quotations from your clients should be as important to you as requesting referrals.

FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR WORD
Whenever you establish a formal referral rewards program, it is crucial that you honor the terms you have spelled out online and in your promotional materials (brochures, flyers, newsletters, etc.). After all, your good reputation is the very foundation upon which any successful referral program is built.

Referrals come as a result of your company being viewed as reliable, dependable, and trustworthy. When a customer refers your business, that customer is also putting his or her reputation on the line by recommending you. Following through on rewarding clients who refer others ensures that you won't face the prospect of turning a staunch ally into an unrelenting enemy.

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