| |
| |
|
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:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Name the Top Cable Network When Cable began as Community Antenna Televisionin 1948, all it did was collect over the air TVsignals and send them down a cable.When Cable networks began, so did Cableadvertising. Build A Successful Business By Staying Connected Over the course of your business life you'll come in contact with a number of other business people. They could be lawyers, business services, suppliers, customers, etc. Trade Show Marketing - Getting Prepared for the Big Event With the increase in number of tradeshows being held across the world, it has become imperative to check the trade shows' credentials before you commit participation. Here are some quick tips on checks to ensure that you are not heading for a dud trade show:1. Leverage The Power Of Using Flyers To Advertise Your Online Product or Service Offline One commonly overlooked method of advertising offline is flyers. Flyers are extremely easy to create. Small Business Marketing Tip - Get Attention and Be Remembered We live in a world of noise - not just auditory noise but total sensory overload. Everywhere we go marketing messages are shouting at us day and night. Natural Marketing for Full Business Success Is your mind muddy on marketing? Do you wake up each day and say, "I get to share myself and my great message with others" or do you say, " I have to market, or I will fail."Natural marketing refers to the action you take to get the word out about your service and product that rings true to your heart. Pre-Cleaning and Updating Addresses in Your Database When you send a direct mail piece using the Addressed Admail reduced postage option, it can cost you anywhere from 60 cents to $1.25 or more for printing, mail production and postage. 5 Tips to Grow Your Business Globally Entering into Global markets is a great way to organically grow your business. However, many small to mid sized businesses have a hard time, if they even venture to go global at all, entering global markets. Using Business and Greeting Cards Effectively Business cards and greeting cards almost go hand in hand when being used for marketing and business purposes. With a few exceptions. Marketing Brain Trust Rest assured that no matter how smart you are, you do not know everything about marketing. You don't even know anything about marketing your product! You can't figure everything out yourself, or see all the angles, or provide every bit of critical thinking. 7 Cheap & Easy Ways To Get Prospects Here are some quick techniques you can put into place on your web site or in your advertising to gather new prospects. There is practically no cost for most of these strategies yet they have proven to be extremely effective in any number of different venues. 21 Ways To Expand Your Subscriber List Expanding your subscriber list, whether it be for your ezine, newsletter -- printed or electronic -- takes persistence, and commitment. Not to mention time and letting go of the frustruation of it all. Maximize Your Lead Generation Efforts by Recycling Your Leads The basic lead generation process is pretty much the same from company to company. Inquiries come in?they're qualified?and then sent to the sales team. Good Vibes/ Bad Vibes Have you ever walked into a store or business and felt uncomfortable there for no apparent reason? Have you ever walked into a store all happy and left quite frustrated? Have you ever wished your house could feel happier? The process called energetic clearing can make a significant improvement to any location.There are many kinds of energy all around us. Unique Marketing Ideas That Generate Cash! First of all - keep in touch with your customers! One of the best ways to do this is with a newsletter. Today it's easier than ever to have a newsletter - use email. How to Market and Protect Your New Ideas The intellectual property transfer market is now estimated to be worth over $100 billion. If you have a new idea, a patent or an invention, you may be able to license it or sell it for millions of dollars. Want To Be A Stronger Marketer? Work Your Marketing Muscles! You want to be more flexible? You have to stretch your muscles. Want to be physically stronger? You have to find a way to workout and build your muscles. 25 Ways To Make Your Next Direct Mail Campaign Work This list contains 25 powerful strategies to improve your direct mail results. It would be wise to use this as a checklist to ensure you've included as many as possible in your advertising. Marketings Nuclear Weapon Three seconds. That's what you have to convey your message. Why Direct Mail Advertising Works And How To Lower Your Costs I met a lady who said she received a notice in the mail from a company offering plaques of various animals. She knew her daughter would love them as a gift and ordered them.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
