The power of word-of-mouth marketing

Referrals are one of the most effective ways to market and grow a company. Many people think referrals just happen, but to take full advantage of this technique, you need a formal plan to encourage it.
Some tips on how to maximise your referral business:
1. Ask for referrals. Schedule periodical feedback calls with your clients. If they are happy with your service, ask for a referral.
2. Describe your perfect prospect to your referrer. E.g. ask potential referrers: “Do you know any single mothers earning above R10 000 per month looking for a nanny in Johannesburg?”
3. Reward your referrer for sending leads. Set up a gifting service with Kalahari or NetFlorist to formalise the process.
4. Keep your referrers up-to-date with your progress. Provide feedback on the leads you have received from the referrer. This will keep him/her interested.
5. Provide referrers with the tools required to promote your services.
This may include handouts with information about your company, business cards, PowerPoint presentations, etc.
6. Ensure the referrer is informed about the actions you will take when approaching one of their referrals. By informing them about the process, you will relieve the referrer from a lot of fear and uncertainty.
7. Ask for testimonials for your website and display them in a prominent position.
Implementing any of the above ideas will be fruitless if your customers are not happy with your product or service. Luckily you will find that out very quickly with the first feedback call – if customers are happy with your product or service, they will be happy to recommend you to their friends and clients.
Happy hunting!