Referrals are a powerful and effective way to get new customers for your small business, and if you’re good at what you do your existing customers will eagerly help their friends, colleagues and contacts to find you. The trick is to make it easy and incentivise it, so your business comes to mind when one of their contacts has a problem you can solve. In this article we’ll look at how you can increase the number of referrals you get into your business.
Prioritise your customers’ experience
The best way to persuade your customers to refer others to you is to give them a great experience that they want to share – and it can be difficult to see what it feels like to deal with your business from their perspective. Make it easy for your customers to feed back about their experience, and actively encourage them to help you to improve. Make sure you regularly review the feedback you’ve received, and take action based on that information.
Ask for referrals
As you’re wrapping up with an existing customer, ask if they know anyone who might need your services. Alternatively, you could ask indirectly by adding the question to your feedback form.
Make it easy
Make sure your existing customers have a link to your online contact form or social media pages, so they can easily find your details when a friend or colleague needs your help. Also, ensure you have a process for capturing and following up on referrals, so you don’t miss any opportunities.
Create a referral program
Give your customers a small reward as a thank you for referring to you. This could be a fixed cash amount, a small percentage of the fee you make from the referral, discounts on future transactions, or a physical gift; whatever works for your particular business.
Collaborate with other businesses
Do your customers often need services that you don’t offer? Collaborating with a business that does offer those services is a great way to get referrals, while adding value for your customers and theirs.
If your customers should have a bad experience with the other company, they may hold you responsible, so you should be sure to do your due diligence and only collaborate with businesses you’re happy to recommend.
Refer work to others
Even if you don’t have a formal agreement, you can still recommend other businesses to your customers. Only refer to people you admire and trust to look after your customers. In this way, you help to solve your customers’ problem and help out the other business, who may well reciprocate.
If you have questions or if we can help in any way, please call our expert team on 01296 468483 or email info@orangegenie.com.